KUCI: Film School

The Beta Test / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors PJ McCabe and Jim Cummings

In this twisted tale of a soon-to-be-married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder, and infidelity in this scintillating satire. Written and directed by PJ McCabe and Jim Cummings, THE BETA TEST is a dark satire thriller of Hollywood power dynamics and the vast interconnectivity of digital culture today. This winding thriller displays the problematic nature of the entertainment industry and humanity’s willingness to jeopardize our happiness in small and constant decisions. It asks the question “In the age of internet consumerism and digital tracking, does anyone truly have privacy? And can we ever truly rest without having all the answers?” Co-directors / co-writers Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe join us for a conversation on this fantastical, thrill-ride through the avaricious landscape that defines “Hollywood,” and the pursuit of power, money and sex.
For news, screenings and updates go to: ifcfilms.com/films/the-beta-test

Boiling Point / Film School Radio interview with Director Philip Barantini

Director Phillip Barantini’s BOILING POINT, takes deep into the internal dynamics roiling thru one of the hottest restaurants in London on the busiest night of the year. A charismatic, commanding head chef Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) balances along a knife’s edge as multiple personal and professional crises threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for. A surprise visit from a health and safety inspector sets the staff on edge as the overbooked hotspot begins to fill with guests. Jones alternately berates and cajoles his diverse staff, trying his best to diffuse tensions between management and his crew, while catering to the ridiculous demands of customers. Co-written with James Cummings (A Place for Everything), Along with Stephen Graham, BOILING POINT, stars, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham, Hannah Walters, Malachi Kirby, Izuka Hoyle, Taz Skyler, Lauryn Ajufo, Daniel Larkai, Lourdes Faberes, Jason Flemyng, Ray Panthaki. Nominated for 11 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Breakthrough Performance. We are joined by Director Phillip Barantini to talk about his kaleidoscopic look inside the controlled chaos of a bustling restaurant as well as all of the volatile personalities he manages to blend together in this exceptionally accomplish slice of gourmet filmmaking.
For news and updates go to: ascendantfilms.co.uk/films/boiling-point
11 British Independent Film nominations

Citizen Ashe / Film School Radio interview with Co-director Rex Miller (Sam Pollard)

From Emmy® Award-winner Rex Miller and Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard comes a new documentary about the first male African American, CITIZEN ASHE. The film is an exploration of the legacy of tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe. Ashe, who would have turned 78 last month, died of AIDS-related complications in 1993.  His storied tennis career is only surpassed in esteem by his off-court activism on behalf of civil rights, global human rights, and compassion for those afflicted by HIV.  Using a blend of archival newsreel and family footage, Miller and Pollard take viewers along Ashe’s personal evolution, beginning with a youth deeply influenced by his early tennis mentor and the death of his mother. His elegant technical form helped him play at the highest of elite levels in tennis, a sport which, even today, has few non-white professional players. Contemporary interviews with Ashe’s widow, Jeanne Moutousammy-Ashe, his brother, Johnnie Ashe, as well as fellow tennis legends Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Donald Dell, and Lenny Simpson, and activist Prof. Harry Edwards, illustrate the cultural resonance of his historic Grand Slam wins, and how he managed a quiet, stoic dignity in public, despite the racism he endured throughout his life and career.  He really is an inspiration who used his celebrity to focus attention on injustice in America, and beyond. Co-director Rex Miller (Sam Pollard) joins us to talk about the life and times of the country’s greatest male African-American tennis champion and a humanitarian of the highest order.
For news and screening go to: magpictures.com/citizenashe
Citizen Ashe is playing theatrically on December 3rd in NYC and December 10th in LA.

The Real Charlie Chaplin / Film School Radio interview with Co-directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton

Charlie Chaplin’s iconic Tramp character made him the most famous person in the world. But who was THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN? From the award-winning creative team behind NOTES ON BLINDNESS and LISTEN TO ME, MARLON comes an innovative portrait of a complex figure whose life was as extraordinary as his art. It traces Chaplin’s journey from the slums of late-Victorian London to the bright lights of Hollywood at the dawn of cinema. Movies that transcended language brought him unparalleled fame and fortune, a studio empire to enact his obsessive creative vision, before political controversies and personal scandals threatened his ascendancy. With unprecedented access to the Chaplin archives, the film combines dramatic reconstructions with previously unheard recordings, intimate home movies and behind-the-scenes material, interwoven with his newly restored classics. It explores how - as the Little Tramp - Chaplin’s pioneering movie comedy finds new depths, replaying childhood traumas in THE KID and THE GOLD RUSH, spiraling into creative obsession in the making of CITY LIGHTS, protesting inequality in MODERN TIMES, before confronting the rise of fascism in THE GREAT DICTATOR. The film reveals a figure whose creative passion was mirrored by a turbulent personal life. And the climactic re-staging of an infamous press conference reveals how the killing of his beloved Tramp character threatens his standing with the American public, as the Hollywood press and the F.B.I. conspire to exile him from the country where he made his name. Co-directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton join us for a conversation on their revelatory and compelling look into the life and times of an immensely talented artist / comedian / writer / director / businessman who instantaneously connected with people from around the world, propelling his Tramp persona to a level of fame seldom seen.
The Real Charlie Chaplin available starting 12/11 on SHOWTIME

Lady Buds / FIlm School Radio with Director Chris Russo

Chris Russo’s latest documentary, LADY BUDS, follows the widely praised 2016 decision to legalize cannabis in California and six courageous women who emerge from the shadows to enter the new commercial industry. As farmers, entrepreneurs and activists, these modern-day pioneers find their initial optimism is quickly replaced with uncertainty and fear as the new legislation favors deep pocketed corporations. Those who shaped the foundations of the cannabis industry for decades soon find themselves struggling to fight for their piece of the American Dream in a market they helped create. LADY BUDS features second-generation cannabis farmer Chiah Rodriques, 72-year old African-American retired Catholic school principal turned dispensary owner Sue Taylor, Latinx queer activist Felicia Carbajal, serial entrepreneur Karyn Wagner, and Humboldt elders The Bud Sisters. Their stories speak to the many opportunities and issues facing commercial cannabis today: the complicated dynamics of raising a family on a cannabis farm, the ongoing fight for those adversely affected by the War on Drugs, educating seniors citizens about the healing power of cannabis, and honoring the LGBTQ activists who fought for legalizing medical marijuana over 25 years ago. At every turn these trailblazers defy stereotypes, while revealing that cannabis is much more than a plant, it’s a community. In her feature debut, award-winning filmmaker Chris J. Russo joins us to all about her own insightful journey into the lives and work of the women who are the backbone of the cannabis culture in California. Their struggles and triumphs paint a picture of an industry in flux as it grapples with preserving its storied heritage while looking toward the future.
For news, screenings and updates go to: ladybudsmovie.com
Screening at the Laemmle Glendale 11/16 & 11/27
Available on iTunes beginning 11/26

Listening to Kenny G / Film School Radio interview with Director Penny Lane

HBO’s LISTENING TO KENNY G, part of the Music Box series, directed by Penny Lane (“Hail Satan?”) and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO’s “Andre The Giant,” “Showbiz Kids”) takes a humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly one of the most famous living musicians. Through several interviews with renowned jazz critics, music professors and writers, and including a new in-depth, intimate interview with the artist, LISTENING TO KENNY G is a multifaceted exploration of the two extremes between the musician’s critics and his superfans, revealing a meditation on the larger idea of artistic taste and how our musical preferences define us. Alternatively playful and probing, the documentary traces the artist’s career through pivotal moments: playing “Songbird” on The Tonight Show, his monumental record sales, his crushing reviews, his newfound fans on social media and his recent collaborations with Kanye West, The Weeknd and others. Dismissed by the media and mocked by the jazz establishment, Kenny G nevertheless embraces his detractors. Aware of how he is often perceived, he nevertheless strives to perfect his craft and to continually move forward in a changing musical landscape. What emerges in LISTENING TO KENNY G is the portrait of an obsessive musician who still practices three hours a day in an effort to rise above his critics and to satisfy his fans, while also exceling at many of his hobbies, including golfing, flying, and investing. Award-winning director Penny Lane joins us for a conversation on her own perceptions of Ken Gorelick and how they changed over the course of making his wildly entertaining profile of a perfectionist with a perceptive view of himself and a drive to be the best at whatever he sets his mind to.
To watch go to: hbo.com/movies/music-box-listening-to-kenny-g
For news and updates go to: pennylaneismyrealname.com

The Energy War: Filibuster, Part II- / Film School Radio interview with Co-director Chris Hegedus (D.A. Pennebaker & Pat Powell)

Long before documentary series were the trend, filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus created THE ENERGY WAR: FILIBUSTER a ground-breaking episodic look at Washington, D.C in 1977-78. Part Two of the series, FILIBUSTER is a real-life political drama, taking audiences behind-the-scenes during the fierce legislative battle and historic double filibuster over President Carter’s natural gas bill. Referred to as a “holy war,” the issue had evaded solutions for more than thirty years and six presidents. THE ENERGY WAR features combatants on all sides of the political aisle, from oil lobbyists to Senator Edward Kennedy to Secretary of Energy James R. Schlesinger. First aired on PBS in 1979, the series has scarcely been seen since. The documentary continues to resonate today as politicians struggle to fix our current energy crisis. Chris Hegedus, D. A. Pennebaker, and Pat Powell capture all of the drama and brinksmanship of a political era where senators did something nearly unimaginable today, they crossed party lines to negotiate an important and historically significant piece of legislation, the deregulation of the natural gas industry. Co-director Chris Hegedus joins us for a conversation on the why and how she and her collaborators were able to chronicle a ground floor, fly-on-the-wall view of political history.
For news and updates go to: phfilms.com/films/the-energy-war
Watch thru 11/28 at: docnyc.net/film/the-energy-war-filibuster

Boycott / Film School Radio interview with Director Julia Bacha

Boycotts have long been a tool used by Americans rallying for political change, from civil rights leaders to anti-apartheid activists. But in recent years, 33 U.S. states have introduced anti-boycott legislation or executive orders designed to penalize individuals and companies who choose to boycott Israel due to its human rights record. In BOYCOTT, director Julia Bacha (Budrus, Naila and the Uprising) looks at the cases of a news publisher in Arkansas, an attorney in Arizona and a speech therapist in Texas whose careers are threatened by the harsh measures of these new laws. A legal thriller with “accidental plaintiffs” at the center, the film is a bracing look at the far-reaching implications of anti-boycott legislation and an inspiring tale of everyday Americans standing up to protect our rights in an age of shifting politics and threats to freedom of speech. Director Julia Bacha stops by to talk about the intensifying efforts in the public and private sectors from around the country to criminalize free speech and freedom of association. Bacha talks about the everyday efforts of private citizens to step up and take actions to stop a perniciously undemocratic movement from spreading.
For news and ways to protect your rights go to: theboycottfilm.com
Watch Boycott virtually until 11/28 go to: docnyc.net/film/boycott
Find out more at: Boycott Divestment Sanctions
For more about the ongoing efforts, go to: justvision.org

Dean Martin: King Of Cool / Film School Radio interview with Director Tom Donahue

Dean Martin epitomized cool. A founding member of the Rat Pack, Dean was a multi-talented performer who was part of the number one comedy act in America, a chart-topping singer for over half a century and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and on TV. He was the consummate charmer on stage and off. Everybody loved him. Yet for all his celebrity, fame and adoration, no one ever truly knew him. King of Cool seeks to change this. Through the use of interviews with friends, family, those who worked with him and modern actors and musicians inspired by him, as well as never before seen archival footage including from his time with Jerry Lewis, his movies and his TV Variety Show and Roasts, viewers get an intimate and personal account of his life. The film dives deep to try and understand why he was such an enigma and even searches to find Dean's Rosebud. Featuring interviews with Alec Baldwin, RZA, Jon Hamm, George Schlatter, Norman Lear, Barbara Rush, Florence Henderson, Lainie Kazan, Deana Martin, Angie Dickinson, Tommy Tune, Peter Bogdanovich, Dick Cavett, Regis Philbin, Bob Newhart, Barry Levinson, Carol Burnett, James Woods. Director Tom Donahue joins us for a conversation about one of the most accomplished entertainers to ever grace a film set, television sound stage, recording studio or nightclub, and how he brought Dean back to life through the stories told by the family and friends who knew him best.
For news and updates go to: creativechaosvmg.com/work
PREMIERING NOV 19TH ON TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

Out of the Blue / FIlm School Radio interview with Producers John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr

A kind of spiritual sequel (and cautionary counterpoint) to Hopper’s own Easy Rider, OUT OF THE BLUE chronicles the idealism of the sixties decline into the hazy nihilism of the 1980’s. Don Barnes (Dennis Hopper) is a truck driver in prison for drunkenly smashing his rig into a school bus. Linda Manz (Days of Heaven) plays Cebe, his daughter, a teen rebel obsessed with Elvis and The Sex Pistols. Her mother (Sharon Farrell) waitresses, shoots up drugs and takes refuge in the arms of other men. Cebe runs away to Vancouver’s punk scene and ends up on probation under the care of psychiatrist Raymond Burr. After Don’s release, the family struggles to re-connect before the revelation of dark secrets leads to a harrowing conclusion. The driving force behind this long overdue restoration and redemption are John Alan Simpson and Elizabeth Karr and they join us for a conversation on where OUT OF THE BLUE fits into the filmography of outlaw artist Dennis Hopper and why film lovers should be celebrating the re-release of this raw and ragged middle finger of a film from one of cinema’s great provocateurs.
For news and updates go to: outofthebluedennishopper.com