Gregory Lamberson's Blog, page 11
November 29, 2013
Buffalo's Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre Faces Closure
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/downtown-buffalos-only-movie-theater-may-soon-go-dark-20131128?fb_action_ids=10202617894592450&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=[387816094682026]&action_type_map=[%22og.recommends%22]&action_ref_map=[]
The article will have you believe the theater - owned by the city and operated by Dipson Theatres - is a victim of the need for theaters to convert to digital projection. This is partly true: movie studios are ceasing to make film prints of new releases available to theaters around the world. This is a cost saving measure, and makes good business sense; why make prints, and pay to have them canned, shipped and preserved, when most Hollywood films are being shot digitally anyway? The article details the costs involved, and explains that even if the city decided to spend the money to replace the projectors at MAFAC with the new digital models, the theater needs far more money for renovation (stadium seating, screens capable of 3D, etc.). The cost involved in making this multiplex "viable" is impractical because of the real culprit here: Buffalo apathy.
Buffalo is a strange city, because a segment of its population is as passionate about the arts as the rest of the citizens are about sports and consuming alcohol. There's a real dichotomy here: we want to portray ourselves as an "arts" community, but we're basically a blue collar town that squanders numerous opportunities to rise above dipping our hands into the peanut jars at our local taverns. Worse, there's a perception that downtown Buffalo - where our theatre district is, for God's sake - is a cauldron of dangerous criminal activity.
I worked for Dipson as a theater manager for three years. It's a chain that moved into art house fare before I moved here almost eleven years ago, when Regal and AMC invaded the community with their ugly state of the art multiplexes. Earlier this year, the North Park Theatre, our last single screen theater and a real landmark for film lovers, closed its doors. This leaves the Amherst (three screens) and the Eastern Hills Cinemas (also three screens) as our last theaters devoted to independent, art and "specialized" fare (there is also the Screening Room, which is even more specialized and shows a lot of films new indie films and retro classics).
MAFAC was never an art house, it showed the best and worst commercial films. It also hosted Bruce Jackson's popular film seminar series. It was the first theater I ever worked at here, and I have an affinity for it because its decor is still modeled after the Angelika Film Centre in Manhattan, which I also managed for a time. The gleaming wood floors in the lobby, the cafe tables off to the side of the concession stand, and the chandelier are all holdovers from the year when the Angelika chain operated the theater and quickly pulled out. (Side note: the Angelika was a stand alone theater in NYC until the family that owned it sold it off in the wake of a bitter divorce; the chain that bought it ran it into the ground and launched a chain of Angelikas; nothing spells indie success like having a chain spoil everything that makes a venue special in the first place).
As a manager at the Amherst, I encountered the strange Fear of Downtown Buffalo Syndrome. The Amherst is located at 3500 Main Street, across the street from the UB South Campus, on the border of Buffalo and Amherst. MAFAC is located at 639 Main Street, a ten minute drive or subway ride away. Customers at the Amherst would look at the poster cases in the lobby and say to me, "When are you going to get THIS movie?" Puzzled, I would answer, "We aren't, but it's playing at the Market Arcade right now." The response was almost always the same: "Oh, I never go downtown." Heaven forbid! To be fair, MAFAC has no parking on weekdays before 5 pm, which is why it rarely shows movies before then. After 5 pm, the M&T Bank lot is available to theater patrons, and the theater validates the parking fees. It's a very simple process. (The North Park also had no parking facility).
I held the premiere for SLIME CITY MASSACRE at MAFAC, and a SLIME CITY/SCM benefit double feature for a boy with leukemia, and recently held the premieres for DRY BONES and THE LEGEND OF SIX FINGERS there. In each instance, we had a decent crowd, but never filled the auditorium to capacity, and we might have if we'd gone to the burbs. Last year, we held the third edition of Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival there. Our plan was to show our city off, to hold our event in the heart of the city, near restaurants and bars, surrounded by our amazing architecture...and getting anyone to attend proved a Herculean task. Aside from a personnel issue, the low attendance was a major reason why we decided to scrap the festival and start a new one, Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival. We didn't return to MAFAC, we learned our lesson.
MAFAC is an independent theater. It's owned by the city, which means it's owned by each one of us. People will say they miss MAFAC when it's gone, but I bet few of the mourners ever did anything to support it during its years of operation. Soon we'll be one of the few cities our size to have no movie theater in our city proper, while the parking lots at the Regal theaters will be filled to capacity. Can you imagine Curtain Up, our annual celebration of the new theatre season, with the MAFAC dark and abandoned in the center of the activities?
That's so Buffalo.
November 17, 2013
Personal Recap of Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Year One
As happened all three years with Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival, my daily previews and recaps of Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival quickly fell behind and out of existence, pushed aside by the all day needs of actually running the festival. There is a perception that Buffalo Dreams is Buffalo Screams 2.0, but that isn't the case: Dreams is an all new festival, started from scratch when my partner Chris Scioli and I found certain behind the scenes factors of Buffalo Screams unmanageable and unacceptable. Given that Buffalo Dreams was a first year festival, it surpassed my expectations and everything we accomplished with Buffalo Screams. We didn't get up and running until March, which means we put this whole thing together in eight months, and now we're in a great position for next year.
It wasn't easy: we ended up putting on our first seven day event with all day programming, and we were pleasantly surprised when filmmaker after filmmaker notified us of his intention to attend our inaugural event. We programmed 85 films (26 features, 59 shorts, 27 international films, 13 local productions). We had amazing movies, and I don't use that word lightly: Motivational Growth, On Air, Animosity, Judas Ghost, Atlantis: The Last Days of Kaptara, My Fair Zombie, Nightmare Box, Dust of War, Sick: Survive the Night, Pinup Dolls on Ice, and Imago, to name but a few (and in no particular order). Just as important, we had amazing visiting filmmakers: Don Thacker, Simon Pearce, Brendan Steere, Brett Kelly, Jon Keeyes, Ryan M.Andrews, Mel House, Chris Warren, Geoff Klein and Melissa Mira, actor Bates Wilder and actress Tracy Willet (again, to name a few). To have these folks and many others travel to our city, to show their terrific films at our start-up festival, was astounding.
Jerry Landi and the Bloodmarsh Krackoon team, Don Thacker and Simon Pearce were here for most of the week, and most of the other filmmakers came up for two or three days to support each other and see as many films as they could. In other words, they actually participated in the festival and brought something extra to the table besides their excellent films, which is something we didn't expect to happen for a couple of years (Scioli and I are big picture guys, and we know it will take time to realize our full vision for this event). The filmmakers gave great Q&As, and I was pleased with the questions asked by our intelligent audience.
Far too much happened over the week to give a blow by blow account, but here are some of the highlights:
- For the second year in a row, our Krackoon friends from the Bronx were a real presence at the fest, providing warmth and humor. I hope they make another film soon so they can come back - I hope every visiting filmmaker comes back.
- All of our screenings presented by visiting filmmakers were memorable, including short films presented to small but appreciative audiences at weekday blocks; Don Thacker, Simon Pearce, Brendan Steere and Tracy Willet, Brett Kelly, Geoff Klein and Melissa Mira, Jon Keeyes, Ryan M. Andrews and his team, Mel House and Chris Warren gave especially informative talks (my apologies to anyone I left out...there were that many, and I loved every one of them).
- We sold out Return to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 1, raising $2,000 for the Niagara Arts & Culture Center (someone donated an additional $1,000 at the screening). Troma fans came from Philadelphia in a school bus. Lloyd Kaufman did a 45 minute Q&A after the film, then spent an hour signing items for free and posing for photographs with every one of his fans. I didn't attend the Troma after party, and I'll still never forget it!
- For the third year in a row, Paige Davis from Alternative Cinema gave a talk on DVD/VOD distribution. This time, she gave it at a separate venue, the Screening Room. It was well attended - by the visiting filmmakers. I counted one local filmmaker whose work we screened, and two local filmmakers who showed up just to learn about indie distribution.
- As thanks to our visiting filmmakers, we arranged a lunch for them at Scotch and Sirloin, it was every bit the fun, warm get together we hoped, a chance for everyone in town at that point to break bread somewhere other than the lobbies of the Amherst Theatre or Lord Amherst Hotel.
- The Dreamer Awards ceremony went well, even though I missed half of it racing home like a madman to retrieve four awards I'd forgotten at home. I will get to see the acceptances I missed soon. We presented Lloyd Kaufman with our Dedication to Indie Excellence Award, and Lloyd's wife Pat, our former NYS Film Commissioner, presented Buffalo-Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark and Director of Operations RIch Wall with our Local Service Award, and I presented Albert Pyun, in absentia, with our Indie Genre Spirit Award (Albert was unable to attend due to health issues).
- On a personal note, I loved seeing my friends Jeff Strand and Lynne Hansen from Florida, and Gregory Kurczynski from Louisiana (all here for the short He's Not Looking So Great), and am glad they had a great time; and my daughter Kaelin had a great time all around, meeting people, bonding with people, and handing out awards. For an only child with no friends her age in the neighborhood, she has no idea how interesting her life is.
Over lunch at Niagara Falls, Don Thacker asked me what I get out of the festival. Exhausted, I fumbled something about wanting to build a lasting contribution to Buffalo, but I neglected the simple answer: that I love programming. It's exciting to discover a film you've never heard of before, to promote that film, and to present it to an audience. Many of these films will receive distribution, and the people who saw them here will associate Buffalo Dreams with them - our good luck. Meeting the filmmakers who made these gems was an added bonus, and I can honestly say that in my social conversations with Don Thacker, Simon Pearce, Jon Keeyes, brett Kelly, Bates Wilder, Mel House and Chris Warren I learned things I didn't know about filmmaking, fundraising and distribution. When Don wasn't watching films, he was "taking meetings" over the telephone in his hotel room. Real meetings, with distributors, sales agents and financiers.
Which brings me to the local filmmakers (most of them; I have to be careful not to lump them altogether). At the end of Buffalo Screams last year, Scioli and I realized that the self proclaimed "horror filmmakers" in Buffalo just weren't our target audience, because they've shown next to no interest in taking advantage of what this festival offers (unless it means seeing themselves on screen). It boggles my mind that 20 people I can think of off the top of my head didn't show up for Paige Davis's talk, or to interact with the smart, talented and successful /breaking out filmmakers who attended this festival. It's hard not to form an opinion about who's serious about their work and who wants to spend their lives in the small pond, and anyone who stayed away because of a personal dislike of me is a bigger goofball than I thought. There isn't one person who traveled to Buffalo the locals couldn't have learned something from. I laughed when one filmmaker told me that in his city he could never get his local filmmakers to show interest in his work because they were all too busy with the 48 Hour Film Festival, "the only thing they care about." Even more astounding is that most of the local filmmakers whose work we screened - people who had two free passes to the entire festival - didn't use them except to attend their own screenings. It's the fourth year I've witnessed this, and I see Chad Clinton Freeman faces the same issue at PollyGrind in Las Vegas. I'm just glad that this year we weren't even counting on local filmmaker support (and appreciate what we saw from Sam Qualiana, Chris Rados, Michele Beers, Julian Dickman, Rod Durick, Terry Kimmel, Bob Bozek, Kim Piazza, Armand Petri and others; Mick Thomas, Tim O'Hearn and Heather Black came up from Batavia for the entire opening weekend). Zero expectations, zero disappointment. But the kid who not only didn't attend screenings of films other than his own - even though talented filmmakers from Seattle and the UK watched his film - who tried to sneak in a whole posse of friends? Fucking embarrassing, man.
Our one failure was to connect with college crowd even with our change in venues, and that will be our number one priority for next year. Yes, we're already working on next year; it's the only way for me to avoid working 13 hours a day every day for two months again. :) I want to thank our volunteers: Dave Setlik, John Renna, Arick Szymecki, Paul McGinnis, Bill Brown and Jenn Brown; our sponsors: Fangoria, Off Beat Cinema, Medallion Media Group/TREEBook; Seeley and Kane's Books and Comics; Western New York Grip & Electric; Terror Technologies; and Stellar Entertainment; the wonderful staffs at the Amherst Theatre, the lord Amherst Hotel and the Screening Room; every filmmaker who submitted to the fest, every filmmaker whose work we showed, and especially every filmmaker who attended the fest; our die hard supporters; Paige Davis; and every person in Buffalo who attended at least one screening. Finally, thanks to my wife for putting up with me being absent for two months, and put up with me being frazzled when I was around.
The Screening Room Cinema Cafe presents THE BEST OF BUFFALO DREAMS:
Wed, Nov. 27th: MOTIVATIONAL GROWTH at 7 pm, ON AIR at 9:30 pm.
Sat, Nov. 30th: ANIMOSITY at 7 pm, JUDAS GHOST at 9:30 pm.
BROKEN WINGS will screen with JUDAS GHOST; shorts for the other three features are TBD.
Admission is $7.00 per feature, or $10 for a double feature.
We will be showing MY FAIR ZOMBIE, DUST OF WAR, ATLANTIS: THE LAST DAYS OF KAPTURA and IMAGO on Friday, Jan 10th and Sat Jan 11th, though the schedule has yet to be worked out.
This was a breakthrough year for us. Next year we EXPLODE.
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November 8, 2013
Buffalo Dreams Recap Day One
I started my day organizing the DVDs, Blu-rays and DCPs for Saturday and Sunday, picked up some awards, guzzled coffee, and swung by Arick Szymecki's house to pick up two fresh copies he burned of films that were either MIA or wouldn't play, as well as a DVD with a loop of our sponsors - Arick is the unsung hero of day one, so I'm singing him now.
I set up shop in the lobby of the Dipson Amherst Theater, which I managed for three years, and handed out Pass cards and VIP cards to regular customers and visiting filmmakers. Between prep and travel, I'd say myself, the visiting filmmakers and Rich the manager were equally tired (okay, I was more tired than any of them). ATTACK OF THE KILLER BEES and ECHO DR. looked great on the big screen, and feedback was positive. THE HORIZON PROJECT and WRATH OF THE CROWS played next, and I ran home to pick up my daughter from her school bus stop. Reaction to both of those were positive, and I welcomed good friends Gregory G. Kurczynski, Lynne Hansen, Jeff Strand and Marc Makowski. I watched the third feature, EMPIRE GYPSY, which I've come to love, and reaction was great; since the film is about prostitutes, their drivers and pimps, I left Kaelin with Lynne in the lobby and they seemed to have a great time. I know I did.
Our 7 pm show was BROKEN WINGS, and I dare say it was the hit of the night. Bobby Gott gave a great Q&A - you'd think he's been doing this for years. My wife made it to the theater, and we went to dinner with our friends - socializing with other filmmakers is a big part of film festivals too! - so I missed ROAD TO HELL, the STREETS OF FIRE homage. The irony is, I chased that film because I wanted to see it on a big screen, but I would have kicked myself if I didn't get to spend some quality time with friends who came from Florida and the Bronx. When I got back to the theater, I would call the reaction to ROAD TO HELL mixed, but you have to take some chances with films you believe in, sometimes for intangible reasons. I saw enough of it to know it looked great on a big screen.
Our final block was scheduled to consist of the shorts FIVE POINTS and TASHA AND FRIENDS, and the feature BLOODMARSH KRACKOON. Unfortunately, the DVD for FIVE POINTS, which played fine on my Blu-ray player at home, would not play, and the director, Anne Coburn, had come all the way from New York City to show it. A regrettable technical issue; when I got home, I played the disc again on my player fine. Tomorrow we're screening the film at another venue, The Screening Room, before a talk on DVD and VOD distribution by Paige Davis from Alternative Cinema. Our apologies to Anne - a situation beyond our control. If an alternate Blu-ray player at the theater will track the disc, we'll show it again during the day.
TASHA AND FRIENDS was a huge hit, as I knew it would be. Producer Darren Hutchings, who is a very nice guy, gave a funny Q&A. Last year, KRACKOON was a surprise hit at Buffalo Screams, and this year the sequel BLOODMARSH KRACKOON went over well too - a couple of people told me they loved it. We had a technical mishap - the projector shut down 1 minute from the ending of the movie, and the audience was in total darkness. The manager took me into the projection booth, and we cued up the film and played the ending. Writer-director Jerry Landi gave an entertaining Q&A alongside the rest of the Krackoon gang.
Attendance was fine for a Friday. We had a mixture of filmmakers and customers for the early shows, and BROKEN WINGS brought in a good number of people. That team did a great job promoting on their end, and I hope they were satisfied with the turnout. I have much higher expectations for Saturday and Sunday, and RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH VOL. 1 is already almost sold out. Thanks to the filmmakers who submitted their films, those who traveled to the fest, the local filmmakers who get what a film festival is about, our volunteers, and the staff at the Amherst Theater for making the day a good one.
November 7, 2013
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Preview of Day Four: Monday 11/11
Monday 11/11
Block 14: 2:30 – 4:21
Short: Depths (6 m, animated, USA)
We begin with an animated short. Animation is important to Buffalo Dreams.
Short: The Adventures of Sheriff Kid McLain (18 m, US/Brazil)
We follow that with a western. Westerns are important to Buffalo Dreams.
Short: One Night at the Aristo (24 m, UK)
We follow that with a culty, bizarro adaptation of a William S. Burroughs short story. Culty, bizarro cult stories are important to Buffalo Dreams. Do you see a pattern? We're only programming films that we really like.
Buffalo Boys (81 m, Buffalo-Niagara)
Buffalo Boys is a feature length crime drama based on a true story. It's well written, well directed, and well acted. It doesn't really fit into any of our advertised genres - we rationalized crime drama as part of action - but we don't care. It's a local film, and we support local films. Hopefully patrons will too. This is a solid film, and I actually think the matinee offers the Amherst's clientele a chance to see it that thye wouldn't have otherwise. This came to us late, after I was already making our schedule; we added a block just so we could show it.
Q&A with co-producer Joel Resnikoff. MADE IN BUFFALO
Crime Drama: Inspired by a true story, Buffalo Boys follows the life of Ian, a 15 year old living in Buffalo, NY. After discovering the man who raised him is not his biological father, Ian’s world is turned upside down as he heads down a path of self destruction and murder.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7mLRydRhoY
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Block 15: 5:00 pm – 6:32 pm (92 mins; subtitled in English)
There's a pretty big cult following for Asian films in the US. Will they support short films? We'll find out. But there's a large population of Asian students at University at Buffalo, and presumably plenty of people who enjoy watching foreign films - that's part of the Amherst's programming, after all.
Asian Cinema Shorts
Five International shorts exploring different genres from an Asian cultural perspective.
Short: Tokyo Halloween Night (23 m, Japan)
Short: Heat (26 m, South Korea)
Short: Environmental Pressure and Species Adaptation (11 m, South Korea)
Short: Ugry Night (20 m, South Korea)
Short: The Birth of a Family (12 m, South Korea)
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Block 16: 7:00 pm – 8:48 pm (108 mins)
Two more Asian films - Japanese - directed by Ken Ochiai. But there's a difference - these are action packed. The first is a short, and it reminded me of The Matrix (except it was well written). The second is a superhero/wrestling fantasy with a costumed protagonist who resembles a Power ranger. People are going to love it.
Short: Memory Sculptor (17 m, Japan/US)
Japanese Cinema: The Tiger Mask (91 m, Japan/US with English subtitles)
Japanese Martial Arts Fantasy: The fictional masked professional wrestler and timeless hero, Tiger Mask, is back in a new Marvel superhero-inspired costume for a new generation of movie lovers! A fun action film with excellent choreography.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAbOTjr63wA
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Block 17: 9:20 pm – 11:17 pm (117 mins)
Short: Division Azul (13 m, Spain)
Disvison Aziul is hilarious and violent: one of my favorites.
Short: The Wild Diaries (27 m, France/USA)
The Wild Diaries is sexy and violent, with lesbianism and nudity. People are going to love it.
Nightmare Box(90 m, US/UK)
Nightmare Box is a unique, surreal thriller with horror overtones. It's extremely well made on every level, and recently won Best Horror FIlm at PollyGrind in Las Vegas.
Q&A with director Jon Keeyes
Thriller: A woman wakes up in a strange room with no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there and must unravel the mystery of her identity before the room and its bizarre inhabitants destroy her. A sophisticated, adult thriller co-starring Debbie Rochon.
November 3, 2013
Buffalo Film Expo Wrapup
I want to thank all of the panelists not only for volunteering to participate, but for doing an excellent job. Joel Resnikoff, Rod Durick and Chantal Calato (who agreed to help out when I contacted her late in the week) on Designing Film; Tim Clark, Rich Wall and Nora Brown on the NYS Tax Incentive and working with the film commissions (and special thanks to Rich and Tim for digging up a screen and projector for their power point projector); Chris Santucci, Clint Byrne (great to finally meet you, Clint), Matt Nardone and Stephen Powell (who had to work and showed up anyway!) on Cinematography; Frank Rossi, Bryan Patrick Stoyle and Josie DiVincenzo on Acting/Casting; and Rod Durick, John Renna, Arick Szymecki and Adam Bloch on Special Make-up/Visual Effects. I must give a special shout out to Adam, who volunteered to bring in microphones/pa system when he learned at the last moment we needed them, and showed up early to set it all up and stayed late to pack it up. Thanks also to the vendors, companies, etc. who set up in the Networking Room.
Every panel was worth attending, and I'm glad so many people told me how informative the day was. Between 11 am and 5 pm, we packed in a lot of information. The Design panel was fascinating because our panelists have such diverse experience. The film commissioners panel was essential for anyone making a feature film in this region in 2014/2015. I had great fun watching the cinematographers talk to each other as much as the audience - four laid pack guys who shared a few chuckles over common experiences with directors who don't always know what they want, and who talked shop; very straightforward and entertaining.. The Actors panel followed a more structured plan than some of the others, because it was easier for me to figure out a logical sequence of questions; all three panelists were extremely knowledgeable Me and the effects men were pretty beat by the last panel, but they did a good job and were all articulate.
This was a first effort, and a "Buffalo" event (on a football day, no less...Go, Bills...), and I've learned to have limited expectations when it comes to Buffalo events. I was pleased with the attendance: you have to start somewhere. I was also pleased to meet many Buffalo filmmakers/artists I hadn't before. But every half full glass is a half empty glass. For the life of me, I can't figure out why any producer/director with aspirations of making a feature film would not attend the Film Commission panel (Especially loudmouths who have criticized our film commission without having the slightest clue what they do; why wouldn't you folks show up to educate yourselves?), or why any person in the area who calls himself/herself an "actor" wouldn't show up to get professional advice from Frank, Josie and Bryan; step up your game! (and I watched a few actors I know pay attention to what was being said, and it was gratifying to see them absorb the info they were given). We lost money on the event, but that really is okay - sometimes you do things for the good of the community. The vibe from attendees was great, and we'd do this again - and we will. A success all around, in my book.
October 31, 2013
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Preview of Day Three: Sunday 11/10
1:00 pm Atlantis: The Last Days of Kaptara
I'm so excited to be showing this epic, animated fantasy (created with motion capture and CGI) . It's an independent feature film but looks like it cost tens of millions of dollars. Greek captives on Atlantis battle a raging, bloodthirsty minotaur. The men are heroic, the female lead is sexy, and the adventure is thrilling. The spirit of Ray Harryhausen lives!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc078x5xjj0
Short: Ugliest Man in Cartoons
3;00 pm Local Film Showcase
Four local shorts (Kiva, animated; Undead Playground, zombies; Rhythm, crime drama; Wormchild 2: Fresh Flesh, serial killer) and one local feature (Constant Angel, Christian themes). We're committed to shining a spotlight on local filmmakers, and this block is only one third of the programming devoted to local works, we have 13 local films in all. I'm proud of the diversity here, too.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62hYPK9y1-s
5:30 pm THE DREAMER AWARDS
We had no idea when we scheduled the awards presentation that we'd have two dozen out of town filmmakers in attendance for the opening weekend alone. but that's sure going to make for a more interesting show than we expected. Lloyd Kaufman will accept his Dedication to Indie Excellence Award in person; Albert Pyun will be unable to accept his Indie Genre Spirit Award in person, but we'll get it to him. Roy Frumkes and Brett Kelly are among the other filmmakers who will be there. We'll be handing out national, international and local awards.
7:15 Judas Ghost
Judas Ghost is hands down one of the best paranormal films I've ever seen. Based on the Ghost Finder series by Simon Graham, it was directed by Simon Pearce in the UK. Like many paranormal investigation films, it begins with four ghost hunters (including one psychic, or sensitive) reporting to a supposedly haunted location to determine whether or not it's haunted (they're producing a training film for an institute). They quickly find themselves in over their heads, Non-stop suspense and a beautifully structured story deliver the goods. One of the best of the fest, and Simon Pearce will be joining us from the UK for a Q&A.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvK9KByNM9o
Preceded by The Summoners, and that will scare the hell out of you too.
9:30 Pinup Dolls on Ice
Pinup Dolls On Ice is an extremely suspenseful, well made and brutal slasher film. A girl group/burlesque act reports for duty at a secluded campground, where a killer with an obsession with ice bumps them off one by one. It's pretty gripping, the way they used to make them, and co-producers/co-directors Geoff Klein and Melissa Mira will be on hand to give a Q&A.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFKQAw8MueQ
Follow the Leader is a suspenseful short film which also recalls old school slasher films.
And that concludes Sunday 11/10! Every year I try to preview each day of the fest i help run, and run out of time before it starts. Now that we have a seven day fest, we'll see how far I get...
October 30, 2013
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Preview of Day Two: Saturday 11/19
Advance tickets at Dipson Theatres: http://amherst.dipsontheatres.com/
1:00 pm Motivational Growth{C}{C}{C}{C}
Every year we get a "Holy Shit!" movie, something so bug fuck crazy it makes me question what I'm watching. This year, that film is Motivational Growth. A depressed shut-in bumbles a suicide attempt, and when he awakens from a gas induced snooze he finds a pile of talking mold in one corner of his bathroom. The Mold is voiced by Jeffrey Combs of Re-Animator fame. The Mold takes control of the man's life - motivating him to grow as a person - with sinister overtones. A bravura example of bizarro filmmaking not to be missed. Writer-director Don Thacker will do a Q&A.
Trailer: : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToRhJWIBZrE
Motivational Growth will be preceded by the short film Merinthophobia: Fear of Being Bound or Tied Up. Kaylee Williams stars as a young woman suffering the title disorder. Writer-director Scott Perry will do a Q&A.
3:30 pm Animosity
Roy Frumkes (Street Trash, The Definitive Document of the Dead) returns to Buffalo with this film written and directed by Brendan Steere and starring Tracy Willet.{C} A newlywed couple moves into a house in the middle of woods only to discover that the surrounding forest is host to sinister supernatural powers which turn them against each other. The most intense film of the fest, with superb performances. Q&A with executive producer Roy Frumkes, writer-director Brendan Steere, and star Tracy Willet.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2AszoJKWkg
Short: Maid of Horror (Horror Comedy - 17 m, Australia) As with a lot of our shorts, the less said the better to enhance viewing enjoyment. It's hilarious, though.
6:30 pm My Fair Zombie
Ottawa filmmaker Brett Kelly (The Scarab: Avenging Force) returns to Buffalo to screen his musical comedy spoof based Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. There's singing, dancing, costumes and... brains. Q&A with writer-director Brett Kelly.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYV--w7zy0
Short: His Name is Clownface (Western New York). A no kidding, scary as hell short film from local filmmaker Chris Rados, who will do a Q&A.
9:20 pm Return to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 1
World Sneak Preview to benefit the NACC (Niagara Arts & Culture Center)
Writer-director-producer Lloyd Kaufman returns to Buffalo to screen the third sequel to The Class of Nuke 'Em High (I worked on the original for a day). This will be the first screening of the completed film in the US! All proceeds from this event will go to the NACC in Niagara Falls, where much of the film was shot. Lloyd will do a Q&A after the screening.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhxM3AufYA
Short: He's Not looking So Great. A zom-com directed by Gregory G. Kurczynski and written by YA novelist Lynne Hansen, who will do a Q&A.
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Preview of Day Two: Saturday 11/10
Advance tickets at Dipson Theatres: http://amherst.dipsontheatres.com/
1:00 pm Motivational Growth
Every year we get a "Holy Shit!" movie, something so bug fuck crazy it makes me question what I'm watching. This year, that film is Motivational Growth. A depressed shut-in bumbles a suicide attempt, and when he awakens from a gas induced snooze he finds a pile of talking mold in one corner of his bathroom. The Mold is voiced by Jeffrey Combs of Re-Animator fame. The Mold takes control of the man's life - motivating him to grow as a person - with sinister overtones. A bravura example of bizarro filmmaking not to be missed. Writer-director Don Thacker will do a Q&A.
Trailer: : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToRhJWIBZrE
Motivational Growth will be preceded by the short film Merinthophobia: Fear of Being Bound or Tied Up. Kaylee Williams stars as a young woman suffering the title disorder. Writer-director Scott Perry will do a Q&A.
3:30 pm Animosity
Roy Frumkes (Street Trash, The Definitive Document of the Dead) returns to Buffalo with this film written and directed by Brendan Steere and starring Tracy Willet. A newlywed couple moves into a house in the middle of woods only to discover that the surrounding forest is host to sinister supernatural powers which turn them against each other. The most intense film of the fest, with superb performances. Q&A with executive producer Roy Frumkes, writer-director Brendan Steere, and star Tracy Willet.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2AszoJKWkg
Short: Maid of Horror (Horror Comedy - 17 m, Australia) As with a lot of our shorts, the less said the better to enhance viewing enjoyment. It's hilarious, though.
6:30 pm My Fair Zombie
Ottawa filmmaker Brett Kelly (The Scarab: Avenging Force) returns to Buffalo to screen his musical comedy spoof based Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. There's singing, dancing, costumes and... brains. Q&A with writer-director Brett Kelly.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYV--w7zy0
Short: His Name is Clownface (Western New York). A no kidding, scary as hell short film from local filmmaker Chris Rados, who will do a Q&A.
9:20 pm Return to Nuke 'Em High Vol. 1
World Sneak Preview to benefit the NACC (Niagara Arts & Culture Center)
Writer-director-producer Lloyd Kaufman returns to Buffalo to screen the third sequel to The Class of Nuke 'Em High (I worked on the original for a day). This will be the first screening of the completed film in the US! All proceeds from this event will go to the NACC in Niagara Falls, where much of the film was shot. Lloyd will do a Q&A after the screening.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIhxM3AufYA
Short: He's Not looking So Great. A zom-com directed by Gregory G. Kurczynski and written by YA novelist Lynne Hansen, who will do a Q&A.
October 27, 2013
Buffalo Film Expo 2013
The first Buffalo Film Expo is one week from today, on Sunday, November 3rd, at the Holiday Inn Buffalo Airport, 4600 Genessee Street. Doors open at 10 am, admission is $5.00. The event is sponsored by Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival and Stellar Shows. There will be a Networking Room with vendor tables and a separate room for panel discussions. Tentative schedule of panels follows:
11:00 am "Designing Film" - Production/Art designer Joel Resnikoff, set builder Rod Durick. One of the most ignored areas of indie film, and one which contributes immeasurably to the authenticity and look of a film; also, a key factor if you decide to take advantage of the New York State Tax Incentive, which requires the construction of a set with three walls on a certified sound stage.
12:00 pm "Your Film Commissions and the New York State Tax Incentive" - Buffalo Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark; Niagara Film Office Operations Manager Rich Wall; Rochester/Finger Lakes Film & Video Office Executive Director Nora Brown.
1:15 pm "Modern Cinematography" - Chris Santucci, Matthew Nardone, Clint Byrne.
2:30 pm "Film Acting and Casting" - Frank Rossi and Bryan Patrick Stoyle
3:45 pm "Special Make-Up Effects/Special Visual Effects" - Rod Durick, Adam Block, Arick Szymecki and John Renna.
Panelists are tentative based on availability. We expect to add additional panelists during the week. We may have to switch some panel times to accommodate our speakers.
The following people/groups will have tables in the Networking Room:
Brandyn T. Williams/Bewildered Media
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival
Deftone Pictures Studios
Rod Durick/Zombified Studios
Gary Evans
Aceifer Genovese/The Outlaw
Greg Lamberson
Seeley and Kane's Books and Comics
Sherry Lyn Litz
Stellar Productions
John Renna/JFR productions
Curt Markham/Sabrefrog
Arick Szymecki
Western New York Actors Helping Actors
Western New York Grip & Electric
Kenneth Young.
Additional vendors will be confirmed this week.This event is for working professionals, semi-professionals, hobbyists and film enthusiasts. At $5.00 per head, you can't go wrong.
October 23, 2013
Buffalo Dreams Fantastic FIlm Festival Preview of Day One: Friday 11/8/13
Here are the films for Friday, 11/8/13, the first day of Buffalo Dreams:
1:00 Block 1: Echo Dr. (World Premiere - Science Fiction/Thriller - 80 m, USA) A man deploys an android security guard to protect his family, with increasingly dangerous results. Short: Attack of the Killer Bees (SF comedy - 6 m, USA)
Echo Dr. was one of the first feature film submissions we received. It was filmed out in California, and has a slick, professional look. My wife mentioned that "California boys" do it differently, and she had a point: California filmmakers tend to aspire to a very professional, mainstream look, while many East coast filmmakers prefer an edgier, raw look. I imagine Echo Dr. is a low budget independent feature, but it doesn't look like it - I felt like I was watching a "real" movie from beginning to end., The premise is simple: a man (Dane Bowman) and his family are living in a house which we understand to be experimental in some fashion. After a home invasion in which the man is unable to defend his family (they all survive), he accepts an offer from the designer of the house to allow an android security guard to watch over the house. The android, Del, is played by Johnathan Hurley. I've always enjoyed films about androids - Westworld, The Terminator, even TV's Future Cop, which plagiarized the Harlan Ellison/Ben Bova short story "Brillo," and Hurley is as memorable an android as I've seen, standing toe to toe with Yul Brynner and Ahnuld. Dell becomes a fairly annoying presence to the family, and faulty programming leads to horror when he sees the inhabitants of the house as a threat to the house. The second half of the film is an efficient and suspenseful thriller, and I was pleased when some deeper science fiction themes emerged. This is the first feature from writer-director Patrick Ryan Sims, and he did an excellent job. The entire cast turns in solid performances with some nice surprises.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JimU6QO7-BA
Attack of the Killer Bees is a manic short from the warped mind of Joe Castro, The less I say, the greater the impact of this unpredictable effort, which will get the festival off on the right foot.
2:45 Block 2: Wrath of the Crows (NYS Premiere - Horror/Thriller – 87 m, Italy) Tiffany Shepis develops supernatural powers while trapped in a bizarre prison with Debbie Rochon. Short: Apartment 15 (Thriller - 17 m, Italy)
Wrath of the Crows was directed by Ivan Zuccon, who previously directed the stylish Colour from the Dark. "Stylish" is not an overused adjective for Zuccon: he's a true Italian stylist, like Dario Argento, someone driven by cinematic qualities. Wrath of the Crows starts out as a bizarre prison story, then evolves into a ferocious supernatural mix. Tiffany Shepis, Debbie Rochon, Tara Cardinale, Suzi Lorraine (who also appears in Pinup Dolls on Ice, screening Sunday 11/10) and Brian Fortune start in this excellent English language film.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufNhpxFg-nU
In Apartment 15 - also Italian - strangers find themselves trapped in an apartment for no apparent reason. The film is an excellent companion to Wrath of the Crows for several reasons.
4:45 Block 3: Empire Gypsy (NYS & Festival Premiere – Crime Drama - 80 m, USA) In a Bronx taxi dispatch, the aspirations and misdeeds of cab drivers, call-girls and low level thugs collide in one wild night. Superb performances and gritty locations. Short: The Horizon Project (NYS Premiere – Science Fiction - 26 m, Canada)
Empire Gypsy may seem like a strange fit for a festival called Buffalo Dreams, but one of the reasons we picked it is to show the diversity we're striving for, It's a cinema verite crime drama that screams New York City, with first rate acting and more than a passing resemblance to the great blaxploitation films of the 1970s. It reminded of me of Scorsese's Mean Streets, although I'd have a hard time pointing out a single similarity.
This film is so new no trailer is available!
The Horizon Project is a SF short that left me feeling numb at the end. We're in a post apocalyptic world, one shaken by a virus (a welcome break from zombies), and without spoiling anything, the film deals with the drastic measures taken to prevent the virus from spreading. I thought it was top shelf storytelling.
7:00 Block 4: Road to Hell (NYS Premiere – SF/Rock Musical - 84 m, USA) An homage to Walter Hill’s “Rock ‘m Roll Fable” Streets of Fire, with Michael Pare returning as future soldier of fortune Tom Cody. Directed by Albert Pyun, recipient of our Indie Genre Spirit Award, songs by Jim Steinman. Short: Broken Wings (26 m, Made in Buffalo) – Q&A with producer Bobby Gott.
The first thing that needs to be said is that Road to Hell is nothing like Streets of Fire, even with Michael Pare reprising his role as Tom Cody. If you go into this expecting a literal sequel, you'll be disappointed. It's more like a spiritual cousin. There's plenty to like - Pare and the two actresses who play the sexy thrill killers he meets in the desert, Albert Pyun's green screen visuals, and Jim Steinman's songs. If anything, it reminded me of a hyper stylized Russ Meyer film. Confession: when I saw the trailer a year and a half ago, I made it a mission to show it so I could see it on a big screen.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufNhpxFg-nU
Broken Wings if the first local film we're showing, and it's one of the best. It's about a reporter (William Multka) doing a story on The Sparrow, a pulp style hero now doing time. In researching the hero, he uncovers aspects of the man - the myth - which have a bearing on himself. I loved it.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTLnEWV2XA
9:25 Block 5: Blood Marsh Krackoon (Buffalo Premiere - 87 m, USA) Award winning horror comedy about a mutant raccoon preying upon denizens of the South Bronx; sequel to the short film that screened at Buffalo Screams last year. Q&A with writer-director Jerry Landi, producer Marc J. Makowski (Slime City), and stars Sal Amore and Martin Venihel. Two hilarious “killer puppet” shorts, Five Points (Festival Premiere - 10 m, USA) and Tasha and Friends (14 m, Canada), follow; Q&A with Tasha producer/DP Darren Hutchings.
Blood Marsh Krackoon is the feature length sequel to the short Krackoon, which played at Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival last year. Because I did publicity for it, the film is a non-competition screening so there's no conflict of interest. When I saw Five Corners and Tasha and Friends (think the Muppets crossed with "Prey" in Trilogy of Terror), I immediately wanted to create a block called "Puppet Show without Spinal Tap," but I knew that would only confuse people. This is going to be a fun block! It will end around midnight, but it's a midnight movie bill at heart.
Tasha and Friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXIaKzAQ3vE
Blood Marsh Krackoon:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yciVSaj96j8
