Teddy Boy is the first feature from Colorado based filmmaker, Sean J.S. Jourdan, one that they are currently trying to finance through the crowd-funding site, Kickstarter.
The story follows a married couple, Jakob and Helene, who’s marriage is under pressure following the death of their son, a pressure that is ratcheted up when the couple become involved with a young tennis player who comes to stay with them. This sets us up for a clash of egos as the two men vie for Helene’s attention, a battle which comes to a head when a sailing trip goes awry and the three of them have to struggle through the Colarado wildnerness to survive. Also, Mountain Lions and sex.
With a story reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s first feature, Knife In The Water, and some early success with the script at a number of film festivals, there’s precedence to suggest this ambitious team may have a little gem on their hands.
But potential’s not enough, this film needs cash! They’ve set a Kickstarter target of $33,333 to raise by April 16th. So far, they’re doing pretty well, and as of 30th March they were $20,000 to the good, a hefty chunk of scratch, but admittedly with some work to do to reach the $33k target.
In their favour is pretty slick pitch campaign, with a video featuring the director, his wife and their baby daughter, presenting this labour of love with the aid of some rather attractive watercolour paintings illustrating key moments from the film. Featuring the whole family in the pitch might turn off some people, but it emphasises how personal this project is. Aside from the inspiration coming from a moment the couple had to together, and aside from the fact that every film is personal to the maker, this couple are putting in $30k of their own savings to realise this passion project.
You can find more details of the film on their site, and view the Kickstarter campaign too. And if you like it, bung ‘em a few quid and support a truly independent filmmaker.
In 1982, the cinema was invaded by an ugly alien creature from another galaxy: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Moviegoers fell in love with Steven Spielberg’s charming creation, and it quickly became one of the most celebrated family films of all time. However, on the same year, the earth was visited by another, less cuddly alien being, a shape-shifting monster called simply: The Thing. Director John Carpenter had already wowed horror fans with Halloween, The Fog and Escape From New York, but The Thing is something wholly different; it’s an unflinching, remorseless bastard of a film, darkly intense and totally nihilistic. Oddly enough, it did not warm the hearts of moviegoers, but over time it became widely acknowledged as one of the greatest horror films of all time. In my opinion it is the greatest, as it perfectly captures the sense of terror and paranoia, while simultaneously piling on the gore and the goo with such gusto as to portray a deep affection of the genre.
The premise is pleasingly simple; a group of American’s in an Antarctic research station are shocked out of their comfortable boredom when a Norwegian helicopter arrives, manned by two hysterical individuals who appear to be firing upon an Alaskan Malamute. One of the Norwegian’s accidently sets off an explosive charge, killing himself and destroying the helicopter, meanwhile his friend continues to fire upon the dog, unintentionally clipping one of the Americans. Seeing this supposed insanity, the station commander takes matters into his own hands; he shoots the Norwegian, regrettably killing the man.
Attempting to make sense of the chaos, The doctor, Copper, decides to investigate the Norwegian camp, along with the reluctant helicopter pilot- and protagonist of the film- R.J. MacReady . It’s a deliciously down played and dead pan set up, and nothing feels forced or “filmic” at any point. The characters act realistically, and their relationships are believable. These guys have known each other for a long time, there’s a certain amount of playful banter but you get this feeling that they’re all slightly irritable and itching to get home. MacReady, played by Kurt Russell, is perfectly introduced as a sore loser, casually destroying his computer for beating him at chess. This tells you everything you need to know about the man; he’s not a hero, he’s not out to save the world, he’s just a normal guy, cool as ice and incredibly competitive. All throughout the film, MacReady’s will to survive stems from this defiance and arrogance, which comes into play at the resolution of the film, suggesting he’s a changed man, perhaps having learned to lose gracefully (or perhaps just literally changed).
The Thing is a fantastic, self-contained film with no illusions of grandeur but nevertheless capable of a rich mythology. The shape-shifting creature is never seen in its true form, and it’s implied the alien craft it landed on belonged to something else entirely. The Thing transforms into ungodly monsters, which are in fact forms that it had assimilated in the past, therefore implying that the universe is rich with nightmarish beasts. This conclusion is made all the more nihilistic by the comparison with the Thing and the blue-collar workers in the base.
These are humans, flawed, weak, paranoid and aggressive. Unable to cooperate in an intense situation, something that the vastly superior alien takes full advantage of. After all, what good is all our technology, our society and the rules we create to govern ourselves, when confronted with something so utterly different, that doesn’t play by the same rules.
While most horror movies end with a cheap scare, some evidence that the monster survived, or the unexpected killing of the protagonist, The Thing’s conclusion is far more nihilistic, on a far bigger scale. It is not simply saying “the monster survived”, it’s demonstrating our insignificance, the happy fluke of our species survival, and how ultimately, faced with the vast, indifferent, alien universe, we’re fucked.
Epic Films is an independent production company based in South Australia. They’re currently working on a series set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, using Pozible (Australia’s version of Kickstarter) to raise funds. If you’re looking for a good example of a bunch of talented filmmakers earning support from the public, then look no further. Hoping to hit their target of $20,000 by the 14th of March, Epic Films have promoted the Hell out of their project with great success. The plan is to make a series of web episodes, and this $20,000 is the minimum amount of money they’d need to make it work.
So what is this series actually about? Well, the title should give you a clue as to what to expect. Wastelander Panda is a story about a world after the breakdown of society, along the lines of Mad Max, or Cormac Mccarthy’s The Road. Also, the protagonist is a Panda.
It’s an inspired premise, and wonderfully executed in Epic Films promotional videos, which show off a great deal of what to expect should the series go ahead. To show your support for Wastelander Panda, head over to the crowdfunding website Pozible and donate. There’s 6 days to go, and they’ve already raised $16,900 (although if they don’t raise the full $20,000 by the 14th, they’ll lose it all). There’s also a Facebook page you can like for updates about the project.
Basically, if you want to see some new and interesting projects, you’re going to have to get involved. It’s no good sitting on your hands and waiting for Hollywood to come up with something original, you have to show your support for new talent. Crowdfunding sites are an excellent way for people to show they care, and really help keep truly independent filmmakers alive.
It’s Christmas in London. Unfortunately for lovesick teenager, Jamie, and his oppressive parents, it’s also the night of the Apocalypse.
The End is an ambitious and effects-heavy spectacle, cleverly presented as a tightly focused drama. The story follows a young man who is attempting to find his identity in London’s night life, forsaking his domineering parents as he gives in to ‘temptation’. We’ve had a chance to see the film ourselves, and can confirm it’s a lot of fun, but it won’t be available to the public for a while. To rub salt in the wound, here’s a great little teaser for the film.
Hopefully The End will be making the Festival Rounds soon, and we’ll be sure to let you know if it’s playing near you, as it’s best seen on the big screen. Meanwhile, here’s a bit more info about the project, courtesy of the press pack.
Raising more than 11,000 dollars from over ten countries through Kickstarter and using Skype, WeTransfer and Google Docs to achieve round-the-clock collaboration, we crafted a grand-scale, Hollywood-style production that wouldn’t have been possible even a year ago at this budget and time-scale.
This technology allowed 22 year-old director Ted Marcus the chance to shoot on location in London with a Canon 5D and conduct post-production in Los Angeles, Massachusetts, London, Adelaide and Melbourne.
The online exposure gave Ted Marcus the opportunity to collaborate with the likes of James Mather (sound supervisor on the Harry Potter films), Hollywood mixing facility Todd-AO and a team of ex-WETA visual effects specialists lead by John Nugent of Sandbox FX to create the most thrilling and professional result possible.
