“Midnight Mass” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” actor Samantha Sloyan is set to star in upcoming sci-fi comedy Invaders from Proxima B. Variety reports today that the sci-fi comedy has been acquired by Buffalo 8.
Sloyan will star opposite director/star Ward Roberts.
In Invaders from Proxima B, “after a wise-cracking alien named Chuck (Roberts) crashes in the backyard, the Jankins family teams up with their new otherworldly friend to battle a dangerous array of pursuers.”
Mike C. Nelson, Richard Riehle, Jeremiah Birkett and Sarah Lassez also star.
Not only is Roberts directing from his own script and starring in what appears to be multiple roles, but the filmmaker also produced under his Drexel Box Productions outfit alongside Mike C. Nelson.
Buffalo 8’s Nikki Stier Justice said of the acquisition “’Invaders from Proxima B’ is a cinematic delight that Buffalo 8 is excited to bring home to audiences. It...
Sloyan will star opposite director/star Ward Roberts.
In Invaders from Proxima B, “after a wise-cracking alien named Chuck (Roberts) crashes in the backyard, the Jankins family teams up with their new otherworldly friend to battle a dangerous array of pursuers.”
Mike C. Nelson, Richard Riehle, Jeremiah Birkett and Sarah Lassez also star.
Not only is Roberts directing from his own script and starring in what appears to be multiple roles, but the filmmaker also produced under his Drexel Box Productions outfit alongside Mike C. Nelson.
Buffalo 8’s Nikki Stier Justice said of the acquisition “’Invaders from Proxima B’ is a cinematic delight that Buffalo 8 is excited to bring home to audiences. It...
- 2/2/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Film and media company Buffalo 8 has acquired worldwide rights to “Invaders from Proxima B,” the science fiction comedy from writer-director-star Ward Roberts.
The cast also includes Samantha Sloyan, Mike C. Nelson, Richard Riehle, Jeremiah Birkett and Sarah Lassez.
In the film, after a wise-cracking alien named Chuck (Roberts) crashes in the backyard, the Jankins family teams up with their new otherworldly friend to battle a dangerous array of pursuers.
“Invaders from Proxima B” was directed by Roberts from his own script. Roberts produced under his Drexel Box Productions outfit alongside Mike C. Nelson. The film had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated between Nikki Stier Justice of Buffalo 8 and by Dan Fisher of Poppy Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.
Stier Justice said: “’Invaders from Proxima B’ is a cinematic delight that Buffalo 8 is excited to bring home to audiences. It delivers a fresh...
The cast also includes Samantha Sloyan, Mike C. Nelson, Richard Riehle, Jeremiah Birkett and Sarah Lassez.
In the film, after a wise-cracking alien named Chuck (Roberts) crashes in the backyard, the Jankins family teams up with their new otherworldly friend to battle a dangerous array of pursuers.
“Invaders from Proxima B” was directed by Roberts from his own script. Roberts produced under his Drexel Box Productions outfit alongside Mike C. Nelson. The film had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated between Nikki Stier Justice of Buffalo 8 and by Dan Fisher of Poppy Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.
Stier Justice said: “’Invaders from Proxima B’ is a cinematic delight that Buffalo 8 is excited to bring home to audiences. It delivers a fresh...
- 2/2/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
"I'm not from Hell, I'm from Indiana!" A festival promo trailer crashes in for an indie sci-fi comedy called Invaders From Proxima B, made by actor / filmmaker Ward Roberts. It's premiering in the next week at the 2023 Austin Film Festival in Texas, though has no other release dates set - it'll be touring at more fests. When a cute, wise-cracking alien from Proxima B named Chuck crash lands in their backyard, the Jankins family must work together to save their new fuzzy friend from a dangerous array of weirdos that show up in hot pursuit. The stakes couldn't be higher for Chuck, the Jankins, and maybe even all of planet Earth. It's super wacky – when the puppet alien shows up gets really fun. Reminds me of the kind of mega low budget, kooky and amusing early films the Duplass Bros or Kevin Smith made early on. Ward Roberts also stars with Samantha Sloyan,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
This month’s installment of Deep Cuts Rising features a variety of horror movies. Some selections reflect a specific day or event in March, and others were chosen at random.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
From dinosaurs to a killer clown, here are five hidden horror gems and deep cuts that you can check out in March 2023.
The Fantasist (1986)
Directed by Robin Hardy.
Despite her family’s mixed reaction to her decision, Moira Harris‘ sheltered but curious character moves to Dublin to be a teacher. There she becomes the next target of a serial killer who gradually escalates from phone calls to murder. The protagonist of The Fantasist eventually suspects her pushy American neighbor (Timothy Bottoms) to be the culprit.
While best known for directing The Wicker Man, and to a lesser extent The Wicker Tree,...
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
From dinosaurs to a killer clown, here are five hidden horror gems and deep cuts that you can check out in March 2023.
The Fantasist (1986)
Directed by Robin Hardy.
Despite her family’s mixed reaction to her decision, Moira Harris‘ sheltered but curious character moves to Dublin to be a teacher. There she becomes the next target of a serial killer who gradually escalates from phone calls to murder. The protagonist of The Fantasist eventually suspects her pushy American neighbor (Timothy Bottoms) to be the culprit.
While best known for directing The Wicker Man, and to a lesser extent The Wicker Tree,...
- 3/1/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
*full disclosure: a DVD screener of this film was provided by Monarch Home Entertainment. Director/writer: Travis Betz. Cast: Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching. This reviewer knows Indiana born Travis Betz from his earlier production Lo. This title featured a demon and a circle of protection. This title was a small film. Betz's latest, The Dead Inside, is also a small film. There are only two characters and all of the action takes place in one setting, much like Betz's earlier film. Thus, there are only a few places this film can go. The Dead Inside is a little too mundane in this tight space to be enjoyable and it is a little too long to be recommended for most film fans. The story seems simple enough. Fi (Sarah Lassez) and West (Dustin Fasching) are a couple living together in a smallish apartment. West is a photographer by day, while...
- 9/11/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
There are few zombie musicals that have been released. In fact, this film fan cannot think of a single one. Travis Betz's (Lo) latest feature blends music, horror and comedy. Centrally a tale of love and creativity, The Dead Inside follows Wes (Dustin Faschng) and Fi (Sarah Lassez) as they try to propel themselves out of a rut. The trailer for The Dead Inside, hosted below, shows Fi and Wes finding an undead solution. They sing songs of hilarity as the imaginary or real zombie apocalypse infuses them with new passion. The Dead Inside will release November 20th on DVD through Monarch Home Entertainment. Release Date: November 20th, 2012 (DVD). Director/writer: Travis Betz. Cast: Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching. The trailer for the film is here: $sb("28da006_228f497662bcae84a71fea33b7b16f33",{"sbFeed":{"partnerId":731,"type":"video","contentId":540091,"cname":"28dayslateranalysis"},"style":{"width":480,"height":400}}); google.
- 8/28/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
On his daytime show today, Anderson Cooper got to the bottom of a serious phenomenon plaguing America: psychic addiction. Cooper, the Emmy-award winning journalist, who was previously renowned for his hard-news reporting in places like Haiti seemed to wade closer to Maury Povich territory than he's ever gone before with the lurid segment. He spoke with psychic addiction expert Sarah Lassez who told the Cooper she became so dependent on her psychic she called 10 times a day.
- 10/12/2011
- by James Crugnale
- Mediaite - TV
by Michael Pickle, MoreHorror.com
Founder of Shriekfest Denise Gossett was voted one of the top women in Horror for a reason. She puts together one of the biggest and longest running genre festivals out there. She's such a sweet and down to earth lady that it's hard to believe that she's responsible for bringing so much horror into the world. This year was no different.
2011's line-up of films was stellar. Some were more well received than others, but overall it was a pretty impressive batch of feature and short films alike as well as fascinating and enlightening Q&A's after some of the better films. Feature films like The Dead Inside, Absentia, Pig and short films like Certified and Negative Image simply wowed the audience and left people talking long after the screenings were over.
These weren't your run-of-the-mill studio films like some other genre festivals. These were genuinely groundbreaking,...
Founder of Shriekfest Denise Gossett was voted one of the top women in Horror for a reason. She puts together one of the biggest and longest running genre festivals out there. She's such a sweet and down to earth lady that it's hard to believe that she's responsible for bringing so much horror into the world. This year was no different.
2011's line-up of films was stellar. Some were more well received than others, but overall it was a pretty impressive batch of feature and short films alike as well as fascinating and enlightening Q&A's after some of the better films. Feature films like The Dead Inside, Absentia, Pig and short films like Certified and Negative Image simply wowed the audience and left people talking long after the screenings were over.
These weren't your run-of-the-mill studio films like some other genre festivals. These were genuinely groundbreaking,...
- 10/8/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
In the horror musical The Dead Inside, we meet tortured young lovers Wes and Fi, and while their love for each other burns strong, artistically their hearts have been locked in a box for years. Wes is a burned out photographer paying the bills by shooting weddings, and Fi is the writer's blocked author of a series of zombie novellas called "The Dead Survive."
When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get better. Strange behaviors and breathing patterns escalate; soon he discovers that darker forces lurk inside her. Afraid and completely lost, Wes has no choice but to imprison his girlfriend until he can figure out what to do with the evil that has taken over his true love.
Dread Central recently caught up with writer/director Travis Betz on the eve of his screening at the upcoming Shriekfest Film...
When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get better. Strange behaviors and breathing patterns escalate; soon he discovers that darker forces lurk inside her. Afraid and completely lost, Wes has no choice but to imprison his girlfriend until he can figure out what to do with the evil that has taken over his true love.
Dread Central recently caught up with writer/director Travis Betz on the eve of his screening at the upcoming Shriekfest Film...
- 9/30/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Bridesmaids - Review
If ever there was a movie that could make a statement against the maligned “Chick Flicks” moniker this could be the one. For all the awfulness that movies like Valentine’S Day or Leap Year or Going The Distance brought into the lives of women who wrongly assumed this was about as good as it’s going to get for them, a paid admission to this film will send a message that there needs to be more movies like this and they all need Kristen Wiig to oversee them. For if this Svengali can weave a tale that deftly splices the best parts of gross-out comedy, romance, female empowerment, yet wrap it up in a story that is at...
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
Bridesmaids - Review
If ever there was a movie that could make a statement against the maligned “Chick Flicks” moniker this could be the one. For all the awfulness that movies like Valentine’S Day or Leap Year or Going The Distance brought into the lives of women who wrongly assumed this was about as good as it’s going to get for them, a paid admission to this film will send a message that there needs to be more movies like this and they all need Kristen Wiig to oversee them. For if this Svengali can weave a tale that deftly splices the best parts of gross-out comedy, romance, female empowerment, yet wrap it up in a story that is at...
- 5/13/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
As first proved by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video and more recently in the incredible stage production of Re-Animator: The Musical, even the living dead can shake that thang when the proper time arises. True, if they shake it too hard, it may just drop off, but still!
Below you'll find the trailer premiere for Travis Betz's new zombie musical The Dead Inside, which features music by Betz and Joel Van Vliet. Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching star.
The Dead Inside will be debuting at the Los Angeles United Film Festival (April 28th-May 5th, 2011). Hit up the link for more details.
Synopsis
Wes and Fi are lovers whose creative muses have all but vanished from their lives. When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get better…that is, until Fi’s true affliction decides to introduce itself to both Wes and the world.
Below you'll find the trailer premiere for Travis Betz's new zombie musical The Dead Inside, which features music by Betz and Joel Van Vliet. Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching star.
The Dead Inside will be debuting at the Los Angeles United Film Festival (April 28th-May 5th, 2011). Hit up the link for more details.
Synopsis
Wes and Fi are lovers whose creative muses have all but vanished from their lives. When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get better…that is, until Fi’s true affliction decides to introduce itself to both Wes and the world.
- 4/11/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
We've always been fans of filmmaker Travis Betz, who delivered the awesome Joshua, alongside the bizarre micro-budget demon love story Lo. Now, he's switching gears once again with a horror-musical entitled The Dead Inside, which features music by Betz and Joel Van Vliet. Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching star. The pic will premiere at the United Film Festival Los Angeles Wednesday, May 4th at 9:30pm at the Los Feliz 3 Cinemas. " 'The Dead Inside' is a story that explores the dark side of inspiration. Wes and Fi are lovers whose creative muses have all but vanished from their lives. When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get betterthat is until Fis true affliction decides to introduce itself to both Wes and the world. Fighting against her possession, they rediscover inspiration in the grimmest corners of their situation...."...
- 4/11/2011
- bloody-disgusting.com
Sarah Lassez was the appealing lead actress in The Clown At Midnight co-starring Tatyana Ali, James Duval, Margot Kidder and Christopher Plummer. The film is about a young woman and her friends cleaning an abandoned old theater only to be picked off by a killer clown who reportedly murdered an actress over 15 years ago. The Clown At Midnight is finally getting released to DVD today. Here's what Sarah Lassez had to say about the film.
So who is Sarah Lassez and what are you all about?
I'm an indie actress as well as published author. My memoir "Psychic Junkie" was published by Simon & Schuster in the summer of 2006. I tend to go through phases in my acting career. Clown at Midnight was part of my wide-eyed innocent phase (rape, suicide and murder were common fates). The whorish phase came next. I'm currently in the more empowered albeit bat-shit-crazy phase (eg.
So who is Sarah Lassez and what are you all about?
I'm an indie actress as well as published author. My memoir "Psychic Junkie" was published by Simon & Schuster in the summer of 2006. I tend to go through phases in my acting career. Clown at Midnight was part of my wide-eyed innocent phase (rape, suicide and murder were common fates). The whorish phase came next. I'm currently in the more empowered albeit bat-shit-crazy phase (eg.
- 10/5/2010
- by Big Daddy aka Brandon Sites
- Big Daddy Horror Reviews - Interviews
Lo Movie PosterThe following review has been written by UVic alum Ed Sum, who is also a Victoria resident, website owner, and lover of all things horror. Have a read of Ed's second review on Travis Betz's Lo, which is a challenging journey to hell for love.
Writer / Director: Travis Betz
Just how many puns can be made when talking about Lo? It is a flick that is lauded by some as terrible and others, as a genius work of art. One can search for the high points in this production, and there will be a few surprisingly good bits of drama.
There are a few moments of well acted camaraderie between the principal characters, once when the performers find that magical space. Unfortunately it just does not happen fast enough in this Faustian style play; so when Justin (Ward Roberts) stumbles his way to find unrequited love, it...
Writer / Director: Travis Betz
Just how many puns can be made when talking about Lo? It is a flick that is lauded by some as terrible and others, as a genius work of art. One can search for the high points in this production, and there will be a few surprisingly good bits of drama.
There are a few moments of well acted camaraderie between the principal characters, once when the performers find that magical space. Unfortunately it just does not happen fast enough in this Faustian style play; so when Justin (Ward Roberts) stumbles his way to find unrequited love, it...
- 9/8/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Writer/director: Travis Betz.
Lo is a film from Travis Betz that began filming within Los Angeles in the summer of 2007. The film has spent some time on the film festival circuit including the Austin Film Festival and now the film will be available on DVD, as of February 9th. Lacking in set design, Lo seems like a play divided into acts that would be suitable for a small audience rather than a solitary viewing. Lo tackles one of the most complex of emotions, love. According to Betz love is hell and so is the final scene of the film.
Lo centers around the concept of love, as Justin (Ward Roberts) travels to hell in search of his passion, April (Sarah Lassez). Justin is protected from death by a pentagram, but demon Lo (Jermiah Birkett) is able to torment "dinner" despite this magical protection. In search of his beloved Justin...
Lo is a film from Travis Betz that began filming within Los Angeles in the summer of 2007. The film has spent some time on the film festival circuit including the Austin Film Festival and now the film will be available on DVD, as of February 9th. Lacking in set design, Lo seems like a play divided into acts that would be suitable for a small audience rather than a solitary viewing. Lo tackles one of the most complex of emotions, love. According to Betz love is hell and so is the final scene of the film.
Lo centers around the concept of love, as Justin (Ward Roberts) travels to hell in search of his passion, April (Sarah Lassez). Justin is protected from death by a pentagram, but demon Lo (Jermiah Birkett) is able to torment "dinner" despite this magical protection. In search of his beloved Justin...
- 1/25/2010
- by Michael Ross Allen
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Lo is an indie film from director and writer Travis Betz. A movie about love and the underworld, Lo packs in many different genres, including comedy, into a story driven film. To be released on DVD February 9, 2010, Lo will star Jeremiah Birkett (Crossing Jordan), Sarah Lassez (The Pursuit), Ward Roberts (MANswers), and Aaron Gaffey (Cold Case). Have a look at the unique and interesting trailer below that hints at the comedy inside the DVD. Then, check this independent out at the video stores on February 9, 2010.
A movie synopsis for Lo here:
"Love presents many challenges to couples...but none so daunting as the one Justin faces with his girlfriend April. Kidnapped by demons, April's mystery begins to unfold when he finds an ancient book that she has left behind. Using the book, he contacts the demon Lo, ordering it to help him rescue his girl from the fiery pits. But...
A movie synopsis for Lo here:
"Love presents many challenges to couples...but none so daunting as the one Justin faces with his girlfriend April. Kidnapped by demons, April's mystery begins to unfold when he finds an ancient book that she has left behind. Using the book, he contacts the demon Lo, ordering it to help him rescue his girl from the fiery pits. But...
- 1/11/2010
- by Michael Ross Allen
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Lo, the latest film from Travis Betz (Joshua), is hitting DVD on February 9th from Skd USA (distributed by Entertainment One), and we've got the skinny on what you can expect from this weird little tale starring Jeremiah Birkett, Sarah Lassez, Ward Roberts, Devin Barry, Aaron Gaffey, Travis Betz, Liz Loza, and Larissa Deckert.
Synopsis
Love is a tricky little devil, one with the power to command great sacrifice from those it touches. Enter Justin, a loser whose most exciting moment in any given day is the house salad/no dressing he orders on his lunch break from corporate HateMyJob.
But when a bizarre and curiously naive woman named April enters his life, he is forever changed. Suddenly the world is bright and full of hope and nothing could ever change...until April is mysteriously kidnapped by demons.
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Synopsis
Love is a tricky little devil, one with the power to command great sacrifice from those it touches. Enter Justin, a loser whose most exciting moment in any given day is the house salad/no dressing he orders on his lunch break from corporate HateMyJob.
But when a bizarre and curiously naive woman named April enters his life, he is forever changed. Suddenly the world is bright and full of hope and nothing could ever change...until April is mysteriously kidnapped by demons.
- Uncle Creepy
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
- 1/9/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Directed by Travis Betz (Joshua), one mans love is put to the ultimate test in Lo, raising hell on DVD February 9 from Skd USA (Distributed by Entertainment One). Starring Jeremiah Birkett, Sarah Lassez, Ward Roberts, Devin Barry, Aaron Gaffey, Travis Betz, Liz Loza and Larissa Deckert, beyond the break you ca read all about this micro-budget indie venture that's sure to impress the lot of you. Love is a tricky little devil, one with the power to command great sacrifice from those it touches. Enter Justin (Ward Roberts, My Big Fat Independent Movie, Dreamland, Doomed), a loser whose most exciting moment in any given day is the house salad/no dressing he orders on his lunch break from corporate HateMyJob. More...
- 1/8/2010
- bloody-disgusting.com
Year: 2009
Directors: Travis Betz
Writers: Travis Betz
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: rochefort
Rating: 4 out of 10
Justin (Ward Roberts) is an unexceptional guy who works at the usual McJob. His life gets interesting with the arrival of April (Sarah Lassez), an eccentric little cutie whose only apparent possession is a book locked in a box that she carries everywhere she goes. Justin is immediately smitten with her, and before long she moves in and all seems right with the world. But April, see, is a demon, and her fellow minions of evil soon find her and take her back to hell. So lovesick Justin opens her locked box and uses the book, a tome for summoning demons, to call forth Lo (Jeremiah Birkett), a lesser demon of Hell, who must do whatever Justin commands as long as his steadily shrinking pentagram keeps the demon at bay. Justin orders Lo to return April to him,...
Directors: Travis Betz
Writers: Travis Betz
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: rochefort
Rating: 4 out of 10
Justin (Ward Roberts) is an unexceptional guy who works at the usual McJob. His life gets interesting with the arrival of April (Sarah Lassez), an eccentric little cutie whose only apparent possession is a book locked in a box that she carries everywhere she goes. Justin is immediately smitten with her, and before long she moves in and all seems right with the world. But April, see, is a demon, and her fellow minions of evil soon find her and take her back to hell. So lovesick Justin opens her locked box and uses the book, a tome for summoning demons, to call forth Lo (Jeremiah Birkett), a lesser demon of Hell, who must do whatever Justin commands as long as his steadily shrinking pentagram keeps the demon at bay. Justin orders Lo to return April to him,...
- 11/2/2009
- QuietEarth.us
We've always been fans of filmmaker Travis Betz, who delivered the awesome Joshua, alongside the bizarre micro-budget demon love story Lo. Now, he's switching gears once again with a horror-musical entitled The Dead Inside, which features music by Betz and Joel Van Vliet. Sarah Lassez and Dustin Fasching star. The Dead Inside is a story that explores the dark side of inspiration. Wes and Fi are lovers whose creative muses have all but vanished from their lives. When Fi begins to show signs of schizophrenia, Wes does everything in his power to help her get betterthat is until Fis true affliction decides to introduce itself to both Wes and the world. Fighting against her possession, they rediscover inspiration in the grimmest corners of their situation. Their muse has returned, killing Fi from the inside and haunting Wes with each passing breath.
- 10/28/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
Newsflash: The vampire life isn't all glittery sunburns and brooding cool, Twilight fans. It's about time someone showed the awkward side to bloodsucking - and that someone is the cast of L.A. Sucks, an improvisational comedy web series that premiered March 15th. L.A. Sucks stars Andrea Morris, Lon Haber, and Sarah Lassez as Kinka, Xavier, and Joan, respectively - three vampires lost in Los Angeles. Unlike the mysterious, tragically sexy vampires you're used to, however, these three somewhat amnesiac vampires can't remember how to do any of the cool stuff that usually comes along with vampirism, like reading thoughts or flying.
- 4/1/2009
- by Pat Miller
- Tubefilter.com
The extreme highs and lows of contemporary teens witnessing the "end of everything" provide some of the funniest and most insightful scenes in the subversive cinema of Gregg Araki, whose new low-budget film "Nowhere" completes his "Teen Apocalypse" trilogy that includes "Totally F***cked Up" and "The Doom Generation".
With a downright surrealistic supporting cast -- from Jaason Simmons and Thyme Lewis to Beverly D'Angelo and Jeremy Jordan -- "Nowhere" is a sexy, savory cinematic cocktail for savvy moviegoers, but distributor Fine Line has its work cut out. Best theatrical results will come in major markets, but over the long haul "Nowhere" should find many appreciative fans as a video rental.
Loosely structured, even for Araki, and less biting than his previous five films, "Nowhere" again features the talented James Duval ("Independence Day") as a sensitive soul afoot in a swirling atmosphere of partying and pop culture that reflects and magnifies every emotion and physical urge.
A wild day in the life of Dark (Duval), "Nowhere" has bimbo-vaporizing aliens, drag queens, a scary televangelist, and characters called Zero, Dingbat, Handjob and Ducky, but at its romantic core the film explores the perils and pleasures of relationships, both serious and casual.
Dark's love interest Mel (Rachel True) is too wild to commit. She has a bitchy butch lover (Kathleen Robertson), and late in the game she gets down with gorgeous twins Surf and Ski (Keith and Derek Brewer).
Dark fantasizes about nice-guy Montgomery (Nathan Bexton), but the former is so confused he can't make any progress. It doesn't help when he starts to see a lizard-like alien zapping friends and strangers.
Other subplots include the downward spiral of a drugged-out musician (Jordan) who has a painful encounter with a dominatrix duo (Chiara Mastroianni, Debi Mazar); the dream-shattering encounter of sweet-girl Egg (Sarah Lassez) with the dreamy Teen Idol (Simmons); and the sexual adventures of brother-sister twins (Ryan Phillippe, Jordan Ladd) with their respective potent lovers (Heather Graham, Lewis).
The film goes nowhere Araki hasn't gone before, but the wickedly shocking finale underscores the filmmaker's go-for-broke sensibilities and piercing wit. There's even a bit of violence to balance out the film's inverted sitcom charm. Whether or not it's true for every viewer, Araki seems to maintain control of a film that's genuinely unpredictable.
NOWHERE
Fine Line Features
Why Not Prods.
Writer-director-editor:Gregg Araki
Producers:Gregg Araki, Andrea Sperling
Director of photography:Arturo Smith
Production designer:Patti Podesta
Costume designer:Sara Jane Slotnick
Casting directors:Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dark:James Duval
Mel:Rachel True
Montgomery:Nathan Bexton
Kriss:Chiara Mastroianni
Kozy:Debi Mazar
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
With a downright surrealistic supporting cast -- from Jaason Simmons and Thyme Lewis to Beverly D'Angelo and Jeremy Jordan -- "Nowhere" is a sexy, savory cinematic cocktail for savvy moviegoers, but distributor Fine Line has its work cut out. Best theatrical results will come in major markets, but over the long haul "Nowhere" should find many appreciative fans as a video rental.
Loosely structured, even for Araki, and less biting than his previous five films, "Nowhere" again features the talented James Duval ("Independence Day") as a sensitive soul afoot in a swirling atmosphere of partying and pop culture that reflects and magnifies every emotion and physical urge.
A wild day in the life of Dark (Duval), "Nowhere" has bimbo-vaporizing aliens, drag queens, a scary televangelist, and characters called Zero, Dingbat, Handjob and Ducky, but at its romantic core the film explores the perils and pleasures of relationships, both serious and casual.
Dark's love interest Mel (Rachel True) is too wild to commit. She has a bitchy butch lover (Kathleen Robertson), and late in the game she gets down with gorgeous twins Surf and Ski (Keith and Derek Brewer).
Dark fantasizes about nice-guy Montgomery (Nathan Bexton), but the former is so confused he can't make any progress. It doesn't help when he starts to see a lizard-like alien zapping friends and strangers.
Other subplots include the downward spiral of a drugged-out musician (Jordan) who has a painful encounter with a dominatrix duo (Chiara Mastroianni, Debi Mazar); the dream-shattering encounter of sweet-girl Egg (Sarah Lassez) with the dreamy Teen Idol (Simmons); and the sexual adventures of brother-sister twins (Ryan Phillippe, Jordan Ladd) with their respective potent lovers (Heather Graham, Lewis).
The film goes nowhere Araki hasn't gone before, but the wickedly shocking finale underscores the filmmaker's go-for-broke sensibilities and piercing wit. There's even a bit of violence to balance out the film's inverted sitcom charm. Whether or not it's true for every viewer, Araki seems to maintain control of a film that's genuinely unpredictable.
NOWHERE
Fine Line Features
Why Not Prods.
Writer-director-editor:Gregg Araki
Producers:Gregg Araki, Andrea Sperling
Director of photography:Arturo Smith
Production designer:Patti Podesta
Costume designer:Sara Jane Slotnick
Casting directors:Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dark:James Duval
Mel:Rachel True
Montgomery:Nathan Bexton
Kriss:Chiara Mastroianni
Kozy:Debi Mazar
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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