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FilmCouch #16

Kevin — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:18:03 +0000

We talk with film blogger Karina Longworth of Vidiocy.com about how blogging is changing the film industry. And we caught up with director Gregg Araki, who ponders what feminist film critics will think of his new stoner flick, Smiley Face.

Download FilmCouch #16 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday.

FilmCouch #15

Kevin — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:30:49 +0000

Do we judge action movies with a double standard? Is there a right and a wrong way to make “exploitation cinema?” Kevin brings in pulp cinema expert Adam Forrest to ponder these questions. They take a close look at Grindhouse, 300, and more.

Download FilmCouch #15 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday.

FilmCouch #11

Kevin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:30:02 +0000

Paul and Kevin discuss highlights from the SXSW film festival. They review Joe Swanberg’s new film Hannah Takes the Stairs, then talk to Jennifer Venditti both before and after the controversial screening of her excellent new documentary, Billy The Kid.

Download FilmCouch #11 or subscribe to it in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday.

People at Denver: Lexie Shabel

Kevin — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 21:50:21 +0000

For six months Lexie Shabel followed the hysterical Unband, goofy guys who love to rock hard with no shame at how many people are laughing. They also love to drink. Hence, the title of the film, We Like To Drink, We Like To Play Rock And Roll. For such a laugh out loud film, Shabel shares a surprisingly harrowing story about birthing this rockin’ doc.

Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast

People at Denver: Will Hartman

Kevin — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 21:49:11 +0000

After a long week of so many films, it was somewhat relieving to see Moosecock. A short-film attempting to address absolutely nothing going on in the world accept for a good, hardy gut-laugh.

Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast, Will Hartman

People at Denver: Tim Robbins

Kevin — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:40:29 +0000

Wow. Tim Robbins. We almost didn’t get an interview with him because he canceled all press engagements due to laryngitis, but I was able to catch him on the red carpet on the way into a clips program of his work, where he received the 2006 John Cassavetes award. I asked him how Cassavetes’ work has influenced his decisions as an actor and director.

Kevin interviews Tim Robbins.
Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast

People at Denver: Richard Berge

Kevin — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:49:53 +0000

Richard Berge co-directed The Rape of Europa along with Bonni Cohen and Nicole Newnham. We talked about making this historical documentary about the plunder of Europe’s art treasures during WWII. Berge shared stories that didn’t make the final cut, and we pondered the film’s lingering moral question: can a work of art be more important than a human life?

Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast

Roundtable Recap: Wednesday, November 15

Kevin — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:47:17 +0000

At Ted’s Montana Grill in Denver, I sat down with Bill and Dave to share our film picks over a meal of delicious bison meat. Our favorites from the festival thus far: Saucy Flyer UFO PI, Tre, Kurt Cobain About A Son, Cheech, Familia, Breaking and Entering, RE: Monday, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Steel Toes. Will some films from the second half of the festival unseat these heavyweights? Stay tuned to find out…

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Roundtable Recap, Bill, Dave, and Kevin

People at Denver: Ryan Cooper

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:27:31 +0000

I caught up with Colorado filmmaker Ryan Cooper to talk about his short, Harry and Greta. The film retells Hansel and Gretel in a contemporary way, turning the classic fable into a romantic comedy. We talked about finding inspiration in timeless stories, and what’s next.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Harry and Greta, Ryan Cooper

People at Denver: Justin Jones

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:25:34 +0000

After a shorts program dedicated to narrative films by Colorado filmmakers I talked to Justin Jones, director of Luisa. The film tells of the harrowing journey of a Mexican woman crossing the border to reunite with her family in Denver. We talked about the irony of the immigration issue boiling over during the making of the film, and plans for a feature length version.

Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast, Luisa, Justin Jones

People at Denver: Matthew Porterfield

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 21:44:27 +0000

We talked with Matthew Porterfield about his directorial debut in Hamilton. Porterfield discussed his writing process, going from New York back to the Hamilton neighborhood of Baltimore to make the film, and how teaching kindergarten prepared him for directing.

Starz Denver Film Festival, spout.com podcast

People at Denver: Samira Goetschel

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 21:35:06 +0000

I think I could have talked to Samira Goetschel for at least seven hours, but for your listening pleasure I kept it to about ten minutes. Goetschel’s new documentary, Our Own Private Bin Laden , chronicles her personal journey to try to unwrap the media phenomenon that has become of Osama Bin Laden. Goetschel, born in Iran, escaped when her father was executed during the Islamic Revolution. Living in New York, she thought she had escaped Islamic Fundamentalism, then September 11 happened. She decided to confront her fear and anger by making this film. We talked about her personal journey, how to ask questions without an agenda, refusing distribution deals to avoid hypocrisy, and revelations in the editing room. Goetschel is a remarkable person who demonstrates the courage it takes to ask simple questions, and receive extremely complicated answers.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Our Own Private Bin Laden, Samira Goetschel

People at Denver: Michael Weston, Spence Decker, Katharine Towne

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:40:34 +0000

I spoke with the cast of Looking For Sunday about the camaraderie they shared on set, the roles they played in the film’s development, and who’s better at basketball.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Looking for Sunday, Michael Weston, Spence Decker, Katharine Towne

People at Denver: Amy and Andrea Doe

Kevin — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:30:51 +0000

B movies aren’t dead! Sisters Amy and Andrea Doe seem like average Denver suburbanites, until you see their new film, Saucy Flyer UFO P.I. I caught up with them the day after the film’s midnight premiere. We talked about making the picture in Colorado on a shoestring budget, having the courage to make fun of terrorism, and why Amy will do anything her big sister tells her to.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Saucy Flyer UFO P.I., Amy Doe and Andrea Doe

People at Denver: Robert M. Young, Richard Dresser, Robert Knott, Caroline Ashley

Kevin — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 11:29:34 +0000

I talked to a collection of filmmakers, here at the Denver Film Festival, who were involved in making the film Human Error. They discussed the late Joel Ehrlich, producer of the film and a big supporter of film in Denver. They also discuss the production of Human Error, its political overtones, and its journey from the stage to the screen.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Human Error, Robert M. Young, Richard Dresser, Robert Knott, Caroline Ashley

People at Denver: Angie Avarez

Kevin — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 11:14:33 +0000

Chalk, a mockumentary about new high school teachers, is easily comparable to the work of Christopher Guest or Ricky Gervais. The film succeeds in making the audience cringe as first-day teachers go down in flames. The film is showing at the Denver Film Festival, and I was able to talk to filmmaker Angie Avarez about influences, filming on location in Austin, and future projects.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Chalk, Angie Avarez

People at Denver: AJ Schnack and Michael Azerrad

Kevin — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 14:03:46 +0000

Beginning with the premise that “the whole truth is the best truth, AJ Schnack and Michael Azerrad made the film Kurt Cobain About A Son. Schnack directed, using the audio from 25 hours of interviews Azerrad did with Cobain for the book Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. I had a chance to talk to them about how they used the film to show Cobain as a real person seperate from the superstar icon, and how one of their goals was to break the “rockumentary” mold.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Kurt Cobain About A Son, AJ Schnack, Michael Azerrad

People at Denver: Judy Irola

Kevin — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:45:28 +0000

I talked to Judy Irola today at the Denver Film Festival about her new documentary Cine Manifest. Some of the things we talked about included the political nature of filmmaking, the proliferation of small film festivals, the current political climate, and her favorite political films.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Cine Manifest, Judy Irola

Rountable Recap: Friday the 10th

Kevin — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:19:52 +0000

Aaron and I sat back for a few minutes to talk about the films we watched and the people we talked to today at the Starz Denver Film Festival. Films we discussed include Cine Manifest, Sensation of Sight, Kurt Cobain About a Son, and Pan’s Labrynth.

Starz Denver Film Festival, Spout podcast, Rountable Recap, Friday November 10, 2006, Kevin, Aaron