Web Series!

I wanted to talk about a couple Web Series that are in the works. One is being produced by the Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco from The National Film Society called Awesome Asian Bad Guys and the other is produced by Ed Rodriguez and Dave Ragone from the The Media Zone and is called Monster of the Week.

The guys at National Film Society are absolutely hilarious and I am extremely ecstatic to see Awesome Asian Bad Guys which is currently in post-production. For those of us who grew up watching movies like The Karate Kid, Diehard, Bloodsport, and Big Trouble in Little China this Web Series is sure to be extremely entertaining. Here is a synopsis from the their website and check out a video about the series below. 

"Awesome Asian Bad Guys (AABG) is a 5-episode action comedy web series that’s a cross between The Expendables and Dumb & Dumber.

The story follows two filmmakers who rush to assemble a volatile group of Asian bad guy actors to take down LA’s most nefarious mobster. But in order to pull off this deadly mission, this unpredictable batch of misfits must do the one thing they hate most – work together."

National Film Society Website

National Film Society Facebook

National Film Society YouTube

Awesome Asian Bad Guys Facebook

Monster of the Week is aimed towards those who love the classic horror films from the Universal era and the Hammer Horror Productions era. Check out the synopsis and watch the trailer below!

• "After seeing so many others make web-series, we decided it was time for us to make our own.  We had been making original films since the early 80’s using super 8. 
• As technology advanced, others have taken our ‘ahead of our time’ film making ideas to extraordinary levels.
   We focused our efforts on Public Access television with movie review programs Screen Scenes and The Media Zone, providing our viewers with a preview of upcoming films and chances to win free movie tickets.  Our show has been on Public Access for nearly 30 years.
  As appreciators of horror films, we have always had an interest in how far horror films would go.  Culminating with the gross out films like Human Centipede, we felt the original horror film genre by studios like Universal Pictures (and later Hammer Films) was being forgotten, or at the very least neglected. 
  Classic tales of Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, Dracula and the Mummy have largely been overlooked in recent years.  We wanted to bring them back with a touch of ‘Abbot and Costello’.  These are the creatures and multi-layered stories we had grown up with. The pathos of Frankenstein, the romance of Dracula, the misery and despair of Lawrence Talbot (aka The Wolf Man), and the anguish of The Mummy – these had stories, not just body counts of today’s horror films.
   While our web series cannot delve into a deep story, we wanted in our own way, to bring them back to prominence and pay homage to the original creatures that spawned an entire genre."

Monster of the Week Facebook

The Media Zone Youtube

Don't Go to the Reunion Review

In December 2012 Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield who run Slasher Studios and are responsible for the Slasher shorts Teddy, Blood Brothers, and Popularity Killer launched a Kickstarter campaign for their first full length feature Don't Go to the Reunion. After having the film successfully funded they made the film and now its available for release on DVD. My good friend and Horror/Slasher Film Buff Brian Tyler wrote up a nice review to share. Also check out the trailer below and if it sounds like something you're into, head over to Slasher Studios and order it!

"Don't Go to the Reunion" starts out at Hamilton High School (if you get that reference... you'll enjoy the movie) where a group of seniors are planning a prank on Scott Rantzen (again, if you get the reference, this movie's for you) which of course ends up having terrible consequences.

Ten years later, the cruel kids have moved on with their lives, sort of. Each of them are invited to a high school reunion party at a creepy lakeside house. If you got those references above, I'm sure you can guess what happens next... and you should be pumped for it.

When I first heard that the talented freaks over at Slasher Studios were tackling their first feature length film, I was pretty damn excited. These are the guys who brought back that old school slasher feel with "Teddy" and "Popularity Killer", two shorts that are exactly what most full length, big budget slasher films of recent years wish they were. As a slasher buff, I just didn't want either of those to end but sadly they had to, and only after 11-20 minutes. So that's the main reason I got my hopes up so high for "Don't Go to the Reunion". Same writer, same director, same subgenre AND a longer running time. And as soon as the "Friday the 13th"-style credits started after an opening scene that echoed "Carrie" and "Slaughter High", I knew I would not be disappointed.

This beautiful piece of splatter art is filled with references, in-jokes and one-liners that only the most die-hard fans will understand. And I won't spoil the death scenes, but I will say that they are so much fun and I guarantee you will love the killer's M.O. However, even if you didn't grow up with films like "Prom Night" and "Happy Birthday to Me", there's plenty more to love here. For such a low budget film, it looks fucking great. They fully capitalized on the eerie settings, especially in that wonderfully executed playground scene. You also get lovable performances from Slasher Studios regulars Matty Dorschner, Hannah Herdt and Mike Goltz as well as newcomers Stephanie Leigh Rose and Spencer Harlan.

If I were to complain about anything, it's that this still just didn't feel long enough. It was the same problem I always have with these damn Slasher Studios productions, it was just too much fun and I didn't want it to end. Even though it had a longer running time, I was still like "No wait... I want more!" as the end credits rolled. I guess that's more of a compliment than a complaint though. If you recognize and appreciate any of the above references, what are you waiting for?! Head on over to slasherstudios.com and grab yourself a copy, so that you can enjoy some good old fashioned slasher fun and support the guys who are keeping the slasher subgenre alive.

- Review by Brain Tyler

Head over to the Slasher Studios Facebook more updates!

Transparency Teaser Trailer

Recently I had a great opportunity to help crew on a movie entitled Transparency written and directed by the very talented Anthony Mormile. My experience working with him was really enjoyable and I couldn't be more excited to see the final project and what Mormile will do in the future. Check out the teaser trailer below and leave a comment sharing your thoughts!

Also don't forget to head over to the Transparency Facebook page for more updates on the film!

Briarwood

I wanted to draw attention to a project on it's way entitled Briarwood which is going to be directed by Ryan Farmer. I became aware of the project through Kyle Crowell who is going to be working on the project as the cinematographer. I received an invite to a the Film's Facebook Page and then found the pages Kickstarter page. Immediately I was impressed by the amount of effort and thought they put into their Kickstarter project. The video, description, budget outline, and incentives are all very well thought out and professionally presented. The effort seems to have already paid off. Within just two days they reached half of their $4,500 goal and now are nearly there with still 22 days to go. Now I haven't seen any of Ryan Farmer's work, but I have seen some music videos done by Kyle Crowell and Joseph Kachnic and their work has always impressed me. So I'm excited to see how Briarwood will look visually. This seems like a great project to be a part of so definitely check out the Kickstarter video below and donate if you're into it. Also, they have not finished the casting process and are still looking for crew members, so if you are an actor or are looking to work on what seems will be a solid project - definitely contact them!

Briarwood Facebook

Briarwood Kickstarter

Save these Dates

There are lots of events in the coming months that are very exciting - especially for cinephiles and filmmakers. Not only are there are great deal of fantastic movies being screened at various theaters, there is also multiple chances to listen and learn from other successful directors. Also plenty of opportunity to meet new people and network. I plan on attending as many of these events as I can - so feel free to say hello.

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 30th (8:30 PM) - Everson Museum Film Under the Stars - Syracuse, NY - Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) (Free Admission)

September 12th-15th - Turning Stone - Verona, NY - Scare-A-Con Horror and Sci-Fi Fan Convention

September 21st (7:00 PM) - Rome Capitol Theater - Rome, NY - Double Feature Terror Aboard (1933) and Charlie Chan in London (1934) ($6 Dollars)

SYRACUSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 

October 3rd (7:30 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse NY - It (1927) with live music composed by Patrick Doyle 

October 4th (7:00 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Director Joel Schumacher (in person) presents Falling Down (1993) 35mm Print

October 4th (9:30 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Directors Adam Green and Joe Lynch (in person) presents Frozen (2010) 35mm Print and Wrong Turn 2 (2007) Digital Presentation - Q&A to follow

October 5th (1:00 PM) - Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY - The Image of Disability in Film

October 5th (3:30 PM) - Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY - The New Filmmakers Showcase 

October 5th (7:00 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Bobcat Goldthwait unveils newest film Willow Creek (2013)

October 5th (11:00 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Shakes the Clown (1991)

October 6th (1:00 PM) - Le Moyne College - Syracuse, NY - Peace & Social Justice Film Honoring George Gittoes: Australian Filmmaker and Activist with Bassel Shehade Award

October 6th (3:00 PM) - Landmark Theater - Syracuse, NY - PIXAR & the making of Wall-E (2008) (plus a screening)

October 6th (6:00 PM) - Landmark Theater - Syracuse, NY - Festival Close Premiere of Adult World (2013) and special guests

October 26th (2:30 PM & 7:00 PM) - Rome Capitol Theater - Rome, NY - Double Feature Dracula (1931) 35mm Print and Frankenstein (1931) 35mm Print ($6 Dollars)

October 26th (6:00 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Double Feature Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) 35mm Print and The Rock Horror Picture Show (1975) Digital Presentation ($10 Dollars)

November 8th (6:30 PM) - The Palace Theater - Syracuse, NY - Ray Harryhausen Tribute Triple Feature 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) 35mm Print, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) 35mm Print, and Destroy All Monsters (1968) 35mm Print ($10 Dollars)

Please come out and show your support for the film community!

Hello and Welcome!

Welcome to the Cinema Outlaw Blog! Here is a place to share and promote Independent Film Projects, other film related events, and the occasional film review. The idea is to go beyond being just a blog, but to become a network to build connections between filmmakers, actors, and film enthusiasts.

Over the past year I've noticed a lot of young talent emerging from Central New York and surrounding areas. Which is great! I love that people are taking advantage of technology available to them and are using it to tell stories! I've also noticed though with the amount of directors, actors, cinematographers, and editors there are, it's so easy to have your work go unnoticed. Many filmmakers are even unaware of each other's existance. However, it seems to me if filmmakers and cinephiles knew about and better yet, supported each other, we could create something extraordinary. A community of creative individuals with a shared passion who could help each other's visions be realized. This is simply done by sharing other peoples Kickstarter Projects, trailers or short films, introducing actors, helping crew on each others films, going to a film screening, or simply showing someone a new movie. That's what I hope to accomplish with The Cinema Outlaw Blog. Of course the more people involved the better - So feel free to contact me if you have anything you would like to contribute!

About myself… my name is Jon Rigler and I am from Central New York. I'm very passionate about Filmmaking and Cinema in general. I love watching, learning about, and making films. I hope to be able to share my passion with others.

As far as the name of the blog… The Cinema Outlaw, I've always loved filmmakers who rebelled against filmmaking conventions of their time. And part of The Cinema Outlaw blog is to create an outlet to share our visions and celebrating work that is fresh and new. We have no rules. Some of the greatest and most influential filmmakers went against what was popular in filmmaking in their time and have introduced new ways of making, viewing, and understanding movies. 

“It's not where you take things from — it's where you take them to.” - Jean-Luc Godard