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Drew Struzan Inducted To Society Of Illustrators Hall of Fame

Drew Struzan Inducted To Society Of Illustrators Hall of Fame

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The Society Of Illustrators has just inducted another artist into their Hall of Fame..it’s poster painter Drew Struzan. And everybody who knows him is celebrating.

If you know who Drew Struzan is, then your only comment right now is “why didn’t this happen sooner?” If you don’t, he’s the painter behind some of cinema’s most iconic posters. The original Star Wars art with Luke lifting the lightsaber aloft? Struzan. All three (yup, there are just three) Indiana Jones posters? Struzan. Marty McFly lifting his sunglasses and looking at his watch with a shocked expression? Totally Struzan.

Filmmaker Erik Sharkey once directed a documentary about Struzan entitled Drew:The Man Behind the Poster. Upon the announcement of his induction, Sharkey pooled his resources with another filmmaker named Jim Sanders, and they called up everyone they could get whose careers have been helped by Struzan for a special congratulatory video.

Special guests of this presentation include: Harrison Ford, Frank Darabont, Dean DeBlois, Sam Witwer, Bob Gale, Greg Nicotero, Leonard Maltin, Floyd Norman, Greg Hildebrandt, Steve Chorney, Paul Shipper, Mark Raats, Dylan Struzan and Michael J Fox. You’ll also see some never-before-seen footage of Struzan at work, painting the posters for the How To Train Your Dragon films.

Check out the full video below.

console wars

Console Wars Commences September 23 — Watch The Trailer

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If you’ve never read Blake J. Harris’s Console Wars, you should get on that. It’s one of the best books around about the video game industry, focusing on the dramatic rivalry between Nintendo and Sega that dominated the culture in the 1990s. You were either a Nintendo kid or a Sega kid (never mind that weird TurboGrafx-16 kid in the corner), and the competition to be the coolest was fierce.

We’ve known for a while now that Console Wars was going to be made into a documentary; we just didn’t know when we would get to see it. Looks like that time is now! The announcement was made today: the doc will debut on CBS All Access later this month. Here’s the trailer…

https://youtu.be/YSwMzLNmpCc

Netflix subscribers may be reminded of High Score, the six-part doc released on the service last month which covered some of the same topics shown here. However, this one focuses exclusively on the Nintendo-Sega rivalry and features commentators who were there: Howard Phillips and Howard Lincoln on Nintendo’s side, and Al Nilsen and Tom Kalinske on Sega’s side.

Originally, Console Wars was intended to make its debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival, but the wrath of nature made that impossible, so it will now make its worldwide premiere on CBS All Access. This will probably remain the only place to see it so…looks like it’s time to cash in one of those free trials.

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Hitchhiking To The Edge Of Sanity Arrives On Amazon Prime

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Scott Peterson, writer and director of the award-winning “Out of the Loop”, has just released his latest documentary, Hitchhiking To The Edge Of Sanity.

In the early 70s, the Boomer generation found themselves cast into the unprotected world for the first time. Broke and directionless, they stuck out their thumbs, traveling the country and even the world through hitchhiking. Hitchhiking To The Edge Of Sanity is the true story of writer Dick Russell and photographer Steve Ewert on one of these trips….and it’s a doozy.

It was late 1970 when Russell and Ewert left Kansas to travel across Europe leeching off the wheels of others. They have many adventures, sometimes with significant people — they pal around with writer James Joyce in his convertible, and share drinks with American diplomats in Brussels. But the craziest thing they ever attempted was to cross the Sahara Desert.

Yes, they did this without a car. It took 36 hours standing in the sweltering heat with their thumbs out just to catch a ride, and the ride they DID get was with a Maoist revolutionary who deliberately drives his van into the sand at one point just to watch Russell and Ewert attempt to dig it out. The experience almost cost them their lives, but they made it through and it’s now the centerpiece of a fascinating documentary.

Hitchhiking To The Edge Of Sanity is watchable now in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video, If you don’t have Amazon Prime, the doc will soon be made available on the free streaming service TubiTV.

As the US deals with a toxic political climate, “Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity” takes a look back to the turbulent social upheaval of the early 1970s and follows an idealistic writer and his soon-to-be-married photographer friend as they set out to find their purpose via a terrifying road trip across the Sahara Desert.

squee

Squee Presents Sneak Peek Of All Hail The Popcorn King

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Hansi Oppenheimer is the independent filmmaker behind The Squee Project, a media network celebrating representation, feminism and diversity in pop culture. Through The Squee Project Oppenheimer has produced a number of documentaries, most with “Squee” in the title:

Squee Fu: Fans Celebrate the Return of Joe Bob Briggs
Squee! Identifying as a Fangrrl
Squee! Costuming, Cosplay & Identity

Now Oppenheimer and Squee are about to release their latest, All Hail The Popcorn King: a tribute to author and screenwriter Joe R. Lansdale. Lansdale is most famous for the film Bubba Ho-Tep, but he’s one of the most active writers around, having penned over 50 novels and 500 short stories to date.

And he’s got many famous friends. All Hail The Popcorn King contains appearances by Bruce Campbell, James Purefoy, Joe Hill, Don Coscarelli, Mick Garris, Del Howison, Amber Benson, novelist David J. Schow and former Fangoria editor Tony Timpone.​

Currently, to see this documentary you have to luck into catching it at a local film festival. That will change eventually, but for now, Oppenheimer is tiding fans’ appetites over with this exclusive clip from the doc.

If that’s not enough, check out the trailer below. All Hail The Popcorn King will be given a wider release in the coming months; stay tuned for more.

All Hail the Popcorn King is about writer Joe R. Lansdale, who’s written over 50 novels and 500 short stories including Bubba Ho-Tep. Cold in July, The Drive-in, and the Hap & Leonard series. Joe is also a Master in Martial Arts and created his own technique. He’s well known for his unique voice and his generosity and support of other writers and filmmakers.

funny pains

Experience Funny Pains In This New Comedy Documentary

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Much of humor is derived from pain. That’s what makes comedy work, and likely why we have a sense of humor in the first place: to deal with the unpleasantries of real life. Many comedians, from the past and the present, have leaned on their own personal problems and issues to generate their stand-up routines. The audience can relate to it, and it helps themselves cope as well.

Funny Pains, from Hewes Pictures, is a new documentary all about today’s stand-up comedians. The doc follows one comic in particular, Wendi Starling, as she leans on past traumas to spice up her act.

Other featured comedians include Nikki Glaser, Jim Norton, Bonnie McFarlane, Andrew Shultz, Yamaneika Saunders, Krystyna Hutchinson, Rich Vos and Mehran Khaghani, who have been featured in specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, YouTube and other platforms. Funny Pains was produced by podcaster Krystyna Hutchinson, along with Pablo Minier, TahuantyPena, and Daria Scoccimarro.

“‘Funny Pains’ is a two-part love letter to NYC and to stand-up comedy; both which I love, respect and owe a lot to,” says Jorgy Cruz, director of the documentary. “Having the support and representation of the superb team at Hewes Pictures made all the difference. They’re one of the main reasons why we are now ready to share our movie with the world on all platforms. I’m grateful and humble.”

Funny Pains will become available on demand in two days, March 26.

The Rise Of Danny Trejo

Inmate #1: The Rise Of Danny Trejo Releases July 7

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Everyone loves Hollywood tough guy Danny Trejo, thanks to his star-making role in Machete and subsequent films. But he wasn’t always rich and famous…in fact, he was once a very self-destructive man who spent many years in prison before making the decision to clean up his life.

Inmate #1: The Rise Of Danny Trejo is an upcoming documentary that tells the fascinating story. Several decades before Trejo the star, there was Trejo the armed robber, Trejo the drug user, and ultimately, Trejo the convicted felon. He went to some very dark places as a young man, but picked himself up off the floor and turned things around. He’s now 46 years sober and a beloved icon.

The documentary contains interviews with Trejo himself along with relatives Gilbert Trejo and Danielle Trejo, director Robert Rodriguez who cast him in Machete, and Hollywood friends Michelle Rodriguez, Donal Logue and Cheech Marin.

Watch the inspirational success story for yourself when Inmate #1: The Rise Of Danny Trejo is released July 7 on digital platforms.

From a life of hard drugs and armed robberies to Hollywood red carpets and mentoring addicts, this is the telling of one of the most radical and uplifting transformation stories of human character ever put to film. Directed by award-winning filmmaker, Brett Harvey (Ice Guardians), Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo is the shocking story of one man’s capacity to overcome his demons and discover redemption through the most unlikely of journeys.

on the trail of ufos

On The Trail Of UFOs Releases March 20

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UFOs! They’re out there….or not. Whether or not they’re real, America has had a long, long relationship with them (and we’re not just talking about the anal probe incidents). Small Town Monsters, makers of fine urban legend documentaries, explores the history of flying saucers and their followers in their latest doc, “On The Trail Of UFOs.”

Director Seth Breedlove (who also founded Small Town Media) and Shannon Legro are your hosts for this fascinating dive into the lore and legend of Unidentified Flying Objects, through touring fourteen different states in the US and interviewing witnesses, investigators, and skeptics (nearly thirty interviews in all). There was also enough time before post-production to fit the recent social media inspired “run” on Area 51 into the doc.

“On the Trail of UFOs” takes viewers from the gates of Area 51 itself, to the snow-capped White Mountains of New Hampshire. Filming took place across the United States, including New York City, Phoenix, Sedona, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Las Vegas. The team interviewed numerous witnesses and investigators of unknown aerial phenomena, including those who claim to have been abducted and experimented upon by real aliens. No stone was left unturned in putting together what Breedlove believes to be the most comprehensive look at the subject ever filmed. 

Go On The Trail Of UFOs with Small Town Monsters when the documentary is released March 20.

facing east

Facing East Releases March 17

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Everyone knows moving graves is a bad idea in horror movies…you’ll always get cursed, or haunted by vengeful ghosts. If you try it in real life…you probably won’t be chased by spirits, but it’s still a scummy thing to do.

The new documentary Facing East, to be released next month by Uncork’d, delves into one of the worst disturbed burial incidents in American history. Eastern Cemetery was a joint project between two churches back in the 19th century, but soon fell into corrupt hands that saw no reason not to….re-use burial plots over and over. They could sell them at a discount, taking advantage of the poor, and who would tell on them, the dead?

It’s only in recent years, now that the cemetery has been abandoned, that the misdeeds of the past were discovered and an effort to undo the damage was started. Friends of Eastern Cemetery was formed, dedicated to identifying the scattered bones and providing peace to living relatives.

Uncork’d will be bringing Facing East, directed by Tommy Baker, to VOD platforms March 17.

 

With over 100,000 documented disturbed burials the owners and operators of Eastern Cemetery systematically re-used graves over and over, taking advantage of low-income families during one of the most difficult times in their lives. 25 years after the cemetery was left abandoned, the Friends of Eastern Cemetery was formed to provide care and upkeep that the burial grounds so desperately needed.

the cost of joy

The Cost Of Joy: The Compulsion Games Story

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We Happy Few was one of 2019’s more exotic video game products, especially sitting among the AAA packaged-for-retail crowd. Set in an alternate 1960s England, its story of forced conformity mixed with RPG mechanics and first-person stealth made for a disorienting experience. But at least we can’t say there wasn’t anything new out there.

How does such a game come about, anyway? Now’s your chance to find out. Compulsion Games, makers of We Happy Few, have put together a behind the scenes documentary on what was involved in bringing such an original game to life, convincing the industry to take a chance on a quirky idea, and just getting the thing finished on time and free of bugs. This doc, “The Cost Of Joy,” is forty minutes long, but worth the time spent.

And if you have another forty minutes, The Gaming Historian just put out an excellent overview of the history behind Super Mario Bros. 3. Not to pile more on your backlog; just saying.

Compulsion Games has today released The Cost of Joy: The Compulsion Games Story — a free 40 minute documentary that gives insight into We Happy Few’s development. The Cost of Joy provides a raw glimpse into the reality of video game development by following the small crew of creatives at Compulsion Games as they work to overcome challenges and the Hype Machine while bringing their vision for We Happy Few to life.

Legendary Stuntman Profiled In Danger God

Legendary Stuntman Profiled In Danger God

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You may not be familiar with all the 60s movie figures satirized in Tarantino’s new Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but you can change that. Cliff Booth, Brad Pitt’s stuntman character in the film, was loosely based on a real stuntman named Gary Kent. Now you can learn all about Kent in a new documentary from Wild Eye Releasing, Danger God.

Kent was featured in a lot of B movies during the Sixties and Seventies, and you can see him pull his stunts in movies directed by Richard Rush, Ray Dennis Steckler and Al Adamson. But perhaps his biggest stunt was running into THE Charles Manson and living to tell the tale.

Professional stuntman Gary Kent has made a hard-earned name for himself in over 50 years of falling, burning, jumping, fighting and breaking himself for some of the most cherished independent and B-movies of the 20th Century. This is his story, from the anything goes days of the drive-in era, including his run in with Charles Manson and his infamous family, to his personal battles and triumphs with health, alcoholism and love. Features interviews with Monte Hellman, Duane Eddy, Richard Rush, Marc Singer and more.

Danger God is available now on digital, and will be flying onto DVD shelves September 17, courtesy of Wild Eye.

destination fantastic

Destination Fantastic — A D&D Odyssey Across The Globe

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You saw them in the Eye Of The Beholder documentary…now Satine Phoenix (Siren Show) and Stefan Pokorny (Founder/CEO of Dwarven Forge) are teaming up to introduce Destination Fantastic…a globetrotting documentary series about fantasies, legends and myths from around the world.

Today Satine and Stefan hosted a Facebook livestream promoting the upcoming series — a livestream they did not sent a press release out for until day-of, and we did not actually see until one hour before its end. Maybe you can still catch it, but if not, here is the list of guests the stream had planned. This gives you an overview of the folks involved in the first season:

  • ●Satine Phoenix (Creator of Siren Show) – DESTINATION FANTASTIC Host
  • ●Stefan Pokorny (Founder/CEO of Dwarven Forge) – DESTINATION FANTASTIC Host
  • ●Joshua Bishop (Made In Japan, The Dwarvenaut) – Creator, Director of DESTINATION FANTASTIC
  • ●Ron Harbin – Producer of DESTINATION FANTASTIC 
  • ●Maude Garrett (Nickelodeon Australia) – Host of event 
  • ●Julia Dennis (The Following, The Stand Up) – Gamer 
  • ●Jason Azevedo (Chief Executive Officer of Mosaic) – Gamer 
  • ●Jen Page (Dungeon Master, Actor, Model, Artist and Writer) – Gamer 
  • ●Luke Gygax (Head Honcho of Gary Con) – Gamer 
  • ●Peter Adkison (Game Designer) – Gamer 
  • ●Jason Charles Miller (Musician, Voice Actor) – Gamer 
  • ●David Baxter (Vice President of Development Legion M) – Gamer 
  • ●Mousa Kraish (American Gods) – Gamer 
  • ●Vivid Vivka (Gamer) – Gamer 

In case there’s no archive for the livestream, there IS something you can watch: this trailer for the series. Destination Fantastic is currently under production and has no release date.

DESTINATION FANTASTIC is an independent documentary travel show that will follow the hosts  on a whimsical journey each episode as they explore all things fantastical. Castles, dungeons, labyrinths, mythological creatures, fantasy games, sacred grounds, art, literature, music and history. Along the way, celebrities, experts and fanatics who will help showcase the history and details of each new location and subject. Satine and Stefan will be looking for inspiration for their future projects, as well as learning about what has inspired myths, folklore, and storytelling since the beginning of civilization – much like the infamous game itself.

Terror In The Skies Coming To DVD And VOD June 7

Terror In The Skies Coming To DVD And VOD June 7

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In 2017 Small Town Monsters, a documentary crew devoted to chasing legendary creatures like Bigfoot, released The Mothman Of Point Pleasant — a doc all about the legend of Mothman and the various sightings alleged through the years. Now they’ve followed it up with Terror In The Skies, a brand-new follow-up feature.

Director Seth Breedlove explores hundreds of years of terrifying reports of encounters with massive, winged creatures around the Land of Lincoln. From Alton’s man-eating Piasa Bird legends to recent Chicago sightings of a creature said to resemble West Virginia’s infamous Mothman, Terror in the Skies takes an in-depth look at a centuries-old mystery.

In 2020 Small Town Monsters will wrap up this trilogy with The Mothman Legacy, but we don’t know what they have planned (maybe they caught him and are about to show him off King Kong style, but….highly unlikely).

Terror in the Skies was co-written by Seth Breedlove and Mark Matzke, features original illustrations by Matt Harris and Brian Serway, and is narrated by TV personality Lyle Blackburn. Seth and Adrienne Breedlove serve as producers. Keep an eye on the skies June 7 on DVD and VOD, and watch out for falling Mothman poop.

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