Behind The Lens

It's not only the last Monday in October, but it's Halloween week, and that means BEHIND THE LENS is celebrating the holiday with blood and gore and fun. I've had quite a few horror and thriller films this month to pick from for today's show, but I've settled on one that is Bloody Bonkers Brilliance – HUMAN from writer/director/editor/sound mixer MATT STUERTZ. BLOODY BONKERS BRILLIANCE are the three words that perfectly encapsulate the gloriously demented, outrageously entertaining, blood-soaked cinematic insanity that is HUMAN. A frenetic, frenzied, visually dazzling supernatural horror extravaganza that embraces the absurd while remaining grounded in something surprisingly fundamental: the emotions that make us human. And thanks to a balls-to-the-wall performance by Jackie Kelly, cinematography by David Christopher Pitt that would make Technicolor guru Natalie Kalmus rise from her grave demanding a Technicolor credit, some ingenious editing, and a soundscape that alternates between sensory overload and terrifying silence, HUMAN is one helluva ride! HUMAN follows Dani Ferris (Jackie Kelly), who is alone and exhausted past the point of reason. It's past midnight and she's all alone. Away from home. Tired as hell. Not prepared for the roller coaster of emotions she's about to ride front-row. Sleep? Nope. What she wanted is a little tease of digital debauchery before bed. What she's going to get is a blood-drenched supernatural nightmare of horrors and heartbreak as tonight is a night for friends, lovers, enemies, frenemies, little guns, bigger guns, love, hate, life, death, and things a hell of a lot more super than natural. A night Dani will never forget. And neither will he. Tonight, every relationship is a gamble and every hour brings a new threat as Matt Stuertz keeps the pressure rising as Dani rides a roller coaster of emotions she never saw coming. Happy Halloween! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

Introducing you to a new filmmaker this week on BEHIND THE LENS – writer/director JOSH LOEB – who makes his feature film directorial debut IN SPITE OF OURSELVES, after a 20-year stint as a restaurateur! He went to film school, but then pursued a career in food and restaurants – which are still going strong, by the way. And now, in his 40s, he has wended his way back to film with this sweet charmer, IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. As we all know, love comes easy (sometimes) — relationships don't. The film follows Hannah, a determined Portland baker, and Archie, an up-and-coming Los Angeles comedian with a tendency to dodge commitment. What begins as instant, undeniable chemistry turns into two blissful weeks together before real life pulls them in opposite directions. As distance, doubt, and their own messy insecurities take hold, they are forced to confront whether what they shared was fleeting or something worth holding on to. As their relationship develops, they navigate laughter and tears, joy and fear, as each is challenged to show up fully for the other. Archie sets aside career ambitions to care for Hannah, while she learns to trust and embrace support in her own life. Their connection grows in a space both intimate and expansive, revealing the courage it takes to build a bond that is honest, messy, and deeply human. IN SPITE OF OURSELVES stars Conor Leslie and Brett Dier as Hannah and Archie, respectively. But as good as they are, the supporting cast also wows us – Mo Mandel, Alyssa Limperis, Zara Casebere, Britian Seibert, and the wonderful Glenn Morshower. From a production standpoint, Josh has also surrounded himself with top-notch artisans, including DP Gabe Mayhan, editors Diandra Kendall Luzon and Joel Plotch, and composer Jim Fairchild, among others. A sweet and lovely film filled with heartfelt tissue moments, and an engaging interview with writer/director JOSH LOEB make for an irresistible combination. So take a listen as JOSH LOEB talks all things IN SPITE OF OURSELVES. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

As promised, we've got a fun BEHIND THE LENS this week as we explore ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE with director and editor DAVID FERINO. How many of you have seen any of the ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES movies over the last 50 years? How about the animated series? If you have, then you are probably one of those, like me, who is more than excited over this long-awaited fifth installment in one of cult cinema's most enduring horror-comedy franchises. If you haven't seen any of the TOMATOES films, then you need to start scrolling and streaming right now because they are each a kick in the ass with campy comedic fun with a deliberately outrageous mixture of horror, comedy and social satire. MONDO FABULOCITY is the best way to describe the gloriously ridiculous, outrageously funny, camp-filled cinematic insanity that is ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE! And yes, "Mondo Fabulocity" is actually a line in the film. One that perfectly encapsulates every deliciously absurd minute of this fifth installment in the beloved cult franchise. The tomatoes are back, they’re bigger, badder, and smarter than ever, and they’re ready to ketchup with the times! http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

I've got a terrific BEHIND THE LENS for you this week thanks to the incomparable RENNY HARLIN, who joins me to talk about THE BEAST, his new podcast Harlin House, his next film "Black Tides," which is currently in post-production, and so much more. This is the third time this year that Renny and I have gotten to chat about his "latest" film, in this case, THE BEAST, and as always it is not only an absolute delight, but extremely insightful as well. Although full reviews of THE BEAST are embargoed until this Wednesday, October 7th, with the film opening on Friday, October 9th, needless to say, you'll be hearing a lot in this interview that will give you more than a sense of my thoughts on the film which is, to be blunt, action-packed with nail-biting intensity, and boasting stellar emotional performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman. In all honesty, THE BEAST is one of the best films that Renny has ever done. THE BEAST stars Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman and is directed by Renny Harlin with script by Umair Aleem. A simple premise – When a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the president is forced to drive the presidential limousine and unlock the full extent of The Beast's highly classified offensive capabilities to save his injured Secret Service agent, reunite with his wife, and save the world. And yes, Samuel L. Jackson IS the President of the United States. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

It's a fun show this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we're talking comedy. Laugh-out-loud funny comedy, dark comedy, and screwball comedies, thanks to DELILAH NAPIER and LUCY POWERS and their film FLOATING CAROUSEL, and CLAIRE SCANLON who talks about her fabulously fun screwball comedy, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. First up, are DELILAH NAPIER and LUCY POWERS and FLOATING CAROUSEL. FLOATING CAROUSEL is a dark comedy that follows five characters in their 20s. We meet our core five – a Gender Studies masters student, a messy philanderer, an in-denial Sugar Baby, an aspiring cabaret artist, and a professional cuddler – in a web of dystopian dating scenarios in modern-day New York City. The film takes a surreal turn when two of the characters plot an elaborate revenge scheme that inadvertently unleashes an infestation across New York. A humorous and raunchy look at the transactional nature of our modern day relationships – in a time which has been called the "loneliest century." FLOATING CAROUSEL is written, directed, edited and stars Delilah and Lucy, featuring an additional cast of Glori Dei Filippone, Brittany Bradford, Jon Rudnitsky, Reg Rogers, Dylan T. Jackson, and Julian Cihi. The film's cinematographer is Fletcher Wolfe and composer is Anna Dubrich. Switching gears, we're going from dark comedy to balls out screwball comedy thanks to CLAIRE SCANLON and her latest film THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS. Based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ali Hazelwood, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a brilliant Ph.D. candidate focused on her future in academia. But when she realizes her best friend Ahn (Rachel Marsh) has fallen for her crush Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), Olive impulsively kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) to prove she's moved on. What begins as a desperate act of friendship spirals into a fake relationship with rules, boundaries, and a mutually beneficial agreement. When their arrangement begins to blur the lines between performance and reality, Olive is forced to test her most daunting hypothesis yet: that love might actually be worth the risk. Directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild based on Ali Hazelwood's best selling novel, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS stars Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, together with Rachel Marsh, Nicholas Duvernay, and Jaboukie Young-White. Cinematographer is the fabulous Matthew Clark, with editing done courtesy of Kim Boritz-Brehm and Tia Nolan, with a score by Laura Karpman. A very female centric POV made with a female centric gaze (but for Matthew Clark), and I love it. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com