Jason Momoa’s ‘Road to Paloma’ a must-see indie
I’ve worked for a film commission, for a film society, and for a film festival, so I have seen my fair share of independent films. Typically indies fall into two categories: the undiscovered gems,...
Movie reviews, Whatcha Watchin podcast, TV recaps, pop culture commentary, and more
I’ve worked for a film commission, for a film society, and for a film festival, so I have seen my fair share of independent films. Typically indies fall into two categories: the undiscovered gems,...
Most indie movies involve quirky, slightly off center, lovable weirdos who are outcasts from society, down on their luck, or just generally awkward. Safety Not Guaranteed is no different. Its lovable weirdo is a...
Do you ever wonder what attracts people to violence or what it is exactly that we, as humans, are so fascinated by when it comes to murder? Do you want to know what makes...
Denver / Film Festivals / Music
by Alexis Gentry · Published November 13, 2010 · Last modified July 12, 2011
Making a film is hard, making an independent film is even harder, and making your first independent film can seem damn near impossible. For Colorado filmmaker Neil Truglio, the journey from concept to film...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published October 17, 2010 · Last modified October 18, 2010
For the past three years the Arizona Underground Film Festival has rapidly been growing both in and outside of Arizona as a top-notch underground cult film festival. The non-profit festival allows truly independent artists...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published October 11, 2010 · Last modified October 14, 2010
Kink ‘N’ Kill is a short film from director Diego Ibarrola and was written by Ibarrola along with Brendon Reed and Jason Reed. The short film is about a sick, twisted news reporter that...
Misguided Sympathies of Flowers is supposed to be about isolation. It’s supposed to be about how a mentally ill homeless woman deals with being alone. It’s supposed to be dramatic and disturbing. At least...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published September 30, 2010 · Last modified October 1, 2010
Care directed by Erika Gronek was the one documentary piece I screened as part of the Celluloid in the Sun Showcase at the AZ Underground Film Fest and it was an interesting doc to...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published September 29, 2010 · Last modified October 1, 2010
One of two animation shorts I saw at the Arizona Underground Film Festival was The Villikon Chronicles: Return to Mayhem. The three minute short, written by Bryan Kinnaird and directed by Rebecca Friedman, is...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published September 28, 2010 · Last modified October 1, 2010
You ever wonder what’s in those huge underground tunnels you see around town? You know the ones. You can often find them under a bridge or overpass. I always thought they were bum tunnels....
A good neo-noir film is dark, both visually and thematically. It will typically involve murder, suspicion, and betrayal and will contain lots of tense moments when you can see the characters getting in over...
Arizona / Film Festivals / Movies
by Chris Coffel · Published April 12, 2010 · Last modified May 13, 2011
This past Thursday the Phoenix Film Festival kicked off their 10th Anniversary at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the past ten years the Phoenix Film Festival has given many Phoenicians the...
You could say Chris Bell’s Bigger, Stronger, Faster is like a documentary on steroids. Not only is it full of information, but performance enhancements are the subject matter. The doc follows Bell and his two brothers Mike and Mark, who always looked up to guys like Hulk Hogan or Arnold Schwarzenegger and now strive to become the biggest, strongest, fastest guys in the world.
Last night marked my first trip down to the Starz FilmCenter for DocNight, a monthly documentary series presented by the Denver Film Society. This month’s film was Manda Bala, a truly outstanding documentary that weaves together several story lines to paint a gritty and rich portrait of corruption in Brazil. The film, directed by Jason Kohn (who also appeared in-person for Q&A at last night’s event) was the product of over five years of hard work and emphasized the concept of the documentary as a form of cinematic storytelling.