Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill images courtesy of Netflix
U.S. Olympian Michael Barisone and his former trainee Lauren Kanarek had their lives intersect in tragic fashion, as Barisone shot Kanarek at his New Jersey horse farm in 2019. He and Kanarek were interviewed extensively in the new Netflix documentary Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill. Exploring their distinct personalities makes this Untold installment, directed by Grace McNally, an intriguing enough watch.
Celebrated for his expertise in dressage, Michael Barisone seemed to have been the perfect trainer for Lauren Kanarek. Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill shows Kanarek’s all encompassing passion for horses, but that was not enough for her to build a bond with Barisone. A dispute over one of Barisone’s prized horses led to a fallout that snowballed into straight disdain for one another.
Filmmaker Grace McNally does a solid job of presenting both sides of the story before the shooting, as we see what probably led Barisone to that fateful shooting. Kanarek’s social media war of words with Barisone, according to him, led to an unhealthy mental state (a condition he used in his criminal case). Banarek’s focused and perfectionist behavior, especially when it comes to horses, is displayed in the documentary. That said, Kanarek understandably wanted justice after her near death. For spoiler reasons I won’t post the trial’s outcome.
More coverage of Banarek and Barisone’s life after the shooting would have been welcome since the documentary’s third action feels a bit too short for its own good.
Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill is still compelling enough as viewers may have differing opinions on Banarek and Barisone after watching the documentary. The trial portion, where we see Barisone in a somewhat confused mental state, makes one wonder if it was true or just an act. A more exhaustive look at their lives post trial would have been welcome, as the documentary just skims the surface on how they have moved on since that traumatic event. Again, I’m not giving out any spoilers but I am still a bit shocked how things played out and would have loved some unfiltered reactions from both parties.
Even with these several critiques, Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill has enough in the tank for a memorable ride. Share your thoughts on the documentary in the comments!
Māramawas the first feature length script that director Taratoa Stappard ever wrote, and he talked to Deepest Dream about finishing his screenplay. The movie hits theaters on April 17, and Stappard ultimately pitched his movie as a Gothic horror film that is akin to “Get Out meets Lady MacBeth.” Check out our full interview in the post as he talks about Mārama, his personal connection to the Maori culture, and how he was able to finish his screenplay.
Taratoa Stappard spent nine months in 2020 as part of the imagineNative Indigenous Screenwriting Intensive in Toronto. “They literally paid us a little stipend,” said Stappard. “And I was also receiving feedback from my fellow writers and from top standard script consultants. That might not be a very useful answer because not everyone can get in on the indigenous screenwriting intensive, obviously. But it’s what allowed me to finish the first draft of my first ever feature screenplay. It was the first screenplay I’ve ever written.”
Ariana Osborne in Mārama. CR: Dark Sky Films / Watermelon Pictures
Set in 1859 Victorian England, Māramacenters on Mary (Ariana Osborne), a Maori woman who traveled from New Zealand on a 73-day trek to gain information on her parents. Toby Stephens is Nathaniel Cole, a rich former whaler who lords over the people around him. An exploration of cultural “theft” and the many faces of horror, Mārama boasts a layered performance from Osborne and an immersive storyline. It’s a standout gothic horror that is worth a trip to your local cinema.
Ariana Osborne and Toby Stephens in Mārama – CR: Dark Sky Films / Watermelon Pictures
“Ariana is the film . . .she smashed it out of the park,” said Stappard, who admittedly got emotional at times watching Osborne at work. “Come and see this film, just to see a star in the making in my obviously biased but humble opinion.”
The oft-used phrase “write your own story” certainly applies to Stappard, and his resilient efforts in developing and finishing his screenplay also led to a writers program at the Toronto International Film Festival and a program called the ZFF Academy at the Zurich International Film Festival.
“I would recommend to anyone who is writing like I was for the first time,” said Stappard. “Just apply for every single possible program you can with your treatment, your first draft – whatever it is they need. And I would suggest maybe avoid those ones that charge you $50 or $100 to apply because that’s bulls**t (and) a Ponzi scheme. Apply to the ones that are free for application. Yes, there will be a lot of other people applying for it (but) it changed everything for me because it alllowed me to receive useful (and) actionable feedback.”
Ariana Osborne in Mārama – Dark Sky Films and Watermelon Pictures
Full interview with Taratoa Stappard:
Catch Mārama in theaters April 17 and share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Monkees, Rhino will release Good Times! (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) on May 29. The 2CD version of the acclaimed 2016 release includes unreleased versions of every album track and four rare session outtakes. If that release doesn’t suit fans of the band, there is another option available.
Also releasing May 29 is an audiophile vinyl edition of the original album that is part of the Rhino Reserve series. The 180-gram pressing, cut from the original analog masterts and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, will be released through indie retailers and Rhino.com.
Just made available today on digital today is “A Better World,” a track previously featured on the physical EP release of Good Times! Plus!.
Although I have not listened to the entire Good Times! album, I am all too familiar with the wistful “Me & Magdalena.” My wonderful niece, whenever we spend time at the family home, frequently says “Alexa, play Me & Magdalena.” Even after over 100 listens, that song never gets old:
Micky Dolenz has also kicked off his 27-date “60 Years of The Monkees” tour, and he performs today and tomorrow at The Barns in Vienna, VA. Here’s a full list of his touring schedule:
Saturday, April 18 Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY Sunday, April 19 Paramount, Huntington, NY Thursday, May 7 Tulsa Theatre, Tulsa, OK Saturday, May 9 Majestic Theatre Dallas, Dallas, TX Monday, May 11 Paramount Theatre-Austin, Austin, TX Wednesday, May 13 Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, San Antonio, TX Sunday, May 24 Abbey Road on the River, Jeffersonville, IN Friday, June 26 Hard Rock Live Orlando, Orlando, FL Sunday, June 28 Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, FL Tuesday, June 30 City Winery Atlanta, Atlanta, GA Thursday, July 2 City Winery Atlanta, Atlanta, GA Thursday, July 9 Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH Saturday, July 11 Hoover Auditorium, Lakeside, OH Sunday, July 19 Uptown Theatre Napa, Napa, CA Saturday, September 12 The United Theater on Broadway, Los Angeles, CA Tuesday, September 29 Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre, Myrtle Beach, SC Thursday, October 1 The Historic Beacon Theatre, Hopewell, VA Saturday, October 3 Borgata Music Box, Atlantic City, NJ Thursday, October 15 The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA Saturday, October 17 Riviera Theatre and Performing Arts Center, North Tonawanda, NY Sunday, November 1 Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL Friday, November 6 MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage, Northfield, OH Sunday, November 8 Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, IA Friday, November 13 Family Arena, St. Charles, MO
Naomi Asa, Anthony Oberbeck, Tristan Turner in The Travel Companion. Photo CR: Jason Chiu. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories
Having narcissistic friends, lovers, and/or family members makes for a complicated relationship. Mix that frustration with the battles of indie filmmaking and one gets the refreshingly layered yet subtle The Travel Companion. Directed by Travis Woods and Alex Mallis, the feature centers on Simon (Tristan Turner), a documentarian who is stuck in a creative rut. His sole joy is taking advantage of the free flights courtesy of his best friend (and airline employee) Bruce (Anthony Oberbeck). When fellow filmmaker Beatrice becomes a possible girlfriend for Bruce, the “travel companion” status of Simon is in jeopardy! Check out my full review below!
The biggest challenge of The Travel Companion is having patience with Simon, as his “me first” behavior is alienating. A bit of patience is needed if uncomfortable humor is not your thing.
Running a brisk 91 minutes, this New York dramedy conveys the self-centered actions filmmakers might have in mounting their respective projects. Simon has been working on his documentary (which deals with physical and self-imposed borders) for several years and he is simply at wit’s end. When he sees Beatrice having success in her career and best friend/roommate Bruce enjoying his life, Simon might feel the world is passing him by.
Anthony Oberbeck, Tristan Turner in The Travel Companion. Photo CR: Jason Chiu. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories
Amidst all his struggles, Simon continues to make mistakes, and his lack of accountability might lead him down an even more miserable path. Can he finish his dream movie and still keep his friends? Plus, what happens if his travel companion status is handed over to Beatrice?
Tristan Turner in The Travel Companion. Photo CR: Jason Chiu. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories
The Travel Companion, along with being an engaging narrative, is also a value added look at the costs of narcissim. Although filmmakers Travis Wood and Alex Mallis don’t hit us over the head with this message, the final moments were surprisingly resonant.
To find out if and when The Travel Companion plays in your respective city, visit its official site.
Kaoru Sunada and Teruyuki Kagawa in Serpent's Path - Courtesy of Janus Films
A 4K Restoration of Serpent’s Path and the 45-minute short Chime is now playing in Los Angeles, and CinemAddicts co-host Bruce Purkey reviewed the 1998 movie on the latest episode. Most of the review is spoiler free, but if you have already seen the film there is a quick spoilers section at the end of the talk. Details on Serpent’s Path is featured in our post!
Serpent’s Path centers on a low level yakuza member named Miyashita (Teruyuki Kagawa) who seeks revenge for his young daughter’s killing. He recruits math teacher Nijima (Sho Aikawa) to capture the alleged murderer (Yurei Yanagi), and they team up to torture that man in a hidden warehouse. The vengeance plot gets even more complicated when more suspects come into view.
Sho Aikawa in Serpent’s Path – Courtesy of Janus Films
Running at 85 minutes, Serpent’s Path was Kurosawa’s follow-up to his 1997 international hit Cure. In 2024, Kurosawa released a remake of Serpent’s Path, but this version was set in France.
Check out Bruce Purkey’s full review of Serpent’s Path below in audio and video form (Spoilers start at 10:07) :
Serpent’s Path and Chime are now playing in Los Angeles at the Alamo Drafthouse DTLA, Laemmle Monica and Laemmle Glendale. Additional dates will follow throughout this month.
Share your thoughts on Serpent’s Path and Chime in the comments!
THE VOICE -- "Semi-Finals Top 9" Episode 2908 -- Pictured: Liv Ciara -- (Photo by: Griffin Nagel/NBC)
Liv Ciara did not receive a chair turn on season 28 of The Voice, but that did not stop her. She tried out again for The Voice: Battle of Champions and now she is in the Top 9 performing on tonight’s episode. Ciara talked to Deepest Dream about the hard working and emotional journey on finally making the show and why she loves taking risks.
On season 28’s blind audition, Liv Ciara chose Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” Though the track showcased her vocal dynamics, it did not yield a chair turn. For The Voice: Battle of Champions she went for the more emotional Ariana Grande track “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” and she received a chair turn from Kelly Clarkson and John Legend.
“I opened my eyes and saw them there,” said Ciara who picked Clarkson as her coach. “I remember I immediately glued my eyes shut again. If I look at these people that turned for me, I might collapse. I kept my eyes off of them and to the audience for the rest of performance. And then at the end of it, I kind of just let myself have a moment.”
Just 16, Ciara has a knack for emotionally connecting to the music. Case in point is the track “Behind The Door,” a song that is inspired by her journey on The Voice.
“‘Behind The Door’ is definitely one of my favorites because it really captures the feeling of ‘Okay I’m here now,'” said Ciara about the song which is featured on her EP Out Loud. “There’s been doors that have been closed but there’s this door that could potentially open for me – what’s behind it? Is this something worth fighting for? And I kind of wrote the song actually after not getting a chair turn.”
One of the Ciara’s main goals in The Voice: Battle of Champions was to keep on taking risks, an approach exemplified by covering the Kelly Clarkson hit “Breakaway” during Knockouts.
“If I’m gonna be here, I’m gonna give it a 100%,” said Ciara. “I want to prove that even though I’m young and there was so many other young contestants on the show, and I wanted to prove that there are young people that can sing and that have all these talents. But it is so important for them to take a risk and truly believe in themselves.”
THE VOICE — “Semi-Finals Top 9” Episode 2908 — Pictured: Liv Ciara — (Photo by: Griffin Nagel/NBC)
Full interview with Liv Ciara:
Catch Liv Ciara tonight on The Voice: Battle of Champions at 9/8c and streaming next day on Peacock.
THE VOICE -- "Semi-Finals Top 9" Episode 2908 -- Pictured: JW Griffin -- (Photo by: Griffin Nagel/NBC)
JW Griffin is one of the top 9 artists competing tonight on The Voice: Battle of Champions. He’s part of Team Kelly, and Griffin talked to Deepest Dream about his overall experience on the show and how it has impacted his career. He also discusses his new single, a catchy tune titled “Tend The Flame.” Full interview is below!
Bren Foster and Daniel MacPherson in "Beast" - CR: Lionsgate
Bren Foster stars in Beast as MMA champ Xavier Grau, a determined warrior who wants a rematch with former fighter Patton James (Daniel MacPherson). On the surface level, Grau is the narrative’s antagonist as his take no prisoners approach doesn’t win him any fans. That said, Foster talked to Deepest Dream on why Grau is actually a “deeply layered” character. Foster also reflects on how his mother and his martial arts background has been pivotal to his approach to acting and directing (he also talks about his upcoming directing effort Relentless). Check out our full interview below!
Beast is a fantastic film. What was your thoughts on the final cut and can you discuss the biggest challenge of making the movie?
Bren Foster: Well, Greg, I actually still haven’t seen the final cut, so I’m waiting to see the whole movie.
From what I’ve seen, it looks fantastic. Every martial arts action type movie can get, pretty hard. And it’s just a matter of people around you understanding what you’re trying to create with the fights. Once they do, generally it gets a little bit easier.
(Also) trying to execute the fight scenes at the highest level possible (and) making it look real – committing to it a hundred percent. Putting speed and power and emphasis without obviously hurting your partner. So I think that that was probably the most difficult thing that we had to do.
Can you just talk about the layers behind your character for this film? He’s not a one-dimensional antagonist which I appreciated.
Bren Foster: Well, firstly, thank you. I’m glad you really picked up on that. He’s a human (and) he’s someone who has worked his ass off to get where he is. The training sessions, the fights, everything that he’s been through to get to the top. It’s everything to him; it’s his whole world.
He’s competitive and he’s a warrior and he doesn’t want to take a step back. No one gave him this title. The one loss that he had, which was embarrassing to him, was against Patton back in the day. So he really wanted to avenge that loss.
(Fighters are) human. They’re not these stoic one note soldiers. They’re actually human beings. So yeah, he’s extremely layered. Fighting means everything to him. It’s just a human being trying to hold onto what he has given his life to and what he’s tried to earn.
So yeah, thank you for noticing that, that he come across as deeply layered.
For him to be successful, he has to be very hyper-focused. Can you can relate to that focus, because I’m assuming to have a successful life in the martial arts, as well as being an actor and a filmmaker, one needs to have that focus.
Bren Foster: It all comes down to my martial arts training and to my mother early on. She started me in martial arts when I was six years old. Just the way traditional martial arts is structured like your next belt, your next goal.
I was fighting overseas when I was 16 years old and I had my first kickboxing match when I was 12. I fought in Hong Kong, in Thailand, in Europe. One thing the martial arts taught me if, if you want to do something properly. you’ve gotta go and study it and put the work in.
So in my mid-twenties, I auditioned for one of the top drama schools – the University of Western Sydney Theater Department out here in Australia. And I managed to get a position in there. For the next three years I was there studying. In addition to that, (I was) studying with other acting teachers.
(Also), I was always seeking out different martial arts instructors. When I moved to United the United States, I found Ron Beliki, who was just an encyclopedia (when it came to) Filipino martial arts. So it’s just that focus and neverending quest for knowledge. I’ve just been able to put that determination, that drive, and that commitment into all these different areas to running a martial arts school and having my whole family around me at that martial arts school in Australia.
Pursuing acting and making films and just putting that level of focus and commitment, which is born from my martial arts training into my everyday life. It’s completely the reason why I’m able to have focus and relative success in so many different areas. It’s because of the focus that martial arts has given me.
I love films like Beast because it teaches us, that, shows us that something we already know, that it’s just about winning. It’s how you also take the punch. For you is taking the punch and maybe your losses a better teacher than your successes? Or is that putting too fine a point on, on the whole thing?
Bren Foster: No, Greg, you’re right mate. You are so right. Everything, myself or other people, everything that I’ve worked for, I’ve had failures in as well. And I think you have to have a really good relationship with failure because that’s where you learn the most, and that’s where you can also be given your second wind of drive and aggression to keep going.
A lot of people can fail sometimes, and then they just (say), “I’m done.” The towel’s thrown in. But luckily again, because of my mother, if I failed at something she would say, “Get up, go again.” And that’s also a testament with the martial arts. Sometimes you can fail, but sometimes people quit in our school if they fail a ranking.
But there’s a big strong drive to get up and to go again. Look, you’ve gotta have a good relationship with failure and you’ve gotta be okay with it. And it generally gives you the wherewithal to get up and to go again. And if you show me a person who has never failed at anything, I’ll show you a person who has never done anything.
We all fail. We’ve just gotta get up and, and, and keep going. And trust me, I’ve failed many times.
Thank you so much for your time. I have a couple more questions. First off, after really loving Beast, I can’t wait to watch Life After Fighting, and I think you have another film directing film coming up. I think it says on IMDB – it’s called Relentless?
Bren Foster: Yes.
How does directing really fill your cup, supposedly? What’s the challenge in that and why do that when that’s an extra job you have to do on top of all the things you do on a daily basis?
Bren Foster: We did Life after Fighting, which has this massive underground cult following at the moment. (With) Relentless, which we have really, really pushed the boundaries.
(Relentless is) probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But the beauty about being able to write and direct is it allows me to really put my heart and soul into everything. With other jobs, they’re fantastic, but you have to also work with other people and facilitate their ideas and their passions and navigate to a common understanding.
But with Relentless, obviously there’s collaboration with the other actors, but in terms of the story and the direction and also playing the lead role, I can really put my heart and soul (into it). I don’t really have to navigate around other people to make the film. Because I’m at the helm on this one. The commitment from the other actors (on Relentless) was just through the roof.
Two weeks after Relentless finished, I didn’t move. I was just lying down on the couch, mate. But look, if anything’s worth doing, it’s going to be hard, right?
Hopefully everyone responds to it really well at the end of the year when it comes out.
Can you name a film that made its imprint on you like that? A movie that was so impactful for you that made you want to become a filmmaker and actor because you put a lot of dedication and, like you said, heart and soul into your work.
What was that movie when you were 12 or 13 that did it for you and set you on that path?
Bren Foster: When I was 12 or 13 – I would probably say Best of the Best.
I’ve never seen it.
Bren Foster: It has Phillip Rhee, Simon Rhee, Eric Roberts, Christopher Penn. It’s a classic martial arts movie where the American karate team takes on the Korean Tae Kwon Do team. James Earl Jones is in it.
It a wonderful film. But look, Greg, I’ve had so many, especially Asian cinema growing up. The Bruce Lee movies, Golden Harvest, Raymond Chow. All those films, I was obsessed with them Bloodsport to Kickboxer to Best of the Best.
When I was a kid, I was just enamored by all of them. So I can’t really pinpoint one, but just ’cause you said that age, I remember seeing Best of the Best at that time and that had such a profound effect on me too. What can I say? But in film in general, from everything from The Goonies to Gremlins to everything when I was was a kid. I absolutely love them all, mate.
Thanks again for your time. Really love Beast and looking forward to watching more of your films down the road.
Bren Foster: Thank you, Greg. Thank you again. Great talking to you, mate. Take care.
Beast, co-starring Kelly Gale and Russell Crowe, is now playing in theaters. Share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
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Listen to our weekly movie review podcast CinemAddicts. Films covered this week include The Travel Companion, Heads or Tails, and Serpent’s Path:
Daniel MacPherson stars in Beast as Patton James, a former MMA champion who is pulled back to face formidable opponent Xavier Grau (Bren Foster). Xavier has history with Patton’s younger brother, the impulsive MMA fighter Malon, and family bonds leads Patton back into the ring. MacPherson talked to CinemAddicts host Eric Holmes about this feature, which marks his third pairing with Russell Crowe (he plays Patton’s former trailer). Check out the full Beast interview below to find out why making this movie was an uphill climb!
I would ask how you got brought into this project, but the last movie I saw you in was Land of Bad also with Russell Crowe, so I imagine that has something to do with it.
Daniel MacPherson: That’s exactly right. The writer of Land of Bad was David Frigerio and he said, “I’ve watched you guys work together the last couple of weeks on the film (and) you guys are really good together.” (He said): “I’ve got this MMA project that I think you’d be perfect for.”
That was back in 2022 and I started training straight away, because it was a great script and a great role. It was originally set in upstate New York. And then just as it evolved. It became an Australian story.
And Tyler Atkins, the director, came on and we knew a lot more about what it was like to grow up as a fighter in the working class kind of steel towns of Australia. We knew a lot more about that than we did anything about Buffalo, New York. So it ended up back in Australia and then Russell agreed to come on board and a great Australian cast was assembled.
Then we teamed up with ONE Championship to take the filming and the final fight sequences up to Bangkok and to really just elevate the production level and to give us this kind of neon southeast Asian sort of street state that is also, steeped in, in martial arts history and martial arts culture and.
And the result is what you’ve seen. We’re really proud of it.
Bren Foster and Daniel MacPherson in “Beast” – Credit: Lionsgate
The fight scenes are one thing. I saw you doing the punching the pushups and all that. If I saw that in the script, I’d be like, “not for me.” I’m gonna go lay down!
Daniel MacPherson (laughing): Yeah. No, man. I mean, I was 44, 43 when I was shooting (Beast).
This was only 12 months ago. I was training for three years. It took us three years to get this thing up and running. I got into the fight shape three times. I’ve lost 20 pounds three times, to finally the third time that the camera’s actually rolled.
But look when Russell Crowe says, “Hey man, we’re gonna do an MMA fight movie, and you’re gonna play the lead and I’m gonna play your coach and we’re gonna do it” . . . you give it absolutely everything. So, I trained as hard as I could with the best coaches.
I got myself to the lowest body fat I could possibly get to at this stage in my life. By the same token, and then I had to work opposite Bren Foster, who’s an extraordinary martial artist.
But then had to turn around and act opposite one of the greatest of all time, one of the all time heavyweights in Russell Crowe. So it tested every area of my skillset, that’s for sure.
You must have changed during the three years it took to make Beast in at least an incremental fashion.
Daniel MacPherson: Oh totally. Life changes. You change in three years. The person you were three years ago I’m assuming is a little different to the one that turns up today.
I became a father at 40 and so fatherhood and my son growing up affected me. I did two plays during that time and they both evolved me as an actor as well. And it was also, it was my third film with Russell Crowe. So I’d evolved in my relationship with him and our onscreen kind of working relationship had evolved as well.
It was a perfect storm for me to really land at the timing that we did where I was in my personal life, the work that I put in for this role and the story and the character I was ready to create.
I was ready and so I put everything I possibly could into it because you never know when these opportunities are gonna come again. They’re so precarious and they nearly fell over again for a third time, like right before we rolled a camera.
What were some things that maybe changed from the script from like when you first read it to when you shot it to now the movie’s done?
Daniel MacPherson: The level of heart in the film really evolved as it went on.
Tyler Atkins had a vision in his mind of what this film was and thankfully it was similar to mine as well. It was always the family dynamic. The responsibility of the father and the husband and the little core nucleus of the family against the rest of the world.
That really interested me. Realistically you could tell that story against any sporting backdrop ’cause this guy’s competing for his family and his life and whatnot. But you tell it against the visceral nature of the biggest and most brutal sport in the world right now.
You take a fight movie into a whole new realm. The relationship with my brother evolved. Mojean Aria really brought a lot to that character and we found that a really rich place to mine. And so that relationship started to take up more and more complexity and space on screen.
Kelly Gale, as my wife, was extraordinary and that relationship really grew in the edit and on screen. A lot of those really special relationships really grew and it became it elevated. At the end of the film, you (understand) what those punches mean.
Now you know what’s at stake (and) what this guy’s fighting for. It’s as much for himself and for his future and his identity. His purpose is to right his past wrongs as it is for all the people that are supporting him.
Before I let you go, I just wanted to get a film recommendation from you, either a movie that’s real personal to you, or a movie that’s this one’s really good and not enough people talk about it.
Daniel MacPherson: Oh man. That’s a great one. I’m (going to pick) one of mine. Go back and watch Infini. Shane Abbess made it. He’s an extraordinary filmmaker. He launched my film career. Luke Hemsworth did an amazing job.
Brent Foster’s in it as well. That was kind of one of our origin stories.
Excellent. Daniel, thanks for joining me. You’ve been a pleasure and yeah, congratulations on Beast.
Daniel MacPherson: Hey buddy. Great to chat!
Catch Beast in theaters April 10 via Lionsgate! Share your thoughts on the movie in the comments!
Amanda Peet - "Fantasy Life" - Credit: Greenwich Entertainment
Now playing in theaters, Fantasy Life is a comedy that is written and directed by Matthew Shear. Currently it’s certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 79% rating, and CinemAddicts podcast host Bruce Purkey delivers an in-depth review in our post. Check out the video for further insight into this movie which co-stars Amanda Peet, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, and Andrea Martin!
Fantasy Life centers on Sam Stein (Matthew Shear), a neurotic guy who becomes a nanny to his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters. Sam bonds with the girls’ mother Dianne (Amanda Peet), a talented actress whose career is at a crossroads. Alessandro Nivola co-stars as David, a rock bassist who is Dianne’s husband and Judd Hirsch is Sam’s psychiatrist.
Fantasy Life – Greenwich Entertainment
Co-host Bruce Purkey likened the movie to a Woody Allen comedy, and cinephiles who love his work may gravitate to Fantasy Life. For Purkey, the “true revelation” of the film was Amanda Peet.
”She is just fantastic and Peet has the perfect level of kind of pathos and world weariness,” said Purkey. “And you get the humor from her too. (Plus), she’s not a mean or or pompous person at all. She is really way more down to earth than you expect her to be.”
Amanda Peet in “Fantasy Life” – Greenwich Entertainment
Bruce gave the mainly New York set Fantasy Life a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ rating. ” It’s really good and hopefully it will catch some audiences out there,” said Purkey. “It’s a hard sell for kind of middle America, but if you are missing acceptable versions of what Woody Allen used to throw down to some degree, I think this is maybe somewhere you can go to get that.”
Check out Bruce’s full review on YouTube or listen to his take on CinemAddicts:
Share your thoughts on Fantasy Life in the comments!
Matthew Shear and Amanda Peet in “Fantasy Life” – Greenwich Entertainment
