‘Cocktails and Camouflage’ Comedy Show Raises Money to Employ Veterans in Film and Television
(Originally published on Blogcritics.org) Cocktails & Camouflage was an evening of laughter, memories, and hope at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, California, on November 6, 2014. The laughter came because on the surface it was a night of stand-up and a darn funny one at that. Emceed by KLOS radio personality Frazer Smith and headlining […]
IFFF: The Kid-Safe Hollywood Film Festival
(Originally published on Blogcritics.org) Not everything that comes out of Hollywood is full of sex, violence, and drugs. That is especially true of the 19th annual International Family Film Festival (IFFF), which took place at Hollywood’s Raleigh Studios (the former United Artists lot), November 7-9, 2014. The IFFF (“I triple F” is the cool kid […]
Anthem Film Fest: ‘Cough’ – A Must-Watch for Filmmakers
This is an amazing 11 minutes of film. In the space within which most films are still on the titles, Australian Writer/Director Jason Kempnich gives us a “save the cat” moment, a character flaw (despair), an inciting incident, a character arc, conflict and a resolution. And the special effects are good, too. I saw Cough at the Anthem […]
LA Film Fest: When (Creative) Worlds Collide
(First published on blogcritics.org) On June 23, 2013, at the LA Film Fest worlds collided. This was no hokey sci-fi flick, but a discussion of the impact of new media on the movie industry and the art of storytelling. Hollywood and Silicon Valley Collide: Immersion, Interactivity and Narrative Expansion brought together panelists Florian Henckel Von Donnersmark (The Lives of Others, The […]
Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Festival: Two Secret Ingredients of Great Comedy
(Originally published on blogcritics.org ) Today the Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Film Festival confirmed my prejudice that good comedy requires the same foundation as any story — good structure and characters you care about. The films that have these are memorable and evoke an emotional response. Without them comedy can only rise to the level […]
Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Film Festival: Famous People Talkin’ About Stuff
Participants Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show with Bob and Dave, Breaking Bad), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Missi Pyle (Dodgeball, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite) got attendees in touch with Hollywood reality, if there is such a thing. What was your first paid acting experience? Mark Hamill: My […]
