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‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Blu-ray Giveaway!
I’m very excited to announce that I have Five (5) Blu-rays of Sonic The Hedgehog up for grabs. The discs, all of which are sealed, also come with the Digital Code and the DVD! Entry details are below!
Friday Blu-Ray News:’Toy Robot Video,’ ‘Guyver: Dark Hero,’ ‘Ninja Wars'(PM Weekly Issue #9)
Arrow Films has started a label aimed squarely at people who are not us.
Toy Robot Video launches this month as an Arrow Films subsidiary, announced back in June and shipping its first discs now. The pitch is unusually direct: more mainstream than Arrow Video, cheaper than Arrow Video, built to feel like browsing a video store rather than shopping a boutique catalogue. The opening slate is Guyver: Dark Hero and Roaring Fire next Tuesday, then a two-disc 4K of Masters of the Universe and something called Marshmallow on the fifteenth, with Ninja Wars at the end of the month. Remastered transfers, OBI strips, slip cards, art cards, at prices designed not to hurt.
Read more: Friday Blu-Ray News:’Toy Robot Video,’ ‘Guyver: Dark Hero,’ ‘Ninja Wars'(PM Weekly Issue #9)The label’s own copy says it will “celebrate film and entertainment in all its forms to both new and nostalgic audiences alike,” while keeping Arrow’s “commitment to premium curation and presentation.” Mike Hewitt, speaking for it, described it as “intended to be a fun and inclusive label,” meant to “spread the joy of physical media ownership” to younger buyers and to people who were never cult film enthusiasts in the first place.
Read that as a market signal, because it is one. Boutique labels have spent fifteen years perfecting a model built on scarcity and expertise: limited runs, deep supplements, prices that assume the buyer already knows why the film matters. It works. Last issue covered the data showing exactly how narrow it is. Toy Robot is Arrow putting real money behind the opposite proposition, that the audience for owning movies is considerably larger than the audience for collecting them, and that you reach it with Masters of the Universe at a fair price rather than a numbered edition of something difficult.
There is a version of this that is cynical, and it is worth naming. A cheaper line with thinner supplements is also a higher-margin line, and “accessible” is what every company says when it means “we found a way to spend less.” Note that Arrow gets there first, promising premium curation in the same breath as accessibility, which is exactly what you would say if you knew that objection was coming. But Arrow of all labels does not need a budget imprint to survive, and the titles they have chosen are not the obvious cash grabs. Guyver: Dark Hero and Ninja Wars are not sitting on anybody’s most-wanted list.
If they are right, it is the most consequential thing to happen to this format in a while. Every argument this journal makes about ownership runs into the same wall eventually: the people who already agree are a small and finite group. Somebody finally trying to make the wall bigger is worth paying attention to.
Welcome to PM Weekly. Let’s get into the week.
CORRECTIONS
Issue #7 listed The Hot Spot as an August 18 release and led with it arriving that week. It streets today, September 1. Issue #4 listed A Bay of Blood as a July 28 release; Severin put it out on November 28, 2025.
Same cause both times. The release calendar carries titles forward across consecutive monthly listings, so an old disc keeps resurfacing as news, and neither date was checked against the label. From now on they will be.
THIS WEEK ON DISC
- 28 Days Later (2002), Limited Edition SteelBook, Sony
- The Hot Spot (1990), Limited Edition of 5,000, Radiance
- Tekkonkinkreet (2006), 2-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray set, GKIDS
MARKET SIGNAL
The merger this journal has tracked since Issue #1 has quietly stopped being an argument about market share and become an argument about who can afford to keep arguing.
In mid-August, Paramount asked the court to require the state attorneys general suing to block its Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition to post a bond of $1.88 billion. The reasoning is that delay is expensive. Paramount owes WBD shareholders roughly $7 million a day in ticking fees for every day the deal stays open, and it wants the states carrying that cost if their suit ultimately fails. This month the attorneys general and the Writers Guild filed in opposition, telling the court that Paramount is trying to pull a fast one.
Strip out the legal machinery and the move is simple enough. If a company can attach a nine-figure price tag to the act of challenging it, then whether a merger is lawful starts to get settled by which side can afford the bond rather than by the trial. Whatever you think of this particular deal, that is a mechanism worth watching, because it works exactly the same way regardless of who happens to be right.
For this journal the stake is narrower and more concrete. Warner’s catalogue is the vault that Arrow, Criterion, Vinegar Syndrome’s Iconoscope and most of the labels in this column license against. Every month the ownership question stays open is another month of uncertainty about who controls the films they want to restore, and boutique labels plan their slates a year out. A bond fight is not usually a physical media story. This one sets how long that uncertainty runs.
STORE OF THE WEEK
Vidiots (Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA)
Patty Polinger and Cathy Tauber opened Vidiots in Santa Monica in 1985, and for thirty-two years it was the video store other video stores measured themselves against. Then Santa Monica rents did what Santa Monica rents do. The shop closed in 2017 and fifty thousand titles went into storage.
Most collections that go into storage do not come back out. This one did. Vidiots had become a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2012, which turned out to be the decision that saved it, and on June 1, 2023 it reopened inside the Eagle Theatre in Eagle Rock, a 1929 movie house that had been sitting mostly dark. More than $2.4 million in donations paid for the relaunch and the theater rehabilitation.
What reopened is not really a video store. It is close to eleven thousand square feet containing a 271-seat theater running 35mm and DCP, a smaller MUBI microcinema, a bar serving beer and wine, and a rental library that has grown from the fifty thousand rescued titles to roughly seventy thousand across DVD, Blu-ray and rare VHS. It is open seven days a week. It turned forty last year.
The lesson Vidiots keeps teaching is the one Beyond Video and Movie Madness teach too, and it is not a romantic one. Every video store that survived the last decade in America survived by becoming something other than a business that rents tapes. Nonprofit status, a theater, a bar, a membership, a donor base. The affection alone was never going to be enough. The affection plus a 501(c)3 was.
(Next week: Kim’s Video, New York, NY, and the documentary about how 55,000 films came back from Sicily.)
THE STACK
What I pulled off the shelf this week.
Extra Ordinary (2019)
Format: Blu-ray, 1 Disc
Bonus Features: “Extra Ordinary: The Making of a Supernatural Comedy” featurette; theatrical trailer
Rose is a driving instructor in small-town Ireland who can talk to the dead and would very much rather not. Martin is a widower whose late wife still nags him, out loud, from beyond. Christian Winter is a washed-up one-hit rock star, played by Will Forte at full commitment, attempting a Satanic pact to reignite a career that peaked decades ago. Maeve Higgins and Barry Ward play the two leads like people who are tired rather than haunted, which is the whole trick of the film.
Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman’s supernatural comedy came out of SXSW in 2019, got a small theatrical run, and landed on Blu-ray from Cranked Up Films in June 2020, which is to say it arrived in the worst possible month in the history of small films finding audiences. Almost nobody saw it. The people who did tend to become slightly evangelical about it.
The disc is modest. One making-of featurette, a trailer, a clean 2.39:1 transfer with a DTS-HD 5.1 track. No booklet, no essay, no numbered slipcase, nothing to collect. And I want to be straight that this is the point of including it in a week led by Arrow launching a label for people who do not buy numbered slipcases.
Not every film needs the deluxe treatment. Some of them need to exist, findably, at a price a person will pay on a whim, because the alternative is that a small Irish comedy with no franchise and no awards campaign simply evaporates when whichever service currently has it decides it is not earning its shelf space. Extra Ordinary is never going to get a 4K restoration. It does not need one. It needs to be on a disc, so that in fifteen years somebody can still hand it to a friend and say, trust me on this one.
SIGN-OFF
That is Issue #9. A boutique label betting that the audience for owning films is bigger than the audience for collecting them, a merger fight that has turned into an argument about who can afford to keep arguing, and a Los Angeles institution that came back from storage because somebody had the foresight in 2012 to make it a nonprofit. Three titles on shelves Tuesday, the thinnest week this column has covered, and two corrections worth making in public. If you know one person who still alphabetizes their shelf, forward this to them. That is the whole engine we have, and it is a good one.
See you Friday.
PM Weekly
Sean Reid
Film & TV Production
seanreid@worldonetv.com
Rafael Manuel Talks “Emotional Clarity” of Filipiñana and Crafting A “Cinema of Resistance”
Director Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana has received its share of critical acclaim, and this weekend it expands its theatrical reach. An evocative and visually immersive exploration of a Filipina’s (Jorybell Agoto) experiences at a country club, this Philippines set narrative locked me in from the jump. Manuel talked to Deepest Dream about his feature and he explains why “emotional clarity” is an integral part of his filmmaking aesthetic.
Read more: Rafael Manuel Talks “Emotional Clarity” of Filipiñana and Crafting A “Cinema of Resistance”
Filipiñana centers on Isabel (Jorybell Agoto), a 17-year-old who works at a country club outside Manila. Whether its lining up golf balls or scooping them out of the water, Isabel and her fellow co-workers have an understandably hard time working out in the baking sun. They also have to deal with the tourists and club members who may take advantage of their social status, leaving these women as second class citizens on the grounds that they keep immaculate.
Isabel’s main journey is to return a golf club to Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman), the head of the premises. A secondary storyline centers on a club member’s (Carlitos Siguion-Reyna) attempts to get his niece (Carmen Castellanos) to stay in the Philippines and help with the family business.
Don’t expect a plot heavy narrative with Filipiñana since it refreshingly traverses another direction. “I really believe that emotional clarity should take precedence over narrative clarity because it’s less propagandistic,” said Rafael Manuel. “With emotional clarity, you’re giving autonmy to an audience to feel how it is they want to feel because then an image can invoke a totally different response from another person. For me, this is very much a cinema of resistance.”
The film is also a cinema of discovery thanks to the nuanced performance of Jorrybell Agoto.
“She’s so amazing,” said Manuel. “One of my favorites is Giulietta Masina, the wife of Federico Fellini. I think there’s a lot of similarities between Giulietta and Jorybell in the playfulness and even in the facial structure and the expression. What drew me towards Jorybell is (she’s) like a silent presence that grows – and (her) playfulness, obviously. I see so much depth and meaning, like an underground reservoir of meaning in her eyes. This is super important with the kind of cinema (that) I want to do, where the acting is very minimalistic because you leave space for freedom for the audience.”
Rounding out the ensemble are Nour Hooshmand, Isabel Sicat, Micah Musa, Elle Velasco, and Angeli Bayani.
Filipiñana hits Los Angeles and additional cities on September 4th. Tonight he will be doing a post-screening Q&A at the Laemmle Noho 7. He will also be part of a Q&A on September 4 and September 8 at the Laemmle Glendale.
Full interview:
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
***We review Filipiñana, Coyote vs. Acme, and Buddy on the latest CinemAddicts:
Josiah Pippel On Winning ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Championship: “I Want To Go For More”
Josiah Pippel is the Season 18 champion of American Ninja Warrior, and that honor garnered him a trophy and $250,000. Pippel talked to Deepest Dream about the long road to becoming a champion (his Ninja journey began at 7!) and why his ninja career is far from over. My full interview with Pippel is featured in the post.
Read more: Josiah Pippel On Winning ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Championship: “I Want To Go For More”Although American Ninja Warrior fans have followed Josiah Pippel’s journey for years, there is an aspect that can’t be fully explored within the television real. “I think the biggest thing that people don’t see is the late nights in the gym,” said Josiah Pippel, who is the co-founder of the ninja league Team Ninja Association. “The hours we’ve dedicated and all the failure that has gone into this ween. I’ve been doing this for 13 years, and now I’m finally the champion of American Ninja Warrior. But that was 13 years of failures (and) 13 years of lessons learned to get met to this point.”
Even though he has climbed to the top of the mountain, Pippel refuses the complacent approach. “Obviously I’m not taking it for granted,” said Pippel, who defeated reigning champion Kai Beckstrand. “This is a really big moment for me and opportunity, but I want to go for more. I think I’m not done with the sport just yet and with American Ninja Warrior. I have more to give, and now I’ve proven that I can be at the top and I want to stay there as long as I can. So with Season 19 coming around the corner and Season 20 (as well), my goal is to defend my championship and be the two-time and maybe even three-time champion.”
During the interview, Pippel also discussed being positively influenced by his parents and the community that has supported his journey. He also delves into the time he puts into Team Ninja Association and explains why his passion for cars runs deep:
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Ryan Reynolds On Why ‘Mayday’ Is A “Really Well Timed” Buddy Picture
Described as a “genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy,” Mayday features the starpower of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh and it should be a hit when it premieres globally September 4th on Apple TV. Co-directed, written and produced by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the feature, according to Reynolds, is “really well timed.” Check out our Mayday post for more details!
Read more: Ryan Reynolds On Why ‘Mayday’ Is A “Really Well Timed” Buddy Picture
A Worthwhile Collaboration For Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds
Kenneth Branagh described Ryan Reynolds as a person of “joy and brilliance,” and Reynolds follows a similar track. “Ken has not only brought me the same kind of joy, day in and day out, but he’s kind of a teacher,” said Reynolds, who plays U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy ‘Assassin’ Kelly in Mayday. “You sort of work with somebody like that and just learn from every single moment, and it grounds you in this idea that ‘Wow, I’m really lucky to do this job. Get a front row seat to this incredible performer (and) this incredible storyteller.”
‘Mayday’ Is A “Well-Timed” Throwback To 1980s Buddy Comedies
At the New York premiere of Mayday, Reynolds likened the tale to memorable features of yesteryear. “I think this movie’s well-timed,” said Reynolds, who worked with co-director John Francis Daley in the 2005 feature Waiting…. “This is the sort of old fashioned, ’80s kind of feel (type movie). That decade produced some of the greatest buddy action comedies of all time. You’ve got Midnight Run (and) Another 48 Hrs.. You (have) Beverly Hills Cop (and) Lethal Weapon. They all came out of this era and it’s so much fun. And John Goldstein and John Francis Daley really captured that joy you have watching those kinds of movies while still not making it feel dated. Even though it’s a period piece.”
Catch Mayday, co-starring Marcin Dorociński and Maria Bakalova, on Apple TV September 4th! Share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
We review Buddy and Coyote vs. Acme on CinemAddicts:
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***Ryan Reynolds’ quotes come from generic interviews supplied by Apple TV to media members.
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Mark Wahlberg Talks “Great Chemistry” With ‘By Any Means’ Star Yahya Abdul Mateen II
Directed by Elegance Bratton (The Inspection), By Any Means centers on an FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is investigating the killings of targeted civil rights leaders. Helping him on his quest is mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), a man who knows a thing or two about violence and vengeance. The feature, written by Sascha Penn (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), hits theaters Friday. Check out our post for a few Wahlberg insights on By Any Means!
Read more: Mark Wahlberg Talks “Great Chemistry” With ‘By Any Means’ Star Yahya Abdul Mateen IIA Unique Role For Mark Wahlberg
By Any Means, inspired by a true story, was a feature which boasted a rare role for Mark Wahlberg. “It’s one of those characters where you don’t get to play that often,” said the actor, who was last seen in the comedy Balls Up. “You just got to dig a little deeper and go a little darker.” Wahlberg described Greg Scarpa, aka the Grim Reaper, as a “fascinating guy” and he added that he was approached on “more than one occasion” to play Scarpa. “I read the script (to By Any Means) and fell in love with it, and I thought it was fascinating how this guy who lived and existed in this world of the mafia in New York and the Colombo Wars all of a sudden he’s down in the South during the Civil Rights movement.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is A Bonafide Star
Another postive aspect of filming By Any Means was getting the chance to collaborate with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. “I had never worked with Yahya and never met Yahya,” said Wahlberg. “But to see the level of talent and also a level of charisma and commitment that he has – it’s pretty incredible. I think we have great chemistry together. He’s fantastic in the part and it’s one of the few times where I’m seeing a star about to really explode. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.”
Rounding out the By Any Means ensemble are Nicole Beharie, Josh Lucas, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Ethan Embry, David Strathairn and Giancarlo Esposito.
Catch By Any Means starting Friday, September 4. Share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
We review Buddy and Coyote vs. Acme on the latest episode of CinemAddicts:
A “Shaken, Not Stirred” Nicolas Cage Is 007 Inspiration In ‘Fortitude’ Trailer
Hearing Nicolas Cage saying he likes his Vodka Martini “Shaken, not stirred” is a big reason to see the action packed Fortitude trailer. That said, will the movie overall be a worthy watch? Cage plays real life 007 inspiration Dusko Popov in the film, which reunites him with Con Air filmmaker Simon West. Check out the trailer and share your thoughts in the comments!
Read more: A “Shaken, Not Stirred” Nicolas Cage Is 007 Inspiration In ‘Fortitude’ Trailer
An All-Star Cast Highlights Fortitude
Based on a true story, Fortitude centers on spy-soldiers Dudley Clarke (Ed Skrein) and Thomas Argyll Robinson’s (Matthew Goode) attempts to mislead the Germans during the buildup to D-Day. Michael Sheen co-stars as Winston Churchill, Art Malik plays James Bond creator Ian Fleming, and Alice Eve is British intelligence agent Nancy Armstrong. Rounding out the ensemble are Sir Ben Kingsley, Lukas Haas, Adrian Topol, Emilio Sakraya, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Jenny Watwood, Tika Camaj, and Paul Anderson.
Simon West Brings Veteran Leadership To Fortitude
The trailer spotlights the action as well as the comedy that Fortitude is shooting for, and it is a blend that fits Simon West’s (Old Guy, Bride Hard) aesthetic. West also helmed Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The General’s Daughter, The Mechanic and The Expendables 2.
Running at 103 minutes, the feature was penned by Simon Afram (he’s also one of the producers). A Fortitude release date has not been released. Let u know your thoughts on the film and name a few of your favorite Simon West movies!
We review Buddy and Coyote vs. Acme on the latest episode of CinemAddicts:
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Dennis Quaid Delivers “Killer Arrangements” In ‘The Florist’ Trailer
Directed by Babak Najafi (Proud Mary, London Has Fallen), The Florist has a pretty straightforward plotline. The trailer shows a young woman (Sky Katz) in trouble after witnessing a crime and it’s up to the titular character (Dennis Quaid) to keep her alive. The action-thriller from Saban Films hits digital October 9. Check out the trailer and share your thoughts!
Read more: Dennis Quaid Delivers “Killer Arrangements” In ‘The Florist’ Trailer
In the official logline, The Florist centers on “the deadly lengths a man will go to protect the innocent.” Also the poster’s “killer arrangements” is a pretty funny and catchy description to put under the movie’s title. Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional) receives second billing in The Florist, so expect him to partake in some of the feature’s action sequences. Dennis Quaid is Carl, a seemingly average Joe who should be making floral arrangements instead of taking down bad guys. Along with Sky Katz playing the woman in trouble, the film also stars Leonidas Gulaptis and Anna Schafer.
With such a generic title and plotline, The Florist is ripe for sequel possibilities if it does good business. However, there is no theatrical release and the picture has three credited screenwriters (Scott Windhauser, Eran Creevy, Ethan Suess).
At worst, The Florist might be a turn your brain off actioner that could work if you need your action fix. Quaid and Reno always deliver no matter what genre (check out Reno in My Penguin Friend!).
Will you be putting The Florist on your watch list? What are some of your favorite Dennis Quaid movies? Share your thoughts in the comments! Catch The Florist on Digital starting October 9.
We review Buddy and Coyote vs. Acme on the latest episode of CinemAddicts:
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Gal Gadot On What Made ‘The Runner’ Special: “The Ending Blew My Mind”
Gal Gadot stars in the psychological thriller The Runner, and the feature hits Prime Video globally starting September 2 via Amazon MGM Studios. Along with getting the chance to work with filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (The Mauritanian, Black Sea), Gadot had another obvious reason for taking on this suspenser.
Read more: Gal Gadot On What Made ‘The Runner’ Special: “The Ending Blew My Mind”
It All Starts With The Script!
The Runner was written by Mark Gibson, whose credits include Lush (which he also directed), The In Crowd, Snow Dogs, The Wild, and the TV-movie Protect and Serve. This is Giibson’s first produced screenplay since Protect and Serve which came out in 2007.
“I could not put the script down,” said Gal Gadot in a generic interview released to media members. “It was the easiest read, and also what I loved what the fact that I couldn’t figure out where the story’s going. And the ending blew my mind!”
Is Running Part of Gal Gadot’s Workout Routine?
In The Runner, Gal Gadot plays Maia, a high powered attorney who receives a devastating phone call during a London morning run: her soun has been kidnapped. If she wants to get him back, she must follow every command and tell no one about her situation. As she runs from one place to another and listens to these commands, Maia has to confront how far she will go to keep her son safe and alive.
All that running led to Gadot ending the film on crutches, as she reflected on her injuries in an interview with People. “At one point I broke my feet and that was it,” said Gadot. “And afterwards I need to recover and all of that.”
The Runner Release Date And Gadot’s Hope
Co-starring Damian Lewis and running 84 minutes, The Runner hits Prime Video September 2. “I hope the audience are going to enjoy the twist and turns that this movie has to offer.”
Will you be watching The Runner? Share your thoughts on the film in the comments!
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Tessa Blake Talks ‘If I Tell You’ Collaboration With Carol Kane And Shooting In The Boundary Waters
Now playing in select cities, If I Tell You is a suspenseful and evocative family drama from filmmaker Tessa Blake. Based on Lisa O’Donnell’s novel Closed Doors, the indie film centers on Michael (Etienne Kellici), a 12-year-old boy who attempts to figure out why his mother (Allison Miller) came home one evening with a black eye. Blake talked to Deepest Dream about working with Kellici, collaborating with co-star Carol Kane, and why Minnesota’s Boundary Waters was the perfect place to shoot If I Tell You.
Read more: Tessa Blake Talks ‘If I Tell You’ Collaboration With Carol Kane And Shooting In The Boundary Waters
If I Tell You co-stars Bill Heck as Brian, the family patriarch and Kennedi Butler as Alice, Michael’s best friend. Carol Kane plays Michael’s caring and refreshingly unpredictable grandmother. Rounding out the ensemble are Christopher Jackson, and Carmela Zumbado.
Although the ensemble for this indie is top notch, If I Tell You’s effectiveness lies in Etienne Kellici’s realistic performance as the understandably concerned Michael. “Etienne is an extraordinary actor, and the performance he gives in this movie is world class,” said Tessa Blake. “To carry a whole movie with emotional simplicity and connection is very different than showing up for a scene or two. A lot of child actors are smart, and so they know what they’re supposed to say or what they’re supposed to do. Etienne was the kid that just let it bubble up. He is amazing, and I am so pleased for the world to see how extraordinary he is.”
Extraordinary is word that also fits Carol Kane. “She is an icon (and) an extraordinarily generous actor,” said Blake. “I think sometimes the thing that you may not know as a viewer watching Carol, because she portrays such quirky characters (is) she’s really brilliant. She is a really brilliant storyteller, and her incisive questions of me as a director were just perfectly challenging. (Carol) is an incredible actor from her head to her heart, and she is a loving presence on set.”
The original novel was set in Scotland, and although a part of Blake’s childhood consisted of living in that country, she had always wanted to tell an American story. “A lot of people in my family struggle,” added Blake. “Economically struggle – and people’s futures got left behind by advancing technology or jobs moving abroad. We wanted to find an environment where that was authentic to the place (and) an place where the great natural beauty is sustaining and creates a sense of adventure for the kids. And (where) their playground is immense.”
“Among the places where there were tax credits and support, we fell in love with the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, and it was just perfect for the story.”
Full interview with Tessa Blake:
If I Tell You plays at Ely’s Historic State Theater through September 3rd. Check out the movie’s official website for more info and future screening dates!
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Gregg Araki’s ‘I Want Your Sex’ With Olivia Wilde And Cooper Hoffman Hits Digital
The critically acclaimed Gregg Araki feature I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, is now out on Digital. Currently resting at 91% (critics) and 66% (audience) on Rotten Tomatoes, the feature is definitely on my watch list. For further details on the movie, check out the post!
Read more: Gregg Araki’s ‘I Want Your Sex’ With Olivia Wilde And Cooper Hoffman Hits DigitalI Want Your Sex centers on Elliot, an innocent looking guy who lands a job for artist/provocateur Erika Tracy (Oliva Wilde). When Erika chooses him to be her sexual muse, Elliot may feel like the luckiest man on Earth. Some fantasies fulfilled, however, come at a dear price, as Elliott is swept into a world of power obsession, betrayal, and murder!
Rated R and running 90 minutes, the feature co-stars Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho, Roxane Mesquida, Daveed Diggs and Charlie xcx.
This is Araki’s first feature length film in 12 years after 2014’s White Bird in a Blizzard (starring Shailene Woodley). He has spent the past years directing television episodes (including 13 Reasons Why and American Gigolo).
Years ago I interviewed Gregg Araki at a radio roundtable for 1995’s The Doom Generation. During that chat he remarked that children grow up and lead an entirely different life than their parents. It’s a remark I’ve remembered to this day, and of course The Doom Generation is a movie that’s still hard to shake!
What are some of your favorite Gregg Araki movies? Will you be renting/purchasing I Want Your Sex on digital? Comment below with your review/thoughts on the film!
***We receive a slight commission when you use our Amazon SiteStripe and affiliate links for your purchases. Thanks for your support!
***I give away Blu-ray or Digital code each week to members of our CinemAddicts Movie Club. Join our Facebook Group and become part of our community. Any questions please email me at editor@deepestdream.com.
Buddy, Filipiñana, and Coyote vs. Acme are reviewed on the latest episode of CinemAddicts: