Killer Films

Ep 483: Paul Schrader • Matt Porterfield

The legendary screenwriter & director Paul Schrader (Hardcore, Light Sleeper) is on this episode to discuss his new film, First Reformed. The film, which opens in NYC and LA on Friday, May 18th, stars Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried & Cedric Kyles (aka Cedric the Entertainer) and is being distributed by A24. Reverend Ernst Toller (Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence.

Then Baltimore-based filmmaker Matt Porterfield (Putty Hill, I Used to Be Darker) makes his first appearance on the podcast. His new film, Sollers Point, was shot entirely in the Baltimore county titular neighborhood and stars McCaul Lombardi, Zazie Beetz, Jim Belushi, Lynne Cohen & Marin Ireland. Keith (Lombardi) is a 24-year-old drug dealer who is newly released from prison and living with his father (Belushi) under house arrest in Baltimore. He struggles to re-establish himself in a community scarred by unemployment, neglect and segregation. The film is opened this past week in Baltimore and opens in NYC and LA on Friday, May 18th thanks to Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 436: Todd Haynes Returns • Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady Return

In the first segment [8 mins. 22 secs.], award-winning documentary filmmakers Rachel Grady & Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp, Detropia) return to the podcast (they were last on Episode 49!) to discuss their latest film, One of Us, which is being released by Netflix. Produced over three years, the film take a deep and moving look at the lives of three individuals who have chosen to leave the hugely insular world of Hasidic Judaism. The film follows Etty, a mother of seven, as she decides to leave a violent marriage and divorce her husband; Ari, a teenager on the verge of manhood who is struggling with addiction and the effects of childhood abuse; and Luzer, an actor who, despite having found success in the secular world, still wrestles with his decision eight years earlier to leave the Hasidic community. The film will run on the company’s streaming platform internationally, and also have a theatrical run in select cities including at the IFC Center in NYC as of October 20th.

Next [47 mins. 18 secs.], the podcast is happy to welcome back one of its favorite filmmakers, Todd Haynes (Poison, Carol). Todd is back (he was last on Episode 329) with a brand new film, Wonderstruck, which was adapted from Brian Selznick’s novel of the same name by Selznick himself, and is being distributed by Amazon Studios & Roadside Attractions. Ben and Rose are children from two different eras, both deaf, who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out on quests to find what they are missing that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry. The film is playing theatrically around the country beginning on Friday, October 20th.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 421: Janicza Bravo & Brett Gelman / Cathy Moriarty, Danielle McDonald & Geremy Jasper / Adam Reid

[5 mins. 20 secs.] In this jam-packed episode of the podcast I first welcome back long-time friend of Filmwax, filmmaker and commercial director, Adam Reid, who appeared way way back in Episodes 15 & 38 with his feature film, Hello Lonesome. Adam is back to discuss the Kickstarter campaign for his latest project, Barry & Joe: The Animated Series which is where Barack Obama and Joe Biden are sent back in time by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Bromancing the multiverse to save us from ourselves.

[39 mins. 45 secs.] When I was at the Maryland Film Festival this Spring I was fortunate enough to see a dark comedy called Lemon. The film concerns Isaac’ Lachman (guest Brett Gelman) whose blind girlfriend walks out on him, as his life goes into free fall. We follow Isaac as he directs an unhinged staging of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” attends the Passover Seder from hell, and attempts to woo a new flame. Gelman, who co-directed and stars is joined by his partner Janicza Bravo, director of Lemon. The film, which is being distributed Magnolia Pictures and which also stars Judy Greer, Michael Cera and Nia Long, opens in Los Angeles, on iTunes, Amazon Video and on demand on Friday, August 18th, then in NYC on Friday, August 25th.

[1 hr. 8 mins. 55 secs.] Last up, the team behind the Sundance 2017 break-out hit, Patti Cake$: filmmaker Geremy Jasper, and actors Danielle McDonald and Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull). In a coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in Patti Cake$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Jasper. Set in gritty strip-mall suburbia, the film which is being distributed by Fox Searchlight and opens wide August 18th, chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory with humor, raw energy and some unforgettable beats.

Filmwax Radio is presented by Rooftop Films. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. The podcast is also available on iTunes, Stitcher & Youtube.

Ep 329: Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon & Phyllis Nagy

Ep 329: Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon & Phyllis Nagy

The creative team behind the film Carol are among the guests, including producer Christine Vachon, screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, and director Todd Haynes. The film which stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara and which is being distributed by The Weinstein Company is currently playing at a theater near you.

Ep 167: Christine Vachon • Mark Covino & Earl Hackney

Ep 167: Christine Vachon • Mark Covino & Earl Hackney

Indie film producer Christine Vachon is in segment one; segment two includes one of the two directors behind the documentary A Film Called Death, Mark Covino and one of his film’s subjects, Earl Hackney.

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