Sunday, June 27, 2010

City of Women

This week on Throwback Sundays, we visit Italy and one of my all time favorite filmmakers. Here is a great clip from Fellini's much slept on City of Women.

Cassandra Riddick's "Shining Star"



Our partner, producer/writer/director Cassandra Riddick, debut feature film Shining Star is coming soon to film festivals.

Shining Star is based on the award winning short film titled Shining Star. It was one of the top ten films chosen in the B.E.T. Rap-It-Film Short Film Competitions in 2006.

Basketball player Alex Cash is accepted to play ball overseas. He meets and falls in love with Keyshia, a young talented singer focused on her career. He finds out a month earlier that he is HIV positive and keeps is status a secret from everyone he loves.

When Keyshia finds out the question remains, can love really conquer all? Will she forgive him and stand by her man?

Check out the trailer:


Hear selections from the wonderful score HERE.
Become a fan of Facebook HERE.
Follow the film's blog HERE.

Rick Borgia's "Gunner's Rift"

Our friend producer/actor Rick Borgia, who played the father in Cookies & Cream, has a new film that shoots next month. Here is more about the film and his very recognizable cast!

Steven Bauer - "Manolo" - Scarface
Angel Salazar - "Chichi" - Scarface
Robert Funaro - "The Sopranos"
Steve Dash - "Jason" - Friday the 13th 3
Al Linea - "HBO's Boardwalk Empire"
Tito Puente Jr - Salsa Celeb.
Anthony Becht - NFL's St. Louis Cardinals
Rick Borgia - Cookies & Cream, Twists of Fate

Gunner's Rift



What makes a man tick and drives him to follow the life he leads? What voice speaks of right and wrong? Does he sense fear, hold faith in fellow men, understand respect, know of honor?

Joseph ‘Gunner’ D’Amato is such a man, earning his rep and respect as a ruthless hit man for a mob boss. He ultimately learns the answers to those questions after his ex-girlfriend, now the girlfriend of a drug lord, is murdered.

Gunner’s brother Dominic took the road of honor by becoming a cop and working the homicide unit, run by a tough ex-marine with an itch to rid the precinct of Gunner and his boss.

The brothers lower the walls of distrust weakening the rift separating them as a drug war escalates, and a rival thug seeks Gunner's assistance in taking out another precinct boss.

Gunner finds deception and friendship converging to bring an escape from his pending downfall, allowing what he inwardly desired all along… a way out.

Gunner's Rift is a meaningful glance at a man's path to destruction through trust, loyalty, betrayal, and desire while surviving the mire of crime and corruption.

Tom Reviews "Youth in Revolt"



Tom's Corner:

Youth in Revolt
(2009, Miguel Arteta dir.)

The grand Hollywood tradition of taking half decent teen novels and turning them into mediocre movies continues. C.D. Payne's novel of the same name is this installment's victim. Michael Cera plays the lead character, Nick Twisp, and for once, he does not play a nerdy awkward teenager...well, ok, not for the whole movie. Given the nature of the movie, this may be a short romp into the mind of a schizophrenic. No not me, you assholes....

Anyway...Michael Cera plays a pathetic virgin who seemingly has no hope of getting laid. No, this isn't Superbad. Or any of his other movies...or "Arrested Development." This time, he actually meets and kisses a girl in the first half hour (and not a cousin either). Relative newcomer Portia Doubleday plays Sheeni Saunders, a Francophile whom Nick meets when his really pathetic mother Estelle (Jean Smart) and her loser-of-the-month boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifiankis, whose name I almost spelled right the first time) have to flee their home because Jerry is a complete dumbass. But there's a problem: Nick is only up there with his family for a while. He'd have to find his father (the always wonderful Steve Buscemi) a job in Ukiah where Sheeni lives and find a way to get his mother to kick him out. To this end, he creates an alternate personality, Francois. Shades of Fight Club, huh?

Anyway, Nick gets kicked out, Sheeni finds his dad a job in Ukiah and it looks like happily ever after right? No, now Sheeni is getting sent to a French boarding school where her ex-boyfriend Trent (Jonathan Bradford Wright) is also a student. Nick does what any of us would do: recruits his new friend Vijay (Adhir Kalyan) to go and see her and her new roommate Taggarty (Rooney Mara, who played Nancy in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street) who is a bit...promiscuous. After those naked hijinks, they head back to Ukiah, and Nick comes up with a cunning and frankly fucked up plan to get Sheeni expelled.

In the end, they throw the schizo into juvie. But I know you're all wondering if he gets laid? Well, I'm not going to tell you.

Ok ok he does. He also crossdresses!

The movie was so uneven. At some times you root for Nick and his massive mental problems. At other times, you wonder what the fuck is wrong with him, aside from the aforementioned mental problems. So, see it. Or don't. It wasn't too bad. Or too good.

- Tom

Official Trailer HERE.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tom Reviews "Zombies Anonymous"



Tom's Corner:

Last Rites of the Dead (2006)
Released as Zombies Anonymous (2008)
– Marc Fratto, director

Ok, pop quiz hot shots...what's the current trend in supernatural movies and books? Did you say vampires? Oh, no no no, what are you, still watching or reading Twilight (also, unless you are a 12-15 year old girl, and you are reading Twilight, seriously, what the fuck? But I digress...)? Lately, I see more books and comic books (I'm looking at you Marvel Zombies and you too Blackest Night) full of those shambling brainless undead known the world over as zombies. Director Mark Fratto of New York based Insane-O-Rama Productions is a man who was ahead of his time. In 2006, this film premiered at the New York Horror Film Festival as Last Rites of the Dead. In 2008, it was finally released to DVD as Zombies Anonymous, but with 17 minutes cut (we'll talk about that later).

This is a non-traditional take on the zombie genre. You know the usual zombie film plot: Group of humans from varying backgrounds and with various degrees of weapons skills gather somewhere somewhat defensible and fight off zombies until 3-5 are left. Those left flee their formerly safe haven and attempt to get to a zone of purported safety. This usually cuts our cast down to 2-3. Alternatively, they never leave the safe haven and all die. THIS IS NOT THAT MOVIE! That's right, completely new plot here people! And guess what? It's good! The only thing that reminds me of other zombie movies is the flickering newscast introduction, and even that is actually a wonderful homage to the genre.

Our heroine is Angela (Gina Ramsden), who is shot in the head by her obsessive ex-boyfriend Josh (played to crazy perfection by Joshua Nelson). Zombies in this movie can only be killed if the brain is completely destroyed, and many choose to be in government run centers (shown in a gruesome flashback). Also, ANYONE WHO DIES by ANY MEANS WHATSOEVER, becomes a zombie.
Sucks to be a mortician right about there, huh?

The movie jumps ahead five months and we find Angela at a “Hugs for the Mortally Challenged” support group. She's having trouble coping with her new status (obviously) and the group, which wants zombies to be normal, sits in a circle and talks in much the manner of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. A lot of these zombies seem to be ashamed of their condition, and, in fact, take great pains to avoid using the word zombie.

Meanwhile Josh, whom Angela did NOT turn in, has plans to join up with a militant zombie hate group. They don't want zombies moving into their neighborhood, and will take violent action to prevent it. He and friends Richie, Malcolm and the Gooch become members of the Commandant (Christa McNamee)'s sadistic army. Josh neglects to tell them he has a zombie ex-girlfriend who he killed, since he's still in love with (and stalking) Angela.

Angela, meanwhile, meets up with eye-patched group member Louis (Kevin T. Collins) who introduces her to members of a radical cult run by Good Mother Solstice (Mary Jo Verruto). The cult is into some pretty funky things (and also, oddly, mostly women) like lighting candles, and chanting and oh yeah, eating human flesh fresh off the bone. I assume they kill the person after they eat them; I know if I came back to life, and you just motherfucking ate parts of me, I would feel no kinship to my fellow zombies and I'd beat your ass down. I feel I am not alone in this viewpoint.

So, who thinks these two groups would get along worse than Jerry Falwell and Bruce Vilanch? Good, go to the head of the class Howard Hesseman. The zombie killers win round one, and Angela only gets away due to Josh letting her. Here, we see her life begin to spiral down. She loses her job and can't get a new one, due to, y'know, the whole being dead thing.

As she vents to her friends, they are attacked by the Commandant's Army. There's a knockdown drag out in the woods and Angela is saved and initiated into the flesh eaters cult. She meets Solstice, and the two...just don't get along. Zombie on zombie violence is just so fun! Concurrently, Josh, who...lost a lot more than just the gunfight, is working with the Commandant on a plan to kill the zombies. Watch as the commandant fights like a Terminator through the rather inept zombie attack! And hey, Josh and Angela finally get to hash out their relationship problems. Find out who ends up hash! My only disappointment is with the fact that those seventeen minutes are cut. Some of those minutes are important plot points, and they DO affect being able to follow the film.

Does anyone need me to point out the racial overtones in the zombie killing army? This is what good film making is. Zombies are best used when they are an allegory for something else. I recommend this movie to ANY fans of good horror. I wasn't disappointed, and I hope you won't be either.



- Tom

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Jace Nicole Featured in The Examiner


Our very own Jace Nicole was recently featured in yesterday's The Examiner, written by Corey Williams (a Maryland-based indie film producer). Here it is below:




"Family support is a must if you want to be successful in acting. Jace Nicole knows all about good family support. Jace's family has been very supportive since she started acting in 2005. Her fiance' Akbar and his family have come to the premieres of her different films. Jace feels comfort in knowing that Akbar is behind her acting dream 110%. Jace's daughter Jaylon is a huge fan of her mom so much that she calls her "famous mommy". Jaylon jumped at the chance to work with her mom in the independent feature film Cookies & Cream.

Jace Nicole's Baltimore independent full length feature credits include TORN, Razorblade City, Can't Complain, Sleeping with Fate and two short films Hangman and The Charl(y)ie Factor. Jace feels that Baltimore has the talent to have its own Baltimore Black Film Festival. Jace sees that the talent within the African-American community is strong. Even though Jace films in New York and other states, she thinks that filming in Baltimore is so special because of the people that she has worked with. Jace sums it up perfectly. Baltimore has many spots to film and it's a place that is laced with culture."

Original piece with photos HERE.

Official Jace Nicole site HERE.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

OneWayTV Reaches 20,000 Visitors!




Our blog here, has reached over 20k visitors. Our daily reader count at one point has reached over 350, and at that point, the count kicked into its highest gear. We want to thank all of you that have faithfully dropped by and checked us out. We know we have been busy lately with the premiere of Uptown, as well as Uptown and Cookies & Cream's DVD releases in particular, so we apologize for the lack of frequent updates.

Things will however, be returning to normal by next week, when you can expect us to return to our frequent update productivity. We have several new, exciting contributors that will be adding some really cool news, articles, editorials, and opinions to the blog, and you can expect more from our regular features including Tom's Corner, Reel of the Week/Month, Throwback Sundays, and more.

Cheers to you, reader!!

- One Way TV

Film Babble Reviews Uptown

Here's a really cool review from Film Babble of Brian Ackley's debut feature film Uptown. Check it out after the jump:



UPTOWN (Dir. Brian Ackley, 2009) A young couple (Chris Riquinha and Melissa Hampton) sits in a New York restaurant nervously asking each other questions. They are obviously on their first date. As they shuffle through the usual "getting to know you" small talk, we learn that Riquinha is an aspiring film maker and thinks Hampton could be a good actress in a new project he's working on.

He describes the premise:

"It's about this guy who hasn't had a lot of luck with relationships. He's had some relationships and they never work out, he never seems to say the right things, do the right things, and he's just very awkward and that kind of thing. So you get a little bit of that first and then he meets this girl...and that would be you...it follows the 2 of them, you know their relationship, of course it doesn't work out 'cause that's what the movie is - it doesn't work out."

Is that this movie?

Read the full review HERE.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Uptown and Cookies & Cream Available For Pre-Order

Two of our current feature films Uptown (Brian Ackley) and Cookies & Cream (Princeton Holt), that have recently been picked up for North American distribution, are both now available for pre-order (Here's a little hint: Turner Movies Classics has it for a little less $). The official release date for both films is July 20th, 2010.

Here are some of each DVD's features:

Uptown
75 mins

Special Features:
*Director/Producer commentary track (director Brian Ackley & producer Princeton Holt)
*Critical commentary track (Jen Johans of FilmIntuition)
*Lead actor commentary track (Chris Riquinha & Meissa Hampton)
*"Hostage Person" - an early 10 minute short film from Brian Ackley
*"Editing Uptown": a tale of 2 scenes - 15 minute documentary (directed by Celia Peters)
*"About Uptown" - a 40 minute documentary on the making of the film (directed by Melissa Mathes)



Cookies & Cream
90 mins

Special Features:
*Director/Producer commentary track (director Princeton Holt & producer Brian Ackley)
*Critical commentary track (Michael Tully of HammertoNail)
*2 different versions of the Trailer
*Trailers of upcoming films






Here are the links below:

Uptown at Turner Classic Movies HERE.
Uptown at Amazon HERE.
Cookies & Cream at Turner Classic Movies HERE.
Cookies & Cream at Amazon HERE.

Official Uptown site HERE
Official Cookies & Cream site HERE.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Jaws Shark Finally Found in LA Junkyard

According to Yahoo, the star of "Jaws" has been found resting in a Los Angeles junkyard.

No, not Richard Dreyfuss -- the shark! With the 35th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's classic blockbuster just around the corner, an NPR reporter set out to track down the mechanical beast that struck fear into the hearts of so many.

In order to maximize their control over the creature, the "Jaws" filmmakers built three sharks for their 1975 movie. All created from the same mold, the sharks were dubbed "Bruce" after Spielberg's lawyer, Bruce Ramer. The gigantic metal creatures were 25-feet long and weighed hundreds of pounds. The heads alone came in at 400 lbs. apiece, with jaws the size of a small human.

When reporter and "Jaws"-enthusiast Cory Turner set out to track down Bruce's whereabouts, he went straight to the source -- the movie's director. A spokesman for Steven Spielberg explained that the original Bruces had all been destroyed, as no one had thought to save them.

But theories circulated on a Facebook page for the famous shark that another Bruce might be out there. After a little research, Turner discovered that a fourth shark had indeed been cast from the original mold, just months after its brothers were constructed. The baby of the Bruce family was created for display at Universal Studios Theme Park, where it hung by its tail for fifteen years.

In 1990, the shark was taken down and shipped out to destinations unknown. Turner picked up the phone and started dialing junkyards. He finally found the creature in a yard in the Sun Valley area of Southern California -- just minutes away from Universal. Turner brought the team who built Bruce -- art department members Joe Alves and Roy Arbogast to verify the shark's authenticity.

"It's the real one," Arbogast told Turner after examining the creature. "It's just kinda' nice to see it again after 25 or 30 years. It's amazing that it's still here."

Bruce's discovery couldn't come at a better time. There's talk that Universal might be considering a 3D "Jaws" remake -- with comedian Tracy Morgan in the shark-hunter role. Perhaps Bruce will find his way onto the silver screen once again.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Reel of the Month: Barry Phillips

Our Reel of the Month this June belongs to the very versatile and expressive Barry Phillips.



For inquiries, bookings, resume, and hiring info, check Barry's Official Website HERE.

Drawing With Chalk Playing in Hoboken, NJ


Drawing With Chalk is having a screening in New Jersey, for all of our NJ friends, at the Hoboken International Film Festival on June 6th, at noon. Make sure to check it out, we first saw this heartwarming feature at the Idaho International Film Festival, and have become befriended its team of collaborators.

DRAWING WITH CHALK - Feature Film
Directed by Todd Giglio - New York

A middle-aged family man struggles between his childhood dreams of being a successful rock musician and his adult responsibilities to his wife and son.

Sunday June 6, 2010
12:00 pm - Cedar Lane Cinemas, Teaneck - $11

More about the film HERE.




D.W.C. Facebook Fan Page HERE.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

IIFF Permanently Changes Festival Time to Spring

IIFF, one of our favorite festival ever, is changing its entire agenda/festival season. They sent this press release out today:



Media Contacts
press@idahofilmfestival.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Idaho International Film Festival Announces Permanent Change in Festival Dates from Fall to Spring Boise, ID (May 27, 2010):

Today the Idaho International Film Festival, one of Boise’s premier arts events, has announced that it will hold its annual event in the Spring, effective March, 2011. In order to effect this change, there will not be a festival in September 2010.

Executive Director Lyle Banks says: “We have decided to permanently move the Idaho International Film Festival to the Spring with our next festival tentatively scheduled for March 10-13, 2011. We have long contemplated moving the festival earlier in the year for various reasons. The primary reason for the change is that it allows us to gain access to the best new, independent, American film titles available. Having the festival is September has precluded us from showing films that have screening commitments at Sundance, Toronto and the American Film Institute Festivals. The change to Spring also allows the film festival to better coincide with important State and Federal grant timetables which are critical to its continued growth and development.

The success of Idaho International Film Festival over the past seven years has deepened our commitment to providing the Treasure Valley one of the region’s most anticipated cultural events. We truly appreciate your past support and look forward to seeing you next year with an eye-popping slate of fantastic independent films!

Please refer to the website for information on submissions for 2010 and other information.

###

Original post HERE.

Tom Reviews Joshikyôei hanrangun




Tom's Corner:

Joshikyôei hanrangun AKA Attack Girls Swim Team Vs. The Undead
(2007, Koji Kawano director)

Y'know...I have spoken before about the sheer, how shall we put this, crazy-assed craziness of Japan, but the time comes when you start to wonder about more aspects of the country's culture. What do they do for fun? What do they do when they're sad? Do they have a movie channel the equivalent of Cinemax, and if so, what would they show? Well, I'm not sure of the answers, but I know that Attack Girls Swim Team Vs. The Undead is the type of movie that would be shown on this mythical Japanese Cinemax.

For my readers not familiar with Cinemax movies, let me explain. Late at night, Cinemax plays movies that could be easily classified as softcore pornography. They feature such classy titles as Hot Line Fiery Desires and Co-Ed Confidential: The First Time. They also feature fake chested horrible actresses who fuck their way through most of the cast (man, woman or convenient vegetables are all included as cast members, the vegetables being the best actors of the bunch). This is one of the main reasons why Cinemax has earned the nickname Skinemax. Now, explanation's over, we mostly unflinchingly take a look at our badly translated, subtitled feature presentation.

Our main character, Aki, is a self-described former “water terrorist.” As far as I can figure, this is someone who terrorizes water. How one would terrorize water, I do not have the ability to comprehend. It wasn't her fault though. She was trained in the deadly arts by the evil doctor, who isn't given a name, so I'll just call him Dr. Masturbation-Flute, or Dr. M-F for short. Why would I pick such a name for a nefarious instructor of water terrorists? He also plays the flute. He plays it so well, in fact, that Aki has no control over herself and masturbates uncontrollably whenever she hears his flute playing.

Now, I need to talk to the men in the audience. Ladies, stop reading for a while, nothing to see here.

Ok, are they gone? Cool. Guys, how many of you now want to take up the flute, on the off chance that you'll have those magical flutist masturbation causing powers? Yeah, me too. You'd be like the Pied Piper of Porn. Oh shit, they're getting curious....

Ladies, come on back. Oh nothing, nothing...you didn't miss a thing. Moving on....

Aki eventually escapes the evil Dr. M-F, and decides to go to school (killing is only one kind of education, after all). While there, we meet the girls swim team, one of whom, Sayaka, pushes Aki into the pool for no particular reason. Oh wait, there's one reason: CUE GRATUITOUS SHOWER SCENE! After getting clean, the girls wander about, and over the announcement system we learn there is a mandatory vaccination being given because of a “popular new disease.” The disease, in case you're wondering, eventually gets elected homecoming king and becomes quarterback of the football team.

The vaccinations turn the students and teachers into flesh consuming crazies. The teachers become even MORE crazy, one juggling razor sharp rulers and the other seducing the principal only to remove parts of him with scissors. Aki pretty much knows whats going on (who do you think is behind the zombie juice?) and jumps through a random window in time to save Sayaka from her zombie teammate. They run away and find more teammates and more psycho zombies. Aki kills one teacher but gets knocked out (fake ass punches, I might add). Why don't the swim team members get infected? Something in the pool water, apparently. Yep, massive zombie plague got you down? Throw chlorinated water on 'em! Fucking Hell....

Aki later wakes up in a kitchen, and gets seduced by Sayaka: CUE GRATUITOUS LESBIAN SCENE! And where did that guitar come from? Afterwards, Aki goes to face Dr. M-F alone, and Sayaka urges the rest of the girls to fight. They don their swimsuits (what better outfits to fight zombies in than swimsuits that expose a lot of flesh?) and grab makeshift weapons. They just forget one thing: they can't fight worth a shit. After they all die (except Sayaka, who is knocked out after she kills a teacher), Dr. M-F plays his flute for Aki. She reveals she has half a brain and is wearing earplugs. Then she kicks Dr. M-F's monkey-ass.

Aki saves Sayaka, who drugs her (yep, Sayaka was evil) and is killed by...Dr. M-F's evil twin brother, who we'll call Nipple-Clamp Electro-Shock Fingers, Esq (I don't know if he IS a lawyer, but hey, if your twin brother is an evil doctor, you want some kind of title to feel equal, right?). N-C E-S F Esq falls for the oldest trick in the book, Aki's all purpose PUSSY-LASER! Yes really. Aki decides to go swimming, but...WOW that medicine she was drugged with prohibits swimming for 8 hours after ingesting...and she dies in the pool, naked. Really. No shit. THAT is how they end it. Feel like you'd waste your time watching this? Well, I DID waste my time watching it. Pity me more. This movie sucked so bad, well, to describe it I'm obliged to go to the experts here:


- Tom Trombley

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Uptown Picked Up for Distribution

We are proud to announce that Brian Ackley's debut feature film Uptown has been picked up for distribution! Still in middle of it's festival run, LA-based company Celebrity Video Distribution has acquired all of the North American rights to the film.

Uptown, based on a true story, is about a man who falls in love with a married woman. Single Manhattan resident Ben (Chris Riquinha) finds his romantic tendencies driving him in the direction of a relationship, even though he likes all the advantages of remaining unattached. But just how likely is it that he and Isabel (Meissa Hampton), an unhappily married woman, will wind up together even though they experience a near-magnetic draw to each other?

Uptown has its East Coast premiere in NYC tomorrow, June 2nd at 8 pm at the Anthology Film Archives (NewFilmmakers Series), followed by a premiere/DVD release party. Uptown continues to garner an incredible reception - beginning with its West Coast premiere in Seattle last fall at the Blue November Film Festival, then winning LSU Cinema Club's Best Leading Actress award for Meissa Hampton, and continues to receive great reviews and critical acclaim, including being named one of 2009 favorite films and performances for the leads Meissa Hampton and Chris Riquinha, by writer Brian Skutle of Sonic Cinema, as well as winning the Honorable Mention Award at Twin Rivers Media Festival in North Carolina.

C.V.D. will be releasing the film on July 20th; it will be available at that time at Best Buy, Blockbusters, Netflix, Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, and several other internet and retail outlets. The film will be released via a multi-platform strategy that will include DVD, VOD, digital downloads, libraries, and possible cable television, through C.V.D.’s existing output with companies that also include RedBox, Midwest Tape, TNT, Bigstar TV, INGRAM, Starcrest, Cinema Now, Baker Taylor, Critics Choice, VPD, DVD Empire, DVD Play, Quality Books, WAXWORKS, Family Entertainment, GRAVITAS, Video Warehouse, and many others.

The Special Features DVD will include 3 commentary tracks: Director/Producer commentary, Lead Actor commentary (Chris Riquinha & Meissa Hampton), and a delightful critical commentary track by FilmIntution.com writer Jen Johans. There will also be documentary featurettes directed by Melissa Mathes and Celia Peters, documenting the making of the film. Also included will be Brian Ackley's short film Hostage Person.

We are delighted to announce this to our loyal readers, and we thank everyone who worked on this film or its special features, everyone who supported it, everyone who reviewed it, and every festival that screens it.

Those in the NYC area, this may be the last time the film is screened theatrically in New York so make sure to drop by the Anthology Film Archives Weds night (June 2nd) at 8 pm!

Hear news first at our Fan Page.

Follow Brian Ackley on Twitter.

Read reviews on the film’s Official Website.