AFI DALLAS Daily News

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Images from Day Six

Scenes from around the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival:

Festival Flickr set (31 images)
Staff and volunteers (7 images)
Silent movies at the Myerson (33 images)
Stills from AFI DALLAS films (43 images)

Interview with Director of Park

Kurt Voelker, director of PARK, talks with Pop Syndicate. Read the interview here. And see PARK at the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival, Wednesday March 28, 7:30pm, and Thursday March 29, 9:45pm, at The Magnolia.

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In the March 28 Daily News Print Edition

Look for print editions of the official AFI DALLAS Daily News at venues and theaters all around Dallas. In the March 28, 2007, edition:

Spotlight on the Texas Competition

Filmed in Waco, THE PROPER CARE AND FEEDING OF AN AMERICAN MESSIAH, directed by Christopher J. Hansen, tells the story of Brian, who believes he is his town's Messiah and starts a fund raiser to let them know.

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Ten Burning Questions: Matthew Killip, MASTER OF REALITY

You know the saying, "You couldn't make this up"? Well, you couldn't make a character like Ronny Long up.

He is a self-professed cryptozoologist, founder of Texas Boneyard Wrestling, avant-garde filmmaker and artist of the macabre who enjoyed a fleeting 15 minutes of fame when a piece of video of Ronny bashing a light bulb with his forehead made the rounds on the nation's nightly network news - horrifying and confusing the people who actually pay attention to the nightly network news.

Director Mathew Killip gives Ronny Long all the close up he can handle in his short film MASTER OF REALITY (Screening as part of the Documentary Shorts Program on Thursday, 3/29 at 5:00PM and Saturday, 3/31 at 6:30PM) and you'll be both entertained and more than a little relieved that he doesn't live next door to you.

1. Who or what introduced you to Ronny Long?

I came across a website Ronny had created for his new backyard wrestling federation called Texas Boneyard Wrestling. The idea was to unite Ronny's twin interests of rasslin' and horror movies, but the project imploded shortly after its creation because of infighting amongst the wrestlers. It's a shame, as a lot of energy and imagination had gone into it and every wrestler had their own character complete with horrendous back-story (cannibals, mental patients, stuff like that). Ronny was 15 at the time.

2. Did he ever show you his cryptozoologist degree?

No, but Ronny did show me his T-Shirt from the Texas Bigfoot Research Center. Anyway, Cryptozoologists don't bother with bullshit like degrees. Saasquatch don't care about no academic qualifications.

3. What is the best thing about having your film at AFI DALLAS?

I really love Texas so I'm delighted to be showing our work in Dallas. And because Ronny lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area he can come to the screenings, which I'm very excited about. He'll be packing his light bulbs and giving on-stage demonstrations of pure wrestling heat in the Q&As. Ronny will also be handing out previews of his latest film, called Bad Breed. It's about a transvestite terrorist spy, some killer robots and a virus. You can find out more here: www.myspace.com/stoggamproductions.

4. It took three years after you shot the film to complete the editing. Why so long?

Ahh. I'm very, very, very lazy.

5. What was the biggest challenge working with a subject like Ronny?

Keeping him supplied with Nachos and Dr. Pepper (which I like to call Prune Juice). Things could get ugly if Ronny didn't receive his regular dose of the good Doctor's beverage.

6. Did the two of you ever have to settle a disagreement by wrestling for it?

I'm not sure that would have been altogether wise on my part. Ronny is a young man whose commitment to the noble art of wrestling is such that he smashed a light bulb into his own face.

7. How many times did he try to get you to touch the scar on his forehead from the lightbulb?

You lot are creepy. We didn't do any scar touching.

8. Is Ronny more underrated as a painter or a filmmaker?

Ronny's just an amazing artist, and all his projects, in whatever medium (painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, film-making), are expressions of a unified creative vision. The fact that his work is largely unrecognized only contributes to the purity of his practice. He does it to please himself, and no one else, and that's one of the
things I love about him.

9. I don't remember ever seeing his parents in the film. Are they in the Witness Protection Program?

You didn't see his parents in the documentary because Ronny Long doesn't have any. He's a feral child raised by ape-like hominids in the suburban wastelands around Dallas.

10. Popcorn or candy?

Popcorn.

Matthew Killip (and Ronny Long) will appear at MASTER OF REALITY's screening at part of the Documentary Shorts Program premiere on Thursday, March 29th.

By John Wildman, Staff Writer

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Frightful and Delightful

If you are like most people and you find a macabre delight in being frightened, AFI DALLAS will suit your needs with a fiendish group of spine-tingling, teeth-clinching, seat-gripping films.

Director Jesse Baget's EL MASCARADO MASSACRE (WRESTLEMANIAC) is the blood-soaked tale of a low-budget film crew on their way to Cabo San Lucas who become lost and wind up in "La Sangre De Dios," a ghost town home to an insane Mexican wrestler named "El Mascarado" (The Masked Man), who begins picking off the unlucky folks one by one.

Meanwhile, Andrew Currie's FIDO, a comedic horror film (a horrific comedy, maybe?) stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker in the story of young Timmy Robinson's best friend, Fido, a six-foot tall rotting zombie who one day eats the next-door neighbor.

In Calvin Reeder's LITTLE FARM, a family relocating to a quaint countryside plantation to start their lives over must confront and overcome an evil presence, while the silent Gothic fable THE LISTENING DEAD, directed by Phil Mucci, has an obsessed composer and his seamstress wife haunted by the spirit of a mysterious young woman.

On a lighter note, Darrell Hammond, Judd Nelson and Robert Wagner put a quirky, corporate American twist on the classic vampire tale in Dean Matthew Ronalds' NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED.

In the aptly named LUMP, directed by Faye Jackson, every time Christine gets a lump removed another appears, causing her to suspect her surgeon of foul play.

And finally, two ghoulish and gruesome films prove true that famous adage that begins "the best laid plans of mice and men."

On one hand, THE LYCANTHROPE, directed by Tony Quinn, follows a group of friends who embark on a weekend getaway that goes terribly wrong (ah, don't they always?) due to the lunar activities of a werewolf creature bent on destroying everything and killing everyone.

And on the other but similar hand, Christopher Smith's Severance follows a team-building weekend in the mountains of Eastern Europe that goes horribly wrong (see, I told you) for the sales division of the multi-national weapons company Palisade Defense when they become the victims of a group of crazed killers who will stop at nothing to see them dead.

For those who cannot handle a full-length horror film - possibly for health reasons - AFI DALLAS will also offer a few horrific shorts.

Director Conor Morrissey's Last Night is a supernatural tale of an Irish couple's marriage that begins to fall apart under the strain of a dark secret.

In director Carles Torren's Coming to Town, a young girl recruits an AK-47-wielding Santa Claus in order to seek revenge on a neighborhood bully.

And in Recently Deceased, directed by Texas filmmaker Chris McInroy, a teenager who suddenly becomes a zombie must finish his chores or else the dead will walk the earth.

By Brittan Dunham, Staff Writer

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Vampires Are People Too

Originally conceived under the title "The Netherbeast of Berm-Tech Industries, Inc." the comedic horror film (or "horrific" comedy) NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED began as a skit for a three-minute horror contest. But now, the film is a full-length, full-blooded corporate American twist on the classic vampire story.

Wait, scratch that. The politically-correct term for "vampire," as emphasized by an educational video within the film itself, is "Netherfolk," a much less-offensive and more humane word. After all, they are human, too.

"Netherfolk have only gotten such a bad rap over the years because Hollywood glamorized the whole 'biting-neck-and-turning-into-bat thing,'" says director Dean Rolands and screenwriter Brian Ronalds.

"In reality, they're normal people with jobs who put their nose to the grindstone like everyone else. The only difference is they need human flesh and blood to survive."

Clearly, Ronalds and Ronalds are as dedicated to raising awareness as they are to producing chuckles, also contend that vamp... I mean, Netherfolk, are going through rough times in 21st-century America.

Amongst their concerns is the fact that a large number of "First Lifers" (a term that describes all non-vampire humans) have undertaken diets of some kind.

"That makes it difficult for Netherfolk to find the nutrients that they require," says Dean and Brian. "And Netherfolk really dig trans-fats."

As far as comedies goes, Netherbeast Incorporated has an A-team cast, which includes Dave Foley, Robert Wagner, Amy Davidson, Judd Nelson, Jason Mewes, and SNL's Darrel Hammond. Each of these actors, with the exclusion of Wagner (who plays former President James Garfield), plays an employee of Berm-Tech Industries, a seemingly- innocent telephone conglomerate which acts as a front for what is really a hive of flesh-eating vampires. I mean - Netherfolk.

Additionally, Netherbeast offers a quaint and concise history of the Netherpeople, including one juicy tidbit of American history you won't find anywhere else: President Garfield was one of them.

"Yeah, and so was Florence Nightingale, Ray Milland, Vincient Van Gogh, Robert E Lee, Mozart, Jim Morrison," say the Ronalds duo. "And Ghandi."

Netherbeast Incorporated - 7:30 p.m., March 30 @ Magnolia (9:45 p.m., March 31 @ Magnolia)

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Actor's Corner: Amy Davidson, NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED

The Ronalds Brothers' NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED (Screening Friday, 3/30 at 7:30PM and Saturday 3/31 at 9:45PM) takes a queasily gentle approach to teaching us all about vampires. The ones that live amongst us (and have, frankly, for years) that we have never been aware of. The inventive comic horror film boasts a roster of funny and quirky actors from Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond to Kids in the Hall veteran Dave Foley to Blue's Clues Steve Burns. And serving as our everywoman and the film's heroine is Amy Davidson, of 8 Simple Rules fame. Taking in the history of the secret and not so dangerous society of her co-workers as both they and she become threatened, Davidson doesn’t miss a step as she provides the perfect perky balance to the mock horror taking place around her.

Q: After being all over the TV for the first few years of your career, how did you take to the difference in the style and pace of film production working on NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED?

A: I love the differences between TV and film. Everything from the characters I've been fortunate to bring to life to the rhythm and flow of the shoot. I enjoyed having more time with the material vs. one week with a script in television. But on the flip side I was sad when the shoot was over. You become close with the people you work with and when the film is finished everyone goes their separate ways. In TV you see everyone the next season. I have to say that Netherbeast is an extremely special project. I felt that way from the very beginning! AND because it shot in Arizona, I was able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. It doesn’t get better than that!

Q: How did the dynamic work between you and the boys club (Dave Foley, Darrell Hammond, Steve Burns, Judd Nelson, etc.) that made up the majority of the cast of the film?

A: I loved being one of the only females in the film. You get lots of attention. All of the guys are wonderful! I received a warm welcome into the Boys Club!

Q: Seriously, how many of the guys were jealous of Steve Burns since he got to be your love interest?

A: Robert Wagner was probably the most jealous. I wish. (smiles.) What a lovely, lovely man. I had a special connection with RJ because of his friendship with James Garner.

Q: And, on the flip side, how upset was your former co-star and friend, Kaley Cuoco that you got to buddy up with the Blue's Clues guy in a movie?

A: Kaley cried daily!

Q: This is a very different vampire movie, really stretching the concept. Did you feel a little gypped that you weren't wearing some Victorian gowns or at the least doing battle with some dark seductive Dracula types?

A: One of the things I love most about NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED is that the "Nethermen" look just like us! There’s so much humor in that. And I did get to kick ass! He just wasn't hairy and scary looking. Yes I'd love to wear Victorian dresses and big hats! I guess I'll have to save that for my next film.

Q: What is your favorite vampire movie (not counting this one)?

A: Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I'm a chicken when it comes to scary movies!

Q: Saturday Night Live or Kids in the Hall - which is the funnier?

A: Not a fair question! Both shows were/are brilliant.

Q: You have an extensive dance background. How many times have you tried to convince a director or producer to add a dance sequence for you?

A: On 8 Simple Rules we talked about Kerry ballroom dancing. But we never got to that. That is my dream job! When I get to dance and act in the same film!

Amy Davidson will appear at NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED's opening night screening at 7:30 p.m. Friday @ Magnolia.

By John Wildman, Staff Writer

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Newly Added Screenings

[UPDATED March 30, 11:56am] Following are new screenings just added to the lineup for the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival. For tickets and the rest of the Sunday April 1 schedule click here.

Angelika Film Center - 5321 E. Mockingbird Ln. [Map]

Sunday April 1, 7:00pm - Target Award Winner: Documentary
Sunday April 1, 9:00pm - Third Ward, TX
Sunday April 1, 9:00pm - Beings

The Magnolia - 3699 McKinney Ave. [Map]

Sunday April 1, 1:00pm - El Mechanico Loco
Sunday April 1, 4:00pm - Audience Award Winner: Narrative Feature
Sunday April 1, 6:00pm - Target Award Winner: Narrative Feature
Sunday April 1, 6:15pm - Shorts Winners (includes Jury Winner, Audience Winner, Student Winner and Animation Winner)
Sunday April 1, 6:30pm - Audience Award Winner: Documentary

Two More Wet Deck Conversations

Poolside and way above it all at the W Hotel [map], the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival pairs filmmakers and journalists to talk about moviemaking up close and personal. With topics that connect this year's AFI DALLAS stars with the people who go see their films, the Wet Deck Conversations offer a rare chance to ask what they think, how they did it and how you can too.

Wet Deck Conversations are free, so there is no better bargain if you're curious about the growing film industry in Dallas/Fort Worth, or whether you can actually make money by marketing your movie on MySpace. Upcoming conversations:

Friday March 30, 5:00pm - Finding the Audience for the Message Movie - With Missy Schwartz (Entertainment Weekly), Joseph Greco and Joe Pantoliano (Canvas).

Saturday March 31, 5:00pm - Horror & Comedy: A Winning Combination? - With Elvis Mitchell, Amy Davidson (Netherbeast Incorporated) and Leah Milani (Wrestle Maniac).

Download and print JPG flier here.

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The Next Two Days

Things you don't want to miss during the next two days.

MARCH 29 - Deep Ellum Sounds - PUNK'S NOT DEAD (Dir. Susan Dynner) - 7:15 p.m. @ AFC (and again March 30, 5 p.m.) - KURT COBAIN ABOUT A SON (Dir. AJ Schnack) - 10 p.m. AFC (and again April 1, 2 p.m. @ Magnolia) - Three-chords and a bad attitude can lead to success, but at what cost? Susan Dynner's punk feature examines how the genre's success has trounced its founding philosophies. And AJ Schnack's portrait of Cobain follows an unusual route through audio conversations between Nirvana's singer and music writer Michael Azerrad.

Also recommended for March 29: Documentary Shorts, Fay Grim, Canvas (Joe Pantoliano attending), The Favor, Eve of Understanding, American Fork.

MARCH 30 - THE FAVOR (Dir. Eva Aridjis) - 5 p.m. @ Magnolia - A loner who lives in New Jersey with his dog unexpectedly finds himself in charge of Johnny, a troubled youth. Lawrence struggles to forge a relationship with the boy despite their improbable situation.

MARCH 30 - NEXT: A PRIMER ON URBAN PAINTING (Dir. Pablo Aravena) - Street artists work outside the establishment and across the globe. Pablo Aravena finds the bright lights who flaunt The Man to make their masterpieces.

MARCH 30 - SHORTS PROGRAM 6 - 5:30 p.m. @ Magnolia (and again March 30 5:15 p.m.) - Includes: Muertas, Top of the Circle, Checkpoint, Kidney Thiefs, Hairlady, The Box, Windowbreaker and The Kolaborator.

Also recommended for March 30: Anatomy of a Canvas, Strong Enough to Break.

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