"Stiff Luck" screenplay

My screenplay "Stiff Luck" at Amazon

http://studios.amazon.com/scripts/2676?ref=fb_share

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Film Festivals

Bahamas International Film Festival, Nassau, BAHAMAS
AUGUST 23, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3580

FILMSTOCK International Film Festival, Luton, UNITED KINGDOM
AUGUST 23, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $10
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3909

Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival, Chicago, IL
AUGUST 24, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3925

Taos Mountain Film Festival, Taos, NM
AUGUST 24, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $20
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3948

Turks & Caicos International Film Festival, Turks & Caicos Islands,
CARIBBEAN
AUGUST 24, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5203

KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, Santa Fe, NM
AUGUST 25, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1716

New York City Short Film Festival, New York, NY
AUGUST 25, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4611

Middle East International Film Festival - Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
AUGUST 27, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6323

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, Portland, OR
AUGUST 28, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3820

Cackalacky Film Festival, Charlotte, NC
AUGUST 30, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5200

Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival, Bay City, MI
AUGUST 30, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5065

Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition, Atlanta, GA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $10
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6197

Hollywood Film Festival, Hollywood, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1177

Vail Film Festival Screenwriting Competition, Vail, CO
AUGUST 31, 2007 - WAB Extended Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5266

__________________________________________________________

THESE BIG DEADLINES APPROACHING FAST:

Foyle Film Festival, N. Ireland, UNITED KINGDOM
AUGUST 23, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1733

Barbados International Film Festival, St. James, BARBADOS
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6150

Big Bang Film Festival, Philadelphia, PA
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Last Chance Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5807

Festivus Film Festival, Denver, CO
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6272

IFP/Chicago Flyover Zone Film Festival, Chicago, IL
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5168

Kern Projections Film Festival, Bakersfield, CA
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6102

Lake County Film Festival, Libertyville, IL
AUGUST 24, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4022

La Femme Film Festival, Beverly Hills, CA
AUGUST 27, 2007 - I Forgot Deadline
Upgraded projects save $15
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4060

Vine Shorts Fest, Santa Monica, CA
AUGUST 29, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6351

Forster Film Festival, Forster, AUSTRALIA
AUGUST 30, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6269

Montezuma International Film Festival, Montezuma, COSTA RICA
AUGUST 30, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6104

Queens International Film Festival, Rego Park, NY
AUGUST 30, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3994

Red Rock Film Festival of Zion Canyon, St. George, UT
AUGUST 30, 2007 - Work in Progress Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4410

Accolade, La Jolla, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - 3rd Early Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5207

Beloit International Film Festival, Beloit, WI
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4503

Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland, OH
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1112

Filmmaker Festival & Filmmaker Award, Kent, UNITED KINGDOM
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6100

Gen Art Film Festival, New York, NY
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1151

GoLeft.TV Progressive On-Line Documentary Film Festival, Hurley, NY
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6290

INDIE FEST USA, Garden Grove, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6055

Miami International Film Festival, Miami, FL
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/1241

Miami Short Film Festival, Miami, FL
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/4565

Phoenix Film Festival, Phoenix, AZ
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/2410

Screenwriting Expo Screenplay Competition, Los Angeles, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6201

Show Off Your Shorts Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5396

TREO Mobile Comedy Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
NO ENTRY FEE
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5075

Tenerife International Film Festival, Tenerife, SPAIN
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Earlybird Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5337

Terror Film Festival, Frazer, PA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Really, Really Late "Last Chance" Zombie Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5081

The International Sweet Onion Film Festival, Walla Walla, WA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/6085

The Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival, Santa Barbara, CA
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Regular Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/3834

The Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival, Grand Rapids, MI
AUGUST 31, 2007 - Late Deadline
Upgraded projects save $5
Watch List: http://www.withoutabox.com/watch/5189

Deadlines

This week, we present 8 great new Calls For Entry, 9 fine WAB Extended
Deadlines, and more than 50 (nifty) additional deadlines for you to
pick from. Be sure to check out these festivals, and the dozens of others
open for submissions below...

- Miami International Film Festival
- Florida Film Festival
- Phoenix Film Festival
- CHINH INDIA KIDS FEST
- Vail Film Festival Screenwriting Competition
- Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition

FINAL DEADLINES, just days away:

- Middle East International Film Festival - Abu Dhabi (UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES)
- New Hampshire Film Festival
- Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
- Bahamas International Film Festival


GET DISCOVERED ON WITHOUTABOX
You probably won't submit to 700 festivals, but it's now possible to
get in front of them ALL for a fraction of the cost. Splash an ad for
your project right in the back offices of the worldwide festivals that use
Withoutabox's online tools to program and manage their events. Help us
launch the Discovery Ads program and you can enjoy a huge savings over
regular pricing. Get $75 off a Discovery Ad right now by being one of
the first films to sign up! Inventories will be strictly limited, and
this offer may end at any time. You'll find a link to LEARN MORE about
Discovery Ads on your Account Home page, grouped with the Settings for
any project.


SCREENWRITERS: EXPLORE THE EXPO
The 6th Annual SCREENWRITING EXPO SCREENPLAY COMPETITION is affiliated
with one of the world's largest screenwriter trade shows, the
Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles, California. The competition offers more than
$150,000 in cash and prizes to award recipients, including the $20,000
Grand Prize and $2,500 prizes to five lucky (and talented) feature
writers. Called a "carnival for the screenwriter" by ESQUIRE magazine, this
opportunity is rich with networking and educational possibilities, as
well as a rare chance to win fantastic prizes and awards.

Be sure not to miss the next big deadline, on August 31st - submit to
the SCREENWRITING EXPO today!
View Listing:
http://www.withoutabox.com/03film/03t_fin/03t_fin_fest_01over.php?festview=1&festival_id=6201


BE A BUDDY...ON THE BOARDS.
Share your stories and advice about the festival circuit with your
fellow filmmakers on the Withoutabox Messageboards.
http://www.withoutabox.com/boards

___________________________________________________________

Pacific Northwest Screenwriters Contest 2007

The Pacific Northwest Screenwriters Contest 2007 sponsored by 928
Talent Management is now taking entries.

1st Place Winners in the 5 categories will receive: 1 Year of Full
Representation, Final Draft Software, and the Writers Award.

Deadline for entries is 9/15/07. All entries received after that date,
must have a postmark no later than that date.

*All entries must be WGA Registered or Copyrighted
*Entries must be the original work of the author/s
*All Film/TV Movie Scripts must be over 75 pages

Categories:
Drama Feature
Comedy Feature
Sci-fi - Action Feature
Thriller-Horror-Mystery-Suspense
TV Movie – Mini Series

Fees for entering:
1 Category Fee $20.00 (entering your script in 1 category)
2 Category Fee $25.00 (entering your script in 2 categories, no
project can be entered in more than 2)

The panel of 10 judges includes:

Daniel Yost, Screenwriter Drugstore Cowboy
Billy Cougar, Director of Development Here Networks
JR O'Neil, CEO 928 Talent Management
Grammnet Productions

For complete contest details and entry please visit:
http://www.928talentmgt.com

Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition Announces Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition Announces Winners

LOS ANGELES, CA, AUGUST 16, 2007

Brian Price & Samuel W. Gailey of Los Angeles have captured the $10,000 1st Place Prize in the 9th Annual Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition. The comedy “Whale Farts” is about a likable loser, Skip Shaw, who is content sailing thru life on his Dads money, until he's cut off. Now he must face his Dad, a killer whale, a fishing tournament, oh yeah and water in order to get back some self-respect and the inheritance.

2nd Place Winner "Code Name Veil" by Matt Billingsly.

3rd Place Winner, "Emily's Numbers" by Paul Chepikian.

Over 50 producers, managers and agents were involved in the reading of the competition.

Scriptapalooza makes winners packages and loglines available to established production companies and literary representatives.

Scriptapalooza Inc. was founded in 1998 with the intention of discovering talented writers and promoting them through the Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition. Since then, the partners have branched into ScriptapaloozaTV, a television writing competition and Scriptapalooza Coverage, a professional analysis service for writers.

Keeping good company, the competition is supported by the WGA,west and sponsored by legendary screenwriting software company Write Brothers Inc.

For application and rules visit www.scriptapalooza.com or call the office 323-654-5809

Press Contact: Mark Andrushko 323

Lighthouse Screenplay Competition

Lighthouse Screenplay Competition
Deadline August 1st!

http://www.lighthousescreenplay.com

Submit all genres

Grand Prize - $5,000

1st & 2nd runners-up - $1,500/each

Top two scripts guaranteed to be optioned to be produced!

All scripts will receive feedback from working industry professionals.

All submissions must be post-marked by August 1st.

Send submissions to:
Lighthouse Screenplay competition
5160 Vineland Ave, Ste 107-220
North Hollywood, CA 91601

http://www.lighthousescreenplay.com

Upcoming Screenwriting Contests

Scriptapalooza (entexded deadline)
April 20th, 2007
http://www.scriptapalooza.com/

Script Pimp
May 1st, 2007
http://www.scriptpimp.com/writing_competition/home.cfm

Nicholl Fellowships
May 1st, 2007
http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/

Grindhouse

Grindhouse

Review by John Dodd

Directors: Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino

(guest directors Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie)

The first must see movie of 2007 has arrived. Grindhouse is for all those guys who spent their teenage years in theaters or (as in my case) in front of the VCR watching hours of cheap monsters, excessive gore, and abundant bare breasts.

Grindhouse was produced as a loving tribute to the by-gone era of grindhouses, drive-ins, and exploitation films produced in the late 60s through the early 80s. These films gave the viewer what he wanted to see (sex, blood, nihilism) with little attention to finesse or art. Some might question the idea of a 53 million dollar exploitation film with Bruce Willis and Sidney Poitier’s daughter. Nay sayers may also point to the incredulous idea of a three hour homage to films that were not overly good, in the objective sense of the word, to begin with.

I dismiss all such objections. Grindhouse is a lot of fun. Some cutting might have helped an occasional lapses in pace, but this is the first film in 2007 that I did not get up to go pee during. Besides passing the piss test, how many other movie going experiences offer double features anymore?

The first feature is Planet Terror, which resembles a schlocky low-budget zombie movie. The model is Night of the Living Dead where survivors are held up in a secluded area defending off hoards of undead. The cast of characters include a tough sheriff, inept deputies, a nurse in mourning, a stripper, and a mechanic with the killing know-how. All hold up in the Bone Shack ran by J.T., BBQ maker extraordinar.

The story moves fast and furious with tongue in cheek and gore aplenty. From a tank of amputated testicles to a dripping, oozing phallus, Planet Terror has enough gross out moments to satisfy fans of Troma movies. It’s also fun to see the cast interact. Michael Biehn, the onetime king of 80s action films (Terminator, Aliens, Timebomb), plays the sheriff. Jeff Fahey of the TV show The Marshal plays J.T. and gets the role of his career. These two have the best dialogue while Rose McGowan as stripper Cherry Darling makes watching easy on the eyes.

My only (mild) complaint is that Planet Terror is a bit too tongue in cheek. When one watches a zombie film from the 1970s, no matter how ridiculous they become (and they get pretty darn ridiculous) the filmmakers, either out of ignorance or out of cynicism, took their story dead seriously. For example, let’s take Dr. Butcher M.D., a teenage favorite. There was a film with zombies, cannibals, a psycho doctor, and a woman chained to the world’s giant Jell-O mold all served up without a wink at the camera and thus making the whole mess endearing. Planet Terror is first and foremost self-aware and aware of all the films that inspired it. This is not actually bad, but it does make for a film that is more splatstick than scary, less Evil Dead than Evil Dead 2.

I’m being nitpicky. With more blood than The Hills Have Eyes remake and the best coitus interruptus in movie history, Planet Terror kicks the undead ass of Land of the Dead.


Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof rounds out the double bill. A combination psycho on the loose picture and car chase spectacular, the feature has Kurt Russell playing Stuntman Bob, an impotent nut with a custom hotrod built to withstand any crash. It is as safe as it is, with skull and crossbones for decoration, scary. Bob gets his kicks by running his car into the unsafe vehicles of pretty young women. Unlike the more infamous psycho films like Maniac or Last House on the Left, Russell’s character is pushed into the background. The stars are the women who have caught his eye, including two Hollywood daughters, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Jordan Ladd (the gymnast from Club Dread), as well as Rose McGowan making her second Grindhouse appearance.

Death Proof has received the lion’s share of critics’ praise, which says a lot negatively. Critics were not the intended target audience for any film playing in a 70s grindhouse. Death Proof shows off a good car chase in its final twenty-five minutes. The rest of the feature consists of people in cafes and bars talking. Although the conversation is about movies, TV shows, and dope, it is still talk and not action. This may be a trait of its director, but Death Proof would have made the average grindhouse patron to either nod off or wander off in search of something more immediate. Tarantino shows that while he clearly loves the exploitation films of old, he cannot quite bring himself to make one.

This is not to say that on its own terms, Death Proof is a failure. As usual, the film references provide active viewing. I caught Telefon and Dixie Dynamite but missed Used Cars and Convoy (and I’m a Peckinpah fan!). The actors give good performances. I especially liked stuntwoman Zoe Bell playing a stuntwoman named Zoe. She is surprisingly good and leaves the impression of being one tough broad. The car chase, when it finally comes, does deliver. Tarantino also provides a doozy of a last shot. I liked Death Proof, but if I had been an exploitation producer in the 1970s and an auteur wanted to sell me Death Proof, I would have said: cut ten minutes, make the psycho scarier, and get the women out of their clothes.


There is much more to Grindhouse. I will leave its best moments (like the fake trailers by guest directors) to be discovered by the viewer. I am saddened that Grindhouse seemed to have been a disappointment in its first weekend. This is the most entertainment that a red blooded, sleazy movie watching, American boy can have at the movies anymore.

To end, I would like to highly recommend Sleazoid Express by Bill Landis and Michelle Clifford, a book about the grindhouses of New York City. Buy it and read it! For those that may not be as experienced with the films Grindhouse is paying tribute to, here is a list of the best of some of the major grindhouse genres. Line up that queue at Netflix and dig through those VHS clearance bins.

Best Biker Gang:

The Losers

Best Blaxploitation Flick:

Truck Turner

Best Car Chase Movie:

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry

Best Chop Sockey Not Starring Bruce Lee:

The Chinatown Kid

Best Gangster Film from Italy:

Violent City (aka The Family)

Best Giallo (European Thriller) Not Directed by Dario Argento:

The Slasher Is a Sex Maniac (aka So Sweet So Dead)

Best Outlaws on the Lam Picture:

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase

Best Revenge film:

Rolling Thunder

Best Slasher Movie Not Featuring Jason, Michael, or Freddy:

Rituals

Best Spaghetti Western Not Directed by Sergio Leone:

The Big Gundown

Best Film about Women in Prison:

Caged Heat

Best Zombie Film Not Directed by George Romero:

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

Best Title for a Grindhouse Movie:

The Great Hollywood Rape Slaughter

(haven’t seen it myself, but who can argue with a title like that?)

The Death of VHS (2006)

The Death of VHS (2006)

By John Dodd

On November 14, Variety published an obituary for VHS citing retailers decision to pull the last of the format for reasons of shelf space. I have been thinking about this announcement for some time now. Last winter, just a year ago, my friend Rich and I went on half a dozen road trips to buy cheap VHS tapes from rental outlets like Family Video and Second Cinema Video selling off their VHS stock. Some stores were down to the bottom of VHS. At one all that remained were aerobic work out tapes and Pauley Shore Must Die. Fortunately, other stores had more variety.

For the last year I have been watching the fruits of these expeditions. Some might ask why go to this trouble for VHS. After all, DVD is clearly superior. DVDs have extras. DVDs have remastered sound and high resolution pictures. DVDs have presented obscure films in their most pristine and unedited quality, some for the first time in America. Almost none of the VHS tapes I bought were even letterboxed. All of this is true, but VHS will always hold a place in my heart. It was what I grew up with.

In December 1985 my family bought their first VHS player. A video cassette recorder was heavy machinery back then, one weighed (and cost) a substantial amount. It occupied the entire top of a television set. The first video I watched on my family’s player was Ice Pirates with Robert Ulrich. I have not watched it since!

The idea of a video library appealed to me back when videos were $50-$100. . . except for the cheap ones at the convenience stores. The first VHS tape I bought was The Most Dangerous Game. The EP recorded film cost only $10! Bruce Lee’s The Chinese Connection and The Mad Bomber with Chuck Connors soon followed. There were others that got away. I did not buy House of Psychotic Women the one time I saw it at Wal-Mart and in later years regretted it. All of the others would over the years come down from $10 to $5 to finally $.99. Back in the mid/late 80s, $10 was pretty much my monthly allowance except for some loose change for odd jobs around the house. I wanted to collect the movies but renting was much more cost effective. Renting movies was done on Saturday. I, as a young lad, was restricted to “PG” or “PG-13,” except for the video boxes that luckily had no rating listed. My family began renting videos when outlets were clubs (an annual membership fee was required). All of this changed over time. Clubs were out. To rent a videotape required only a driver’s license. Tapes slowly came down in price. With time, my video collection grew and grew.

Finally, last year’s buying trips netted me more than 100 movies (at a cost of about $150-200, not counting the considerable gas expense). I did not always buy the films that looked the best. Instead, the loudest callers were those films that I remember watching on beat up VHS tapes with friends and at home when mom and dad were gone or the videos I remembered on the shelves way back in the mid/late 80s that I never got around to renting. Many would argue that for the amount of money spent last winter, I could have instead purchased some of them on high resolution DVDs through one of the many online retailers and saved on gas. True, I could not have bought every film, but the ones that I did buy would be uncut, letterboxed, and with prints not looking like they were edited with a chainsaw. Less could be more. I do not argue, but what I do say is a death is usually marked by a wake. What follows is a sampling of the titles purchased. None of which, I might add, are available on region 1 DVD.



The Applegates (1990) - Michael Lehmann
(a.k.a. Meet the Applegates)
Michael Lehman is known as the director of Heathers. Few remember his follow up film, an equally bizarre, socially relevant comedy. A family of giant cockroaches venture from the Brazilian rain forests to the suburbs of the U.S. of A. Their mission is to assimilate and sabotage the humans. Since humans are destroying the rainforests, the cockroaches are going to return the favor. Unfortunately, suburbia proves too much of a temptation as the cockroaches fall into illicit sex, binge shopping, and drug use. This film is just as acidic as Heathers and almost as good. The only misstep is the decision to have Dabney Coleman in drag.


Housekeeping (1987) - Bill Forsyth
Based on the first novel by Marilynne Robinson, this odd movie is a real sleeper. It tells the story of two young girls who go to live with their eccentric aunt (Christine Lahti) in a small town during the 1950s. One girl falls under the spell of her aunt while the other longs for a normal Rockwell life. Although the aunt’s oddities are charming, director Forsythe never lets the viewer forget the bitter side of the story. Christine Lahti gives a great performance and both of the actresses playing the girls build distinct characters.


The Fast Kill (1972) - Lindsay Shopteff
I was tipped off about this film via an extra on a DVD (how can I dis the format too badly if it led me to The Fast Kill?). Guy Maddin in the documentary to The Saddest Music in the World praised the “can do” quality of this low budget British heist film. A gangster (with the help of his girlfriend) recruits a mercenary, a race car driver, a lesbian sharp shooter, and a bomb expert to pull off a daring jewel robbery. Of course, greed and divided loyalties lead to complications. Director Lindsey Shopteff is often dismissed as a hack, but he keeps this film moving quickly and the action swift, violent, and in limits with the film’s low budget. The videotape (courtesy of The Congress Video Group) features some of the least subtle pan and scanning I have ever seen. Despite this, the film’s story and pacing grabs one and the technical glitches add to the old school charm.


The Little Drummer Girl (1984) - George Roy Hill
For those of us disappointed with the more recent Constant Gardener, this fellow John Le Carre adaptation has all the suspense and intrigue one would expect of a thriller. Diane Keaton, not one of my favorite actresses, may be miscast as the left wing political actress drafted into spy service by Israeli agents. Still, she gives it her all and earned my respect. The film plays the moral ambiguity card well and delivers 130 minutes of interest. Klaus Kinski even appears as the head Israeli agent.


The Slasher (1972) - Roberto Bianchi Montero
(a.k.a. The Slasher Is a Sex Maniac)
From my VHS purchases, I had to pick one film of a sleazier variety and this was the best one. Farley Granger, a long way from Hitchcock’s Rope, plays a police detective out to catch a serial killer who preys on unfaithful wives. This is an Italian giallo (violent murder mystery) with sleaze, nudity, gore, the adorably unclothed Sylvia Koscina, and one nasty of an ending. In other words, it’s an exploitation masterpiece.


Wise Blood (1979) - John Huston
Flannery O’Connor is hard to adapt. She reads like Faulkner with a sense of humor. The theme is the decaying south. The characters are misfits, murderers, and conmen, but O’Connor was a devout Catholic, not a nihilist. Wise Blood shows her traits well. It’s funny in an odd way that many will not care for. Brad Dourif, in his best role, plays Hazel, a bitter young man who starts The Church Without Christ. Hazel’s messages are sincere as his arrogance. Hazel soon becomes bombarded with odd characters: huckster preachers, horny virgins, and a dull witted, monkey obsessed zoo keeper. With a terrific supporting cast including Harry Dean Stanton, Ned Beatty, and William Hickey, the film is flawlessly acted. The viewer just has to role with the weirdness. For those who can Wise Blood proves to be on of John Huston’s strangest and most intriguing later films.


There is no question that VHS is dead and buried. What these half dozen VHS tapes show is that the format left us some good memories.

2007 Already!

Wow 2006 went fast.

Goals for 2007:

Post more.

Finish two new scripts.

DUKE CITY SHOOTOUT

DUKE CITY SHOOTOUT DIGITAL FILMMAKING FESTIVAL ACCEPTING SCRIPT SUBMISSIONS FOR 2007 FESTIVAL

High-Definition Digital Filmmaking Competition Brings Artist’s Visions from Script-to-Screen in One Week



For Immediate Release

Date: November 10, 2006

Contact: Alexis Kerschner, Rick Johnson & Company, (505) 266-7220, akerschner@rjc.com



ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Duke City Shootout, the only digital filmmaking competition in the world where screenwriters race to shoot, edit and premiere their 12-minute film in seven days, is now accepting script submissions from filmmakers and screenwriters around the world for next year’s festival, which will take place in Albuquerque N.M July 20-28, 2007.

Representatives of New Mexico’s Digital Filmmaking Institute (DFI) and renowned screenwriters from around the country will select the seven best scripts to be produced and ultimately compete for the “Palm de Grease,” the festival’s most prestigious award. The Shootout will fly the seven winning screenwriters to Albuquerque, where they will be given a cast, high-definition digital camera and lighting equipment, a production crew, post-production facilities, transportation and even a professional mentor—everything they will need to bring their script to life—a $50,000 value.

Last year, more than 270 scripts were submitted to the Shootout, and for the first time, Shootout movies were made available online via file-sharing giant BitTorrent. Past festival participants include: script judges Morgan Freeman, Peter Fonda and Phillip Kaufman, producers Ellen Sandler (Everybody Loves Raymond), Michael Steinberg (There's Something About Mary), Linda Goldstein (Whale Rider); directors Jay Roach (Austin Powers), Dan Mirvish (co-founder of Slamdance), Jim Mercurio (Hard Scrambled), Jack Hill (Foxy Brown), Anthony Drazan (The West Wing); Patricia Cardoso (Real Women Have Curves); actors Donal Logue (Grounded For Life), Talia Shire (The Godfather); editor Barry Alexander Brown (Inside Man); and cinematographers Alan Walker (Roseanne) and James O'Keefe (Timecode).

A script by Toronto writer/director Ralph Lucas has been selected as the first of seven movies to be produced at the 2007 Duke City Shootout. Lucas’ script, “The Next Best Thing to War,” was selected from entries submitted to the Screenwriting Expo 5 contest sponsored by Creative Writing magazine. Lucas’ selection was announced at the Expo, held in Los Angeles on October 19-22.

Script submission requirements include a cover page including name of author, address, telephone number; 12 minute script (i.e. 12 pages); and entry fee of $30 (before April 16, 2007) or $35 (April 17-May 18, 2007). The deadline for entry is May 18, 2007. There are two ways to submit scripts:



Mail hard copies of script, including check or money order payable to the Digital Filmmaking Institute to:

Duke City Shootout

P.O. Box 37080

Albuquerque, NM 87176



Submit electronically and pay by credit card, at www.withoutabox.com.



For more information and updates on the 2007 Shootout, visit www.dukecityshootout.org, or email questions to info@shootdfi.net.

9th Annual Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition

As seen on CNN.com
9th Annual Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition

http://www.scriptapalooza.com

With Write Brothers, Robert McKee and The Writers Guild
of America,west Registry all supporting Scriptapalooza, this is the
competition to enter.

First place prize is $10,000

All the judging is done by 60 production companies
Entertainment Weekly Magazine calls us 'One of the Best'
We promote the top 13 winners for a full year
5 scripts in the 2006 Competition have been OPTIONED
Finalists, Semifinalists and quarterfinalists get requested
consistently

Early bird deadline January 5

Visit http://www.scriptapalooza.com
or call 323-654-5809 or email
us at info@scriptapalooza.com

41 horror movies in 29 days

John Dodd watched 41 horror movies in 29 days. Here's his report.

10/1

** House On The Edge of the Park

A Last House on the Left ripoff with David Hess, Krug himself, turning in his most unrestrained performance as Alex, a disco dancing psychopath. Alex and his somewhat more stable friend Ricky crash a party, hold the revelers hostage, rape the women, and torture the men, until the tables turn. This is a film that wallows in its nastiness, unrepentant in its sleaze, and saves its grossest moment for an unclothed, very hairy Hess in the shower. Talk about obscene!!!!

10/2

*1/2 The Slayer

When starting I was unsure if this was going to be a slasher film, a monster movie, or an Italian thriller (giallo). After watching it, I’m still not sure. The plot has two couples going to a deserted island for fishing and relaxing. One of the tourists has seen this place in her nightmares. Her companions don’t believe her. Then someone, or something, begins to pick the minimal visitors off one by one. Five deaths, one potential victim survives, no *convincing* gore, no soothsayer, and no mask. The first death is at the ten minute mark. I’m not seeing good numbers here. An early film from the director of 8MM part 2.

10/3 A Tuesday with Mr. Lee

* Dark Places

If you are frightened by doors slamming shut, then you will be scared shitless by this creeky old house film. Most everyone else will be bored. Christopher Lee plays a kindly doctor who may not be as benevolent as he seems. Joan Collins before she was the hag on Dynasty plays the temptress (and is still about ten years too old for the role).

**1/2 Dracula A.D. 1972

Dracula (my man, Lee) gets resurrected in 1972, bites down on Caroline Munroe (Yummy), and plots to take revenge on Van Helsing’s great-great-granddaughter. Fortunately, her grandfather (Cushing) is an expert in vampirism. The early 70s British music sucks, but Cushing and Lee are fun as always. And the setting is 1972, so it’s like Dracula, Daddy-O.

10/4 Post-Scream Slashers

** Slaughter Studios

A Scream variation as only New Concorde studios would do: DV cinematography, a cast of actresses with more sand than Daytona Beach, and a tongue in cheek presentation. Slaughter Studios was once a top line grindhouse. Following the death of an actor in the early 80s the studio closed. Now, a film fan breaks in the doors, smuggles in his cast and crew, and is determined to covertly make a movie after hours. Too bad there is a killer on the loose. 9 deaths (2 off screen) with the first murder at the twenty-three minute mark; three potential victims survive; a half pint of blood; no soothsayer or mask; but more uncovered breasts than I can count. Cheers for the line, “I bet Eric Roberts doesn’t work like this!”

** Cut

I bought Cut for one reason and one reason only: to see Molly Ringwald die a horrible death. She has it coming for her The Breakfast Club. Most everything else I could forgive but not murdering this brat packer brings rage to my eyes. Too bad because for the first hour, Cut comes in toward the top of the Scream ripoffs. This Australian import is surprisingly well acted, decently directed, and follows the model right on down to the opening guest murder victim (here, singer Kylie Minogue). A group of graduating film school students are going to make a name for themselves by finishing an 80s slasher film believed to be cursed. When the actor playing the killer went crazy and murdered his director (Minogue), the film was shut down. Since then anyone who has tried to finish the film has met with a strange “accident.” Despite warnings from their film professor (the soothsayer), the kids hire a down on her luck actress from the original production (Ringwald), retreat to the countryside, and begin filming. The last half-hour sucks and Molly Ringwald does not die. Thirteen other characters do (three off screen); Ringwald and two others survive; half pint of blood; six minutes for the first murder; generic mask and Francois Truffaut reference.

Oct 5 Corman, Poe

**1/2 Tales of Terror

Corman loosely adapts three Poe stories in this anthology. All star Vincent Price. The first is poor. The second with Peter Lorre as a drunk in a wine tasting contest is funny if overlong. The third with Basil Rathbone as a hypnotist is the best even. Acting honors go to Lorre in episode number. “My wife’s right there.” “But she’s dead.” “You notice every-thing.”

*** House of Usher

While not as good as Tomb of Ligeia, this is film that started them all, Corman’s first foray into Poe. It is quality on a budget with good cinematography, set design, Vincent Price not overly hammy for a change, and Myrna Fahey is good as the woman who may or may not be going mad. The film seems slightly padded even at 80 minutes. Beyond that, this is a solid adaptation.

Oct 6

** Deadline

Steven Lessing (called Stevie or Steve-O) is a successful writer of horror novels and film scripts. One might say he’s a real King of the genre. Steven is going through a bad time. His family is falling apart, his producer cares only about blood and guts, and the public accuse him of contributing to real life violence. The film contrasts gory scenes from Lessing’s films/books with his melancholy home life. The end result is ambitious but schizophrenic serving up gory moments while condemning them.

*** Feast

Co-scripted by a former Cinema 1&2 employee, Feast is made by and for horror movie fans. A surviving the night type movie in the From Dust Till Dawn mode, Feast does get a bit slow in the middle, but there are enough funny bits to carry the day. Henry Rollins as the motivational speaker Coach is worth the price of admission alone.

Oct 7

*1/2 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning

Flat prequel to the remake of the 1970s classic plays like a remake of the remake right on down to the lone surviving woman hiding in a slaughterhouse as Leatherface stalks her. The Vietnam era period detail feels like dress up. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is my vote for the horror series that has fallen the farthest. Believe it or not a customer asked me what this film was about! I squinted my eyes and said, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning?” Clueless, he answered, “Yeah, what’s that about?”

Oct 8 It Played in Peoria!

** Blood Feast

The world’s first gore film stands as humbling beginnings. Would good, respectable people in 1963 see a film so unrepentantly lurid? Where to test it? Peoria, Illinois, if it would play there it would play anywhere. It played! Today, Blood Feast is a slow, stagey affair with red paint thrown around at random. The early-60s era Playboy Playmates Connie Mason and Ashyln Martin are the film’s best visuals. I did like the chase where villain Faud Ramses (as if his name didn’t tell you that) is chased across a garbage dump in the finale. Peoria’s Journal Star did a front page story on it in 2003.

Oct 9

***1/2 Demons of the Mind

As the title suggests, there is no monster in this Hammer horror film. A highly impressive film that at long lasts reflects the time it was made. Unlike the same period’s Beast Must Die, this film has all of the ambition that most other early 70s Hammer films did not. It is about the end of superstition, the dawn of psychology, and early 70s filmmaking. That’s a compliment!

Oct 10

***1/2 Cat People

Producer Val Lewton’s first horror film is also my favorite. Kids these days have a hard time with Cat People because there is so little onscreen horror. My students were bored. They grew up expecting onscreen monsters. By showing almost nothing but darkness and shadows, this film is saved the hokey, camp quality of many of the monster movies seen now. The walk in the park and the swimming pool scenes are justly famous due to their simplicity regardless of what eighteen year-olds think.

Oct 11 Femmes de Woof

½ An American Werewolf in Paris

The mind boggles at what I will set through just to get a glimpse of Julie Delphy’s breasts. This has to be the bottom! A film with such bad CGI effects that whole scenes appear to be animated. A film with possibly the most annoying American college kids put on film. You will be rooting for the fascist lupin. . . but Julie Delphy is topless for half a second (hence, the half star).

*** Ginger Snaps

Those looking for a female werewolf film would do well to catch Ginger Snaps, an intriguing metaphor for coming of age. The Fitzgerald sisters are the outcasts of suburbia. They stage suicides for their photography class and dream of escaping into the city. Then Ginger, the elder sister, is bit by some big dog or wolf and she starts to change. She becomes interested in boys, punches out a bullying homecoming queen, and develops an urge for slaughtering dogs in the neighborhood. Sister Brigitte looks for a cure as her sister becomes more and more animal like with the next full moon slated for Halloween night.

Oct 12 Jason at twenty-six

***1/2 Friday the 13th

The first, the best, and some might argue the only watchable one. Eleven deaths (four off-screen) with the first murder at the four minute mark. Four potential victims survive (one camper, two cops, and Crazy Ralph). No mask, a gallon of blood, and Crazy Ralph as the soothsayer.


*1/2 Jason So Lo Monta De Miedo

I bought (cheaply) this film after reading the following description in a catalog. “Hockey masked killer wields knives and chainsaws mixed with scenes of damn near hard-core sex with drop dead gorgeous bitches.” Lots of gore and sex, sounds like a fun slasher movie to me! As P.T. Barnum said there’s a sucker born every minute. Nine deaths with the first one being thirteen minutes in. With a hockey mask, no soothsayer, and Jason blowing away Michael Meyers with a shotgun.

Oct 13

I took off from work just so I could watch my Friday the 13th box set. I even started a day early just to get a taste. A taste was all I was to get thanks to my students (“Friday is the only day I can make up the test”), the state of Illinois (mandatory ethics training), and my father (“this will just take an hour or two”). Instead, I went to the theater.

**1/2 The Grudge 2

Of this series (two Japanese direct video features; two theatrical Japanese movies; and two American remakes), the second Japanese theatrical film (Juon 2) is the scariest of the bunch. That film unnerves. The American remake of that film, Grudge 2, isn’t bad. It intertwines three stories, one painfully familiar (Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character and her sister), one ghostly fun (the schoolgirls), and one genuinely creepy (the apartment complex). I split the difference on the star rating.

Oct 14

*1/2 Class Reunion Massacre (The Redeemer-Son of Satan)

I try to give a break to the pre-Halloween slasher

films, but this one is both dull and confusing. Six former friends show up for their high school reunion only to find the school deserted and a killer picking them off. Could it be tied into the strange boy who rose out of the water in the first scene? How about the priest giving the sermon on greed, lust, and vanity? I’m not sure and I did see this film. Eight deaths (one off-screen) with the first at the seven minute mark. None of potential victims survive, which is the most noteworthy part of the film.

(On October 15, I went out of town to see The Departed and Science of Sleep, a film better than any of the horror films I watched this season)

Oct 16

* Asylum of Satan

A young woman finds herself transferred from a hospital to an asylum ran by a mysterious doctor who is actually a coven leader. During the snake attack, a woman thrashes around holding the painfully obvious rubber snakes. At the end, the devil is conjured up complete with seam running down his back (methinks the Prince of Darkness should switch tailors). And the effects are still better than those in An American Werewolf in Paris.

Oct 17

*** Cat People

Despite being dismissed by fans of the genre, I like Paul Schrader’s kinky rethinking of the 1942 horror classic. It is not scary going for a more oblique (some might say “arty”) monster in all of us theme. The film boasts good acting, good music, and good cinematography. It’s also very 80's.

Oct 18

* Dead Waters (aka Dark Waters)

There is an old saying in film criticism if nothing happens in the first reel (20-30 minutes) nothing is going to. I sat through two reels of this early 90s Italian spook show before engaging the fast forward button. What we have here is half-assed Lovecraft with an island convent, a cult worshiping the image of a monster, and a quick ending look at the creature. It’s all very tedious. A three disk set under the title Dark Waters was released this October. One advertisement read, “the most anticipated DVD release this Halloween.” By whom?


**1/2 Diabolical Dr. Z

What would Halloween be without one Jess Franco film? The man has made almost 200 movies (hardcore porn to children’s films, with the horror film his favorite). This one is early on, before the guy went for quantity over quality. The black and white cinematography produces half a dozen atmospheric scenes. The film still suffers from Franco’s slack pace but the Mondo Macabro disk looks great.

Oct 19

**1/2 Cabin Fever

I had heard less than thrilling reviews from fellow horror fans/Cinema 1&2 employees. The film tries too hard to throw in splatter, comedy, atmosphere, local color, and contagion. It’s awkwardly paced and undisciplined for sure, but clearly made by horror fans. Any film that has the drunk college kids cruising down the road listening to “The Road Leads to Nowhere” from the Last House on the Left soundtrack can’t be all bad.

Oct 20

* Devil’s Daughter

No country can top the Italians for evocative nightmarish visuals. In the first scene when hippies paint themselves as America sings, “I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name.” All atmosphere goes out the window. Kelly Curtis, Jamie Lee’s better looking but no more talented sister, finds herself a target of devil worshipers. The title of the film is incorrect. Curtis is the daughter of the leader of the devil cult; she is going to be the mother of the Devil’s son, which I guess makes her The Devil’s Wife. At the end the baby antichrist gives up his life to save his mortal mother (huh?).

Oct 21

½ The Vampire Happening

My choice for the worst horror film of the Halloween season goes to Freddie Francis’ vampire comedy. How bad is it? It makes Love at First Bite look like Young Frankenstein. It’s so bad that despite considerable amounts of nudity, Larry R. Jarvis did not want it!!!! Sample joke: the heroine grabs the Communist vampire’s copy of Mao’s Little Red Book and shoves it in another vampire’s mouth. The communist vampire goes over to his fellow undead, grabs his book back, and yells: “bloodsucker!” And if you laughed at that joke, you have just won your very own copy of The Vampire Happening.

**1/2 The Living Dead Girl

This is another example of Jean Rollin working out his personal fetishes as expressionless, half dressed, pale women commit horrible acts amongst gothic locations. In this one, a dead woman is revived by chemical waste. She craves blood. Her childhood friend/lesbian lover seeks out victim’s to keep her companion going. This is not one of Rollin’s best, the pacing is at times leaden with bad actors from multiple continents. There are some impressive images which mix the beautiful and the profane wonderfully. Rollin leaves the viewer with a slam dunk final shot.

Oct 22

*1/2 The Devil’s Wedding Night

Yet another title that lies. The most accurate title would read Dracula’s Widow’s Wedding Night. With endless shots of Mark (no relation to Matt) Damon riding a horse and walking across blank walls, this is a cheap production to be sure. The last twenty minutes do pick up. The vampire countess played Lady Frankenstein.

Oct 23

** Symptoms

Angela Pleasence (who looks a lot like her father) moves with a friend into a country house where someone died. Something is wrong. Is the house haunted or is one of the two women going crazy? Jose Larraz once again tries his hand at slow burning, claustrophobic unease (Vampyres; Coming of Sin). This one tips its hand too early (BIG HINT: Angela is a closeted lesbian with a crush on her friend). The Fall colors are nicely photographed. Too bad my copy sucked!

Oct 24

*** Demons

*** Demons 2

I saw Demons numbero uno way back when I was a sophomore in high school and it kicked ass. Today, these films bring back fond memories of the 1980s: blue lighting, hairspray abuse, gratuitous bladder effects, shoulder pads, post MTV music imagery, and gore galore. The Scorpions, Motley Crue, The Cult, and The Smiths are all on the soundtracks of these movies. There are missteps. Any punker in 1985 listening to Billy Idol should have a cap put in poseur ass. Those who did not like these films in the 80s can probably skip buying the Anchor Bay DVDs. For the enlightened ones, buy ‘em up while you still can.

(On October 25th I watched A Scanner Darkly, which while technically not a horror movie, will make one uncomfortable)

Oct 26 short people

** Burial Ground

Yes, this is the zombie film where the short man with a receding hairline plays a young kid. This is very obvious! It is done for one reason: because no parent, no matter how stage struck, would let their child do a scene where he bites his screen mother’s breasts off. It’s a good scene! Too bad there aren’t more of them. Plenty of gore and tastelessness, I would have loved it at sixteen. Maybe I’m getting old.

***1/2 Freaks

With the exception of King Kong (which is more of a fantasy), Freaks is my choice for the best 30s horror film. It’s a slowburner but the ending makes it all worth while. The vengeance of the freaks is the scariest moment in 30s horror. The DVD of this is quite good with a particularly noteworthy documentary which provides background on many of the performers playing the freaks.

Oct 27

** The Red Shoes

I didn’t get to watch a J-Horror film this season, but the next best thing is K-Horror. In this one, a pair of ghostly red shoes kills all those who wear them until being taken home by a single mother and her daughter who dreams of being a dancer. This Korean import is more ambitious than most but it stumbles on the horror front. There is nothing overly scary about the movie. Not to be confused with the Powell/Presburg ballet movie.

Oct 28

**1/2 Creep

I had read good reviews for this British horror film from last year. On it’s own terms, Creep might work, but horror fans will feel deja vu. A cannibal preys on commuters and the homeless in the London subway terminals. Yes, fans, it’s Raw Meat all over again, with the focus shifted to a slasher set up with Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) and others trying to survive a long night. The film is reasonably well paced and does hold interest. Creep is the best slasher film of the season, but how about an original idea?

Oct 29 Steele the show

(to think, I almost went the month of October without watching a Barbara Steele movie!)

*** An Angel for Satan

Atmospheric, black and white photography and the charismatic Steele highlight this mystery/horror film. A restorer journeys to a small island village to do restoration on a statue believed to be cursed. There he meets the niece of the village mayor. The niece (Steele) looks exactly like the statue and seems to be of two halves. One is a chaste innocent and the other a superslut who destroys men. Is she cursed or crazy or something else?

** Curse of the Crimson Altar

Any film that has supporting turns by Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Barbara Steele, and Michael Gough can’t be all bad. This is true but one wishes Curse of the Crimson Altar was better. An antique dealer travels to a mysterious lodge to search for his missing brother. There, he finds strange characters, dreams of being at a witches’ sabbath, and sleeps with the proprietor’s niece (an attractive Virginia Wetherell from Demons of the Mind). A make it up as you go along feel permeates the film which is not helped by a dull leading man (Robert Eden). And whose idea was it to have Barbara Steele, a beautiful horror icon, done up in green face? WTF!

Oct 30

*** Curse of the Cat People

Since I liked the original Cat People so much and since the DVD came also with Curse of the Cat People, I knocked off one more Val Lewton film. This one is not really a horror movie despite a few atmospheric shots. It’s a fantasy about a troubled girl who lives in an imaginary world. The film is quite good but not what I was expecting. This was Robert Wise’s first directing job. It’s better than the Sound of Music.

Oct 31

*** Homecoming (Masters of Horror)

I liked this one more the second time through. It’s still heavy handed but does do what Masters of Horror was designed for: to make a film without interference that could not be made otherwise. The only other one of the series that does that is John Carpenter’s much different Cigarette Burns. The politics (the undead soldiers of the Iraq conflict coming back) are none too subtle but certainly heartfelt. My students liked it.

*** Saw 2

I had planned to watch both Saw 2 and Saw 3 on Halloween night. Oh well. Most have seen Saw 2. Tobin Bell is a better actor than most actors playing horror icons. I also liked the killer’s plan when it is at last revealed. More of a horror film than the first movie but not quite as clever.

Well, everyone that’s it for me this year. Maybe we’ll do it again next year.

InkTip update

InkTip continues to make magic happen for both producers and writers.
In 2006 alone, 15 feature films have been produced through InkTip.
That's the highest number of features we've had produced in one year, and
we've still got 2 months left!

Three feature scripts were optioned and three writers were hired last
week alone. You too can gain exposure for your script on InkTip. Don't
wait for another writer to get optioned first!

To list your script, go to www.InkTip.com now! Please let us know if
you have any questions.

Best Wishes,
Jerrol LeBaron
www.InkTip.com

Two Screenwriting Contest

Two Screenwriting Contest to enter: 11th Annual Fade In Awards 2006 Awards Entry Deadline
October 31, 2006 The AAA Screenplay Contest sponsored by Creative Screenwriting Magazine Deadline December 15, 2006.

"Feast"

Feast (2005)

Director: John Gulager

Review by John Dodd

Feast was the third and probably final of the Project: Greenlight winners. The film played some festivals and did a brief booking at midnight shows before arriving on DVD last Tuesday. I was lucky enough to catch Feast when it played the opening weekend of the inferior but far more advertised Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning at my hometown theater.

Feast is a low budget horror film in the tradition of Night of the Living Dead or The Evil Dead where a group of losers hold themselves up in a secluded location (here a sleazy bar in the middle of nowhere) and fight the oncoming siege, in this case hungry aliens, and wait for dawn. While certainly not the equal of the films that influenced it, Feast is a down and dirty little movie that keeps on punching.

Each character is introduced with a title card explaining who they are and giving the chances of survival. Some of the dozen or so strandees include a brawny, take charge type nicknamed Hero (Eric Dane), his tough as nails wife (Navi Rawat), the town screw-up (Balthazar Getty), a stoic bartender (Clu Gulager, the director’s father and star of Return of the Living Dead), the sleazy bar owner (Duane Whitaker), a single mother waitress (Krista Allen) and her young son, and Jason Mewes from Jay and Silent Bob playing himself. Acting honors go to the hysterical Henry Rollins as Coach, a motivational speaker with a less than convincing plan to scare the aliens away.

Feast boasts an in-joke cleverness that does not condescend. Clearly made by fans, the film has a good time playing with genre expectations, surprising the audience a half a dozen times. Feast will be best received by those who have watched a fair amount of horror movies and like genre benders such as From Dusk Till Dawn.

I should admit to being psyched to like Feast before watching it. One of the writers, Marcus Dunston, is a hometown boy. Although he and I met only briefly, we both graduated a year apart from high schools less than ten miles from each other, we’re both Dario Argento fans from a community that believes he is the Prime Minister of Mexico, and we both worked at the same movie theater (albeit years apart). Nonetheless, I will be the first to say that Feast, while enjoyable, is not a horror classic. The middle section drags. The editing has much of that herky jerky, can’t-follow-what’s-going-on style en vogue this decade. Lastly, the super low budget clearly gets in the way of the filmmakers’ ambitions. If Feast had the budget of Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning, it would have looked professional, but professionalism isn’t everything. Feast is far and away the better of the two movies, budget or not.

Film Literary Group

Passing this along:

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"Peter Seven"

You can read my screenplay "Peter Seven" at WriteSafe.com.

The discovery of a painting that opens a doorway to another realm puts a Boston loanshark at odds with the mob and the police. Script is WGA registered.

Passing this along.

We want 30-second video ads for the web made in bulk. Are you capable of producing good quality videos at around $100 and $500 each? Looking forward to hear from you. ByteCaster Team www.bytecaster.com