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I have a theory that everything is made awesome with Friends style credits. That undeniably iconic theme tune. The exciting pace, it works. So here are some of favorite things, that were of undeniable quality beforehand made awesome with Friends style credits.

Breaking Bad

Big Bang Theory
Perhaps made remotely interesting for many.

The Simpsons

House

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

Horror Movie Icons

And I have even created a special OneOfUs friends style credits for your viewing pleasure.

Got a favorite friends style credits video? Share below.

Aside from its intricate story telling, well-envisioned characters, and decapitations, my intrigue with Game of Thrones lies within its impact on popular culture. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Game of Thrones had a total of 13.6 million viewers (this includes DVR, on demand, HBO on the go etc.) during its third season. This is funny, because if we look at the constructs of this show, it is actually kind of horrible. Not in terms of quality, mind you, but rather in what the viewer experiences. We see people brutally tortured, gratuitous sex scenes, and watch the people we grow to care about get killed in graphic ways.

So my question is: why is it that a show this dark and gruesome has become wildly popular in a society that shuns such behavior? Most likely, it’s because the show is damn good. However, there are multiple ways we can unpack this question. So for funsies, lets look at this under a Freudian microscope.

“Freudian slip: when you say one thing, but you meant your mother.”

The short answer is, Freud might say that Game of Thrones is actually good for our psyche, as well as for the healthy functioning of our society. This postulation comes from three constructs of his theory: his structural model of the psyche, his dream theory, and a certain claim that he makes in his book, Civilization and Its Discontents. So with these parts, let’s create a lens to evaluate this pop culture phenomenon.

1. The Structural Model of the Psyche

“I am Daenerys Stormborn and I will take what is mine with fire and blood.”

Freud claims that the components of our personality consist of three things. First we have the Id, which is our biological and primal desires. This contains all our aggressive energy, selfishness, sex drive, etc. According to Freud, this is what we really are deep down inside. Then there is the Super Ego, which is developed through the morals and values we acquire through society. Lastly, we have the Ego. This is perhaps the most important aspect of our personality. The Ego is actively trying to find a way to satisfy what we really want from our Id, within the constraints of what society deems acceptable via the Super Ego. A healthy functioning Ego is one that is able to find a happy medium between the two. Basically, we are all violent and ugly perverts, that are trying to hide behind a pretty mask.

So what does all this have to do with Game of Thrones? Well, by indulging in this series, we are actually finding a socially acceptable way to satisfy our Id. We see a lot of lacerations, decapitations, and sex in this show. Sometimes in that exact order. Things that are usually regarded as taboo (at least in American culture) become socially acceptable when thrown into the context of art and literature to some extent. Sex and violence in popular shows have stirred much controversy amongst media critics, specifically those who say that violence and sex in the media are influential in deviant behavior. Freud might say that it is not exactly influential per say, but rather it is therapeutic. Why and how that is, could be explained through his theories on dream analysis and fantasy.

2. Dreams are the ‘royal road’ to the unconscious

“The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother’s milk. Darkness will make you strong.”

Freud postulates that dreams are a product of the Id’s expression of internal conflict. These repressed emotions and memories are brought to awareness in distorted forms. In his book The Interpretation of Dreams, he claims that the Manifest Content (which is literally what we see in our dreams), is the result of our ego censoring the dream, trying to protect us from realizing our unconscious desires. In analyzing a dream for what it really means, we look at the Latent Content. Breaking down the metaphorical symbols in our dreams gives us the truth about our desires. For example, walking through a tunnel represents the desire to enter a vagina. Sorry to be so frank but that’s the majority of his dream theory. You know what else is part of his dream theory? MY MOM!

A complimentary theory to this, is his claim that day dreaming/fantasy is used as a defense mechanism to relieve some of the tension in our Id; experiencing fantasy is almost as good as experiencing reality. For example, fantasize that you are beating the absolute crap out of that person you don’t like. Through that fantasy, you have just had a mini-catharsis, and will less likely go out there and beat the absolute shit out of ~~Steve from work~~ that person (damn you Freud and your banana peels!).

These theories put things in to an interesting context, in terms of how the psychology of the cinematic arts work. If the actors, directors, and writers do their job well, they establish a strong viewer-screen relationship. This leads to the viewer getting immersed in the world being displayed on screen. This puts the viewer in to a sort of dream state. Why is it that certain scenes in Game of Thrones make you cringe, or feel sorrow when we see the death of a character, even though this is all fantasy? Because, just like in your dreams, you are experiencing these things vicariously.This is how Game of Thrones helps us satisfy our violent perverted desires from the Id. It provides us with a sort of catharsis, thus freeing up some psychic energy we can invest in to other things.

Here’s my favorite part about this theory.

You might say to yourself, “Well, I don’t see my self torturing people… In fact, I feel shocked and uncomfortable when watching those torture and sex scenes! So clearly, my Id is not getting any satisfaction!”

To which Freud might respond, “Then ask yourself this, ‘why are you still watching this show?’ The truth is, you picture yourself as the one doing the torturing and having the sex. The mere fact that you are experiencing such a strong negative reaction, is proof that your ego is working to protect you from awakening these unconscious desires. Just like how your ego censors your dreams.”

Isn’t psychoanalysis just grand?

3. Civilization and Its Discontents

“Smoke, sweat, and shit. King’s Landing, in short. If you have a good nose you can smell the treachery too.”

Yeah yeah, Game of Thrones is like chicken soup for your soul. But how does that turn in to gumbo for society? (Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything clever. It’s like me blaming owls for how bad I am at making analogies). Well, in Freud’s book Civilization and Its Discontents, he claims that people rely on civilization to be happy, yet civilization itself is established through the suppression of natural human desires. Freud further states that:

“… It was discovered that a person becomes neurotic because he cannot tolerate the amount of frustration which society imposes on him in the service of its cultural ideals, and it was inferred from this that the abolition or reduction of those demands would result in a return to possibilities of happiness…” (Barash 119)

Our innate aggressiveness is integral to human nature, and civilization is the force that stifles this aggression. This might be what causes anxiety and neuroses amongst people, and in order resolve that, we should break free of society and its civil chains.

To indulge in Game of Thrones, is to indulge in our desires to reject civilization. This is established once Joffery took the throne. His tyrannical rule caused frustration and anger throughout all of Westeros, resulting in the nation being at war. It illustrates how we feel about a society oppressing our innate aggression. This is when human nature shows it’s true colors. Even the ‘good guys’ that want to act civilized, become blinded by their conquest for power and revenge. They will do anything to succeed at their goal, and as a result, swords are drawn, blood is shed, and awesomeness ensues.This is why we cheer on our protagonists. They break free our civil shackles, and do the things that we can only imagine our selves doing: going medieval on someone’s ass.

In conclusion, Freud would applaud Game of Thrones for relishing in our innate aggression, and providing us with a socially acceptable way to celebrate our Id. It gives us an outlet for all that yucky energy that is bubbling down in our unconscious. In a way, this show potentially prevents us from partaking in inappropriate endeavors. When a society can collectively enjoy and discus such a gloriously disgusting show, it distracts us from our frustration with our current civilization, and brings us together in harmony. Hell, it might even prevent anxiety and neurosis for that very reason!

Game of Thrones gets the Freud seal of approval, and is essential for your nutritious entertainment diet.

So fellow OOUies, are you excited about this coming season? How do you feel about the series over all? Whatever your thoughts, comment below and let One of Us know!

Sources:

O’Connell, Michael. “TV Ratings: ‘Game of Thrones’ Finale Brings in 5.4 Million Viewers.” The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, 10 June 2013. Web. 30 Jan.

Barash, David P. Ideas of Human Nature: From the Bhagavad Gita to Sociobiology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print.

Welcome back to part two of my big retrospective on the various incarnations of the Doctor and what traits and/or ticks from these versions Peter Capaldi might integrate into his portrayal of the famous Time Lord. I kind of got hosed by the BBC as I finished part one (which you can go and read here) the day before they went ahead and released the pictures of Capaldi in his new duds for the show making all my clever (and fairly accurate) speculation moot. Thanks a lot, guys!

With this in mind, I will still be mentioning the clothing choices of each Doctor as I do think they say something about the character, but it will be more brief and general. Also, I will be commenting on the new Doctor’s outfit and give a final rundown on how I think he is going to play the Doctor given the limited information available. So without further ado, let’s get crackin’!

The Seventh Doctor, played by Sylvester McCoy

The Seventh Doctor couldn’t have entered the world under less dramatic circumstances. The rogue Time Lord the Rani shot the TARDIS while in flight causing the Sixth Doctor to bust his head on the console, triggering a regeneration. The Seventh Doctor came out a bit of a mess and was so out of it he couldn’t tell the difference between his companion Mel and the Rani unconvincingly dressed up like Mel. He seemed like a clown who fell down a lot and had an affinity for playing the spoons. Soon however, the clown was revealed to be a front for a much darker and calculating persona, a chess master playing deadly games with the dark forces of the universe to try and keep them at bay. While previous incarnations had for the most part been content to roam the universe stopping evil when they came across it, the Seventh Doctor was proactive. He actively sought out the monsters to beat them back into the dark holes they spawned from. He kept secrets from everybody, even his closest allies, and sometimes his plans didn’t work quite right and people got hurt. He was still honorable and noble to the very core, but his methods did rub people the wrong way. It was strongly suggested in one of his stories that this version of the Doctor would go back in time and become the Merlin of Arthurian legend, and perhaps that is the best way to think of the Seventh Doctor, as a magician.

While other Doctors had been content to meddle from the sidelines (especially the Second Doctor), the Seventh Doctor walked straight up to the bad guys faces’ smiling and stated he was going to trick them and dared his opponents to stop him, letting their ego and pride speed them along to their defeat. The interesting thing about the Seventh Doctor’s clothes is not so much the clothes themselves, but the actor who wore them. Sylvester McCoy could go from Chaplin-esque scamp to to the center of power and authority in a millisecond in those clothes using only body language and tone of voice, and of course the umbrella was an invaluable prop for both sides of the coin. Capaldi could really use some of the Seventh Doctor’s showmanship for his Doctor. People have already compared this new Doctor’s outfit to that of a magician’s, so why not embrace the idea and ask the forces of darkness if they want to play a game?

The Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann

Now we come to the tragedy that is the era of the Eighth Doctor. This Doctor that had entered the world with so much hope and enthusiasm, only to be worn down by misfortune and manipulation. Due to horrors of the Time War, he was forced to face the day when being the Doctor just wasn’t enough anymore, and decided to go to war. With barely any screen time under his belt, this is another Doctor who had to thrive in other forms of media such as books, comics, and the audio works of Big Finish. The Eighth Doctor was a romantic explorer at heart, he wasn’t interested in playing the hero, although he was one whenever there was call for it. For him, the biggest joy was what was on the other side of the hill. While the Time Lords had forced previous Doctors to do their bidding, which had left a sour taste in all of their mouths, the Eighth Doctor was perhaps the angriest of them all about it. His freedom was the wind, yet everybody sought to deny him it. A good deal of the Eighth Doctor’s companions died along the way, making him all the more reclusive and bitter. Finally the Time War erupted, and although the Eighth Doctor did not fight, he saw his ability to doing anything of value stripped away in a universe on the very brink of disaster. With nothing left but going to war or death, the Doctor chose war not because he feared death, but that he feared for the lives of everyone else. He was a good man who always hoped for better days, but rarely ever found them.

While most mistake his duds as either Victorian or trying to look like Lord Byron, they are in fact originally part of a Wild Bill Hickok Halloween costume. Be it Wild Bill or Byron, both men liked to live by their own rules on the fringes of society as the Eighth Doctor tried to do. Late in his life the Eighth Doctor would cut his hair and take a more pragmatic style of clothing including a WWI leather jacket. The leather jacket would be a motif that his next two incarnations would follow in as well. Towards his last days however, the Eighth Doctor chose to wear a modified and rather disheveled version of his Wild Bill outfit, perhaps in a fleeting attempt to try and relive his better days. Capaldi will not being pulling anything from the Eighth Doctor. Moffat invested a great deal to get past the Time War and the scars it had on the Doctor and move towards something new and more positive. Taking from one of the most abused Doctors of all time in any significant way would ultimately be a step backwards, so it isn’t going to happen.

The War Doctor, played by John Hurt

Here is the Doctor that the Doctor wishes time forgot, the man who went to war. This is the incarnation of the Time Lord we know the least about, and as such, anything anybody has to say about is for the most part sheer speculation. This version didn’t call himself the Doctor, though it does appear that others still often referred to him as such. He most likely just didn’t reply or said something to the effect of “I’m a Time Lord” or “I’m nobody” when anyone asked him who he was. His clothes were for the most part practical and built to last and resembled the Eighth Doctor’s alternate get up. Perhaps the War Doctor trying to keep one small ember of the man he was alive. It seems he was a one man army, not for the Time Lords or against the Daleks, but against the madness of the war itself.

It is telling that this incarnation did not start out looking like the old man we were first introduced to in the TV series.When he first regenerated he was young looking and then was wore down to the state we first met him in by the Time War, which gives us some indication of just how long he had been fighting. Finally when he learned that the high council of Gallifrey was going to escape the Time War by destroying the universe and having the Time Lords become beings of pure consciousness, the War Doctor had to face the sad realization that no matter which side won, the universe was still going to burn. Seizing a doomsday device known as The Moment, a thing that even the Time Lords were afraid to use, the Doctor set out to do the unthinkable and wipe both the Daleks and Time Lords from existence. Whether or not the War Doctor ever used the devise remains a subject of debate: some claim that he did but thanks to the power of The Moment, time was rewritten and with the aid of all his incarnations he found a way to zip Gallifrey away to an alternate dimension; others claim that he never did but unfortunately his mind was wiped of the knowledge so he was left thinking he had. Which ever way you choose to look at it, the Doctor was going to believe that he did destroy Gallifrey, a burden he would carry around for the next 400 years, a toll that spanned the following three incarnations of his life. The war over, the tired old soldier retreated to his TARDIS and found that he was starting to regenerate, his task was done and the Doctor would soon be on a journey to find himself again.

Capaldi won’t be taking anything of John Hurt for the role as there is so little to go on. No, what Moffat and Capaldi will work with is what the War Doctor allows them to do. the next three incarnations of the Doctor were all running away from the the events of the Time War, each regeneration appearing physically younger than the last as the Doctor sought to bury the war in his mind and attempt to recapture his glory days. The Doctor making peace with who he had to be during the war allowed him to make peace with his age as well, perhaps this in part is the reason the Twelfth Doctor has the appearance of an older man. The War Doctor allows Capaldi and Moffat to blaze their own path going forward into a new era. While this Doctor may never have thought he was worthy of the name during this time, I do, and I never will think of him as anything less.

The Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston

The Ninth Doctor came into being right after the end of the Time War, the mental and emotional scars of which showed very near the surface. The most plain dressed of all his incarnations, not needing or wanting to dress up or stand out. With his planet gone and thinking himself the last of his kind, the Doctor retreated to the only other place in the universe that had ever felt like home, Earth. Earth had not felt the ravages of the Time War, probably due to efforts of the Doctor, so it was the perfect place to go to to try and find himself. He started calling himself the Doctor again, distancing himself from who he was during the war and re-dedicating himself to his principles, as his principles were really all he had left.

This Doctor had a fiery rage boiling in his gut and a serious case of self-loathing, neither of which took much provocation to come out. He never stayed for parties or celebrations, in part because that wasn’t what he was there for, but also because those things lead to attachments and roots, things the Doctor didn’t want for fear of losing it all again. He was a loving man, but his judgements were cold and harsh. He was hypercritical of humanity, calling us names “stupid apes” when he saw us act small or petty, perhaps making him wonder what he fought so hard to try and save in the war was worth it. He was also a big proponent of bananas, for whatever reason. Number Nine’s journey was one of healing. He wasn’t done by the time he had to go, but he had managed to make the first few steps. Capaldi’s Doctor is going to have a good deal in common with the Ninth. The Ninth Doctor’s direct nature is perfect for Capaldi. Other Doctors had a habit of making speeches and grandstanding, while the Ninth Doctor instead would walk up and yell in your face, which is perfect for Capaldi.

The Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant

The Tenth Doctor was kind of like a greatest hits album of Doctor Who. David Tennant is a life-long Who fan and his Doctor had traits from every version from his early childhood on up. He annoyed and distracted his foes with odd conversational segues, pretending not to pay attention to them and had a touch of the melancholy like the Fourth, worked well in groups, was springy, youthful, vibrant and occasionally wore glasses, like the Fifth, was flashy, vain, and a showboat like the Sixth, secretive like the Seventh, had semi-romantic relationships with his companions like the Eighth, and had all rage, pathos, and the lack of the desire to stay for celebrations of the Ninth. The Tenth Doctor always tried to give the baddies a pass, often offering to help them in some peaceful way, but when pushed, he brought the thunder. The Daleks started calling the Doctor “The Oncoming Storm” during the Time War and that name may best fit the Tenth, given all the fire and destruction he was willing to bring down on his foes.

Due to luck and a great deal of circumstance, this Doctor was able to use a regeneration only to heal himself instead of fully change, however after cheating “death,” the Tenth Doctor became more and more obsessed with his mortality. This initially confused audiences, as we didn’t know about the War Doctor or that his sort-of regeneration counted towards his total regeneration (Time Lords can regenerate twelve times), but this preoccupation makes more sense now that we know that he only had the one regeneration left. Tired of losing people and in a fit a rage, the Tenth Doctor broke the Laws of Time and started to go a little power mad until the person he had fought so hard to save sacrificed themselves to preserve the timeline and show the Doctor his folly. His clothes, while still slightly offbeat, were for once in fact, very stylish, he was cool as hell and he wanted everyone to know it. The Tenth Doctor was seen as a bit of a heartthrob, a direction that Capaldi has expressed no interest in following so I don’t think we will be seeing much of Ten in this new Doctor.

The Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith

The Eleventh Doctor was an old soul in a young man’s body. Like many people facing their twilight years, the Eleventh Doctor chose to focus on the parts of his life he liked and forget about all the bad. Out essentially for one last hurrah before the inevitable, this Doctor was out to live life to the fullest. He didn’t tell anyone that he had used up all his regenerations because he didn’t want to worry anyone or be the subject of anyone’s pity.More than perhaps any other incarnation, this Doctor enjoyed playing the hero. He loved the admiration of children. He was like if your loving old grandpa had been given all his youth and energy back. What brought the Eleventh joy was seeing the wonder of surprise and discovery in the eyes of those he surrounded himself with. He was so uncool that he actually managed to loop around to being cool again. His desire to keep those he cared about around, the Eleventh Doctor opted to be more accommodating in his travel arrangements. He gave his companions free reign to go about their lives with the understanding they could come and go as they please. The Doctor just didn’t want to be alone. Finally, after centuries of denying himself, he once again found himself a family in his companions Rory and Amy, which is why he fell into such a funk when he lost the ability to ever see them again.

Retreating to Victorian London, the Doctor had decided that he was just going to sulk and wait for death. Eventually driven out of his depression, the Eleventh Doctor spent his final days finding a sense of peace within himself for his actions during the Time War and defending the people of Trenselor and Gallifrey from all the forces of the universe who would destroy them. Ready to die, and maybe even happy about it, the Doctor was given another regeneration cycle by the Time Lords. so that he could continue to fight, and one day lead them home. As I said before, Matt Smith was inspired by Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor, adopting traits from Troughton and blending them with his own to create his own unique take on the Time Lord. As such Capaldi, needing to set the tone for a new era as well as a new Doctor can’t dip into either well for inspiration for fear of being accused of just copying Matt.

And now, ladies and gents, I introduce to you:

The Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi

Here he is folks, and he looks like a bad-ass! The new outfit feels like a blend of the First and Third Doctors, both of which I said would be a good fit for Capaldi.

“He’s woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord.” –Peter Capaldi

I’m very happy with the coat, but I do think it would work better all the way open. The lack of any neck adornment is an interest choice seeing as said lack of adornment is a trait shared with only the Fifth and Ninth Doctor. Another thing I seemed to have pegged right is how the Doctor/Clara relationship is going to be going forward, Capaldi calling the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in a recent interview “‘your boyfriend’ Doctors”. There still of course is the matter of personality, my prediction being that the Third Doctor will be the strongest influence, with a dash of grumpiness from the First Doctor. They’ll use a dash of the Seventh Doctor’s gamemaster bit to try and fill in for not being able to use much if any Troughton influence and the Ninth Doctor’s wide-eyed in your face nature.

Only time will tell if I’m right.

So what do you fine people have to add? Do you think my predictions will hold, and what are some of your own? Let us know in the comments below!

Sources: BBC America and BBC Blogs

Are people out there still watching Family Guy? I mean, they must be right? Otherwise, why would they continue to produce new episodes, especially when so many new shows are dying at the hands of TV executives. Maybe it’s just been popular for so long that the network is too scared to let it die. Let’s be honest though, Family Guy is just not what it used to be. Sure an episode will come along and it can partially justify why you ever liked it in the first place, but for every awesome episode, there are a dozen really unfunny episodes and maybe another half dozen okay episodes.

Seth MacFarlane is reaping all the benefits though. His show came back from the dead with a vengeance and now it’s on almost every single channel available. The creative mind behind the animated hit also has a new focus in the realm of cinema, and no pop culture icon past or present will ever be safe again. MacFarlane first introduced the world to a foul mouth teddy bear, Ted, who reminded everyone of a fuzzy little version of Peter Griffin. Ted was a massive success at the box office, raking in over $200+ million domestically plus another $300+ million in the foreign ticket sales. So obviously it won’t be the last time we see the stuffed pot smoking, Flash Gordon loving bear.

The reason though I ask if MacFarlane is the new go-to guy for R-rated comedies is because the new trailer for A Million Ways to Die in the West recently popped up online, and it’s actually pretty funny. The film has a hell of a cast, boasting actors like Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman. MacFarlane himself is starring in the film which is not going to help anyone steer away from the overly abundant Family Guy influence of the comedy. Family Guy‘s propensity to have something horrific happen followed by someone screaming, “OH! THAT WENT CRAZY SO FAST,” or something of that nature, is essentially set to take the place of, “That escalated quickly,” from Anchorman. And that’s not all the film seems to be borrowing from.

MacFarlane’s delightfully ridiculous hit show leaned heavily on pop culture jokes, and I can’t imagine we shouldn’t expect the same here, even if it is technically a period piece. A Million Ways to Die in the West, as funny as it looks, doesn’t feel overly original even outside of its Family Guy influences. Take the relationship of almost any buddy comedy, the gimmick of every Final Destination film except in the Wild West, and with more comedy, and finally throw in the Family Guy sensibilities. Blend it all together and you have this film. I could be wrong, and it could be that the trailer is just trying to appeal to all those Griffin family lovers still out there. Maybe it is indeed a recipe for success, at least for now.

The rise of the R-rated comedy has been steady over recent years. Todd Phillips was the go-to guy for a time, at least until he started recycling his own material over and over and over again to the point that audiences grew wise to the formula of The Hangover. Ted certainly felt like a changing of the guard, and with A Million Ways to Die in the West on its way it definitely feels like we are preparing to be steeped in the reign of Seth MacFarlane as the king of R-rated comedy for however long that lasts. Kevin Smith gave it a run there for a while, though his films never reached the success that Phillips did with The Hangover, MacFarlane with Ted or even Paul & Chris Weitz with American Pie.

I’d say MacFarlane has competition from the likes of someone like Judd Apatow, but his recent films like This is 40 and Funny People don’t feel like straight up comedies so much as dramas with a hefty bit of comedy thrown in for good measure. The only other duo I think could challenge the filmmaker at this point would be Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. and those guys have a background in family comedy. Lord and Miller of course are known for their work on family flicks like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the upcoming LEGO Movie, but they are also responsible for the hugely popular 21 Jump Street reboot and the upcoming sequel 22 Jump Street. As popular as 21 Jump street was though, it still has to look up at Ted which stands atop every R-rated comedy of the last decade.

So to answer my own question, yes, I think Seth MacFarlane is the new go-to R-rated comedy guru. I don’t want to pat myself on the back prematurely, or at all for that matter, at coming to this conclusion. We still have to wait and see if A Million Ways to Die in the West is even remotely as successful as Ted, but at this point I’m going out on a limb and saying it will be a hit, if maybe just not as big a hit as Ted. MacFarlane’s talking teddy bear, for all its raunchy dialogue, didn’t have the violence his new film will likely feature, plus Ted had an unexpected heart at the end of the day, and that’s something I also don’t think A Million Ways to Die in the West has going for it. Only time will tell though as A Million Ways to Die in the West opens on May 30, 2014.

What do you think of the trailer for A Million Ways to Die in the West? Who do you think is or should be the R-rated comedy guru? Thoughts on Seth MacFarlane? Sound off below!

I’m going to say it: I’m fine with Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in MOS2 or BVS or ZSFY or whatever you want to call the Superman sequel. Why, you ask with horrified rage, feeling the ground you thought was safe slip away from under you?

First, this is clearly a BIG reboot/re-imagining of the Supes universe into a dimension where he doesn’t mind so much letting thousands die (had to throw one last bit of snark towards MOS, sorry, I’m done now). Things are GOING to be different. They do it ALL the time in the comics. What do you think the New52 was? Sure, it sucked, (Batman was pretty good, but that’s Scott Snyder for you, who’s the only Snyder they should have considered to be in charge here) but it’s one of MANY times they’ve drastically changed up the universe. Zach Snyder’s heading this one up so I’d be surprised if they didn’t shake up some things to fit, whatever abortion he probably has planned regardless.

Second, Eisenberg seems born to play the brilliant but insecure super-villain. Arguably, from a different perspective, that’s what he WAS playing in “Now You See Me”. So what, he’s not as old as you’re USED to seeing Lex (for the record, in the comics, he started out as Superboy’s age). Even though he hasn’t always been the older cat who runs a giant corporation and spends all his resources trying to become President/killing Supes, but is instead more like an earlier incarnation of the character, you’re all furious? I can picture him having a grand old time chewing on that role and enjoying the hell out of watching him do it.

Third, well, I’m 3/4 convinced it’s going to be ‘meh’ anyway, so I’m not exactly emotionally invested at this point. I realize that puts me in a different camp than a lot of you who are excited for this, but even if I wasn’t so turned off by the first film, restraining expectations is ALWAYS a good thing. Adding Eisenberg does nothing but ‘up’ the potential of it being an enjoyable and surprising night at the theater. I think he’s an excellent actor who has been great in a number of roles. I don’t remember hearing anyone else complaining before now. Are you sure you’re not confusing him with Michael Cera?

I guess the whole thing doesn’t make sense to me. Had you just pictured someone else so determinedly that them going another way forces you to OMG WTF on the internet? Is it that he currently has hair? Is it that you don’t think he’s old enough (which, as I said, doesn’t even make sense to be upset about). Are you just mad that the rumor that it was going to be Bryan Cranston turned out to be, as many of us said, never going to really happen? Sometimes, I can’t figure you guys out.

By the way, did you hear they’re casting Justin Bieber as Green Lantern?

*Runs*

We are still a few months out from seeing how Anthony and Joe Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier turns out, but that’s not stopping Marvel from getting excited about the future of their golden boy. The studio is already planning on putting the Russo brothers at the helm of Captain America 3 without knowing how successful the upcoming sequel will fare at the box office. However, the third film likely won’t be greenlit until those box office receipts come in.

Word is that Marvel’s execs are pretty impressed with the work that the Russos have accomplished on the sequel and are ready to go all in with the duo moving forward. Since the film hasn’t been officially announced yet, the directors have not been signed an official deal, but with positive test screenings for The Winter Soldier in the books it seems another sequel is pretty much in the bag.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the year’s blockbusters I’m most looking forward to and depending on how it turns out seeing the siblings return for another go around will likely be just fine. If the trailer for the film is any indication I think there’s no doubt the film will be successful as part of the Marvel canon, especially since its central hero is part of one of the biggest films of the last couple years. The Winter Soldier is poised for a pretty big payday and it’s no wonder that Marvel is looking to lock these guys down for a followup.

A winter release for the third film is being discussed as Marvel and the Russo’s put their heads together to figure out where the hero’s journey will take him next. Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters April 4, 2014.

Are you excited for Captain America: The Winter Soldier? What did you think of the first film? Sound off below!

Via: Variety

Everybody has those video game franchises they are passionate about, the ones that either because of childhood nostalgia or simply overall quality mean a great deal to them. The Sly Cooper series is such a thing to me. Those games truly had it all: a stealth platformer series where you got to perform cool heists and occasionally save the day with charming characters and writing in a continuing narrative that could be appreciated by children and adults alike. What wasn’t there to love? I’ve often said that the Sly Cooper series could easily be adapted, which is why the second I heard there was a movie trailer, I dropped everything to go hunt this sucker down.

The trailer here excites and depresses me with every passing second. It was great to hear that both Bentley and Murray had the same voices as they do in the games (Matt Olsen and Chris Murphy respectively), but Sly has a new voice actor for this and that just bugs me. Kevin Miller has been the voice of Sly since day one and to my mind Miller’s voice is that character. I understand voice actors have to change every now and again, but Miller is still available as far as I can tell and the people making this film do have until 2016 to do the right thing and put Miller once again behind the mic.

Here is what Miller sounds like for anybody not in the know:

Moving on, Murray’s redesign just baffles me for two reasons. First, why did they feel the need to redesign him so drastically at all? Second, who thought that the look they gave him was good? Murray already went under a redesign for Sly 2, giving birth to the look of “The Murray” that Sly fans know and love today.

Murray in the games.

The whole timetable for the movie is screwed up as well. If this is supposed to be an adaptation of the first game, as all reports are indicating, then Murray shouldn’t be in his wresting gear and Bentley sure as hell shouldn’t be in his field gear OR driving the Cooper Van, as learning to drive a stick shift isn’t a skill Bentley had until he was forced to learn it in the second game. Speaking of Bentley, we don’t get to see his lower half at any point in the trailer, so we don’t know if they plan to put him in the wheelchair or not. Bentley didn’t receive the injury that paralyzed his legs until the end of Sly 2, but given how loose they are playing with each character’s personal development in the timeline, he very well could start the movie out in the chair. I consider Bentley’s injury and how he deals with it to be some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen in a work of all ages fiction, so you’ll have to forgive me if I seem a little touchy about it.

This has every potential to be good, and in fact I want it to be fantastic, but I do have some serious concerns. I guess we will have to see if the Cooper Gang can pull it off one more time come 2016.

As always, we want to hear from you. Are you excited for the Sly Cooper movie and what other video game series or stories are you passionate about? Let us know in the comments below!

Via IGN

This year, I turn thirty.

Pick your cliche; age is just a state of mind, thirty is the new twenty, you’re over the hill but should be living under a bridge. That last one is just mean, guys. I recognize my own inability to halt the progression of time (for now, don’t worry about it), but I do find myself feeling especially sentimental as my twenties come to a close.

Since I was twenty-four, my life has been shaped and guided by my love of film, and by the pursuit of that passion. Moving to Austin, as I’ve now mused to the point of rhetoric, was solely motivated by an obsessive desire to be nearer the Alamo Drafthouse. The obsessive viewing and attending of film-related events lead to networking with writers and critics, which in turn lead to my contributing to local sites, and the rest is blah blah blah.

What this boils down to is that I’m an incredibly lucky bastard who has been able to make a living doing what he’s loved doing since childhood. For all intents and purposes, I’ve been a big kid for as long as I can remember, but now I fear I may be ill-equipped to pay the tab for my deferred adulthood. So I do what most people do, I begin to take stock; taking inventory like the poor bastard in charge of the warehouse where the ark of the covenant is stowed.

There is of course the question to digest, posed by great philosophical minds the likes of Phoebe Buffay, as to what personal accomplishments have thus far been left on the proverbial table. To a person of any considerable worth, these accomplishments venture into the realm of wealth accrued, houses purchased, or even mountains…mounted. Staggeringly conversely, to a film geek unencumbered by worth, someone like myself, accomplishment walks hand-in-hand with viewing, and inversely failure is measured in cinematic blind spots.

With that in mind, I decided to launch The 30 Dozen. In this blog, I will be clearing my blind spots. Specifically, each month I will be striking from my must-see list one film released in the year I was born: 1984. I am spotlighting these dozen films that turn thirty as I do, and in so doing I hope to draw parallels to my own feelings on being an über movie geek entering a third decade.

It’s not my intention that this be a vanity project. You don’t really care what movies I’ve seen and which I haven’t, and Cthulu knows that no one associated with the films featured here will be laying eyes on the words I digitally scrawl across the world wide bathroom wall. My hope instead is that like-minded soon-to-be-30-something movie geeks will join me for a series of discussions prompted by our most cherished artistic medium. Every single person possesses a different approach to turning thirty, and to aging in general, but cinephiles like us have always used movies as a means to make sense of our world and enrich the context of our lives.

To wit, let’s get this party started. The first film inducted into The 30 Dozen is Bachelor Party.

Much like the gents in the film, I might enjoy parties a little too much. Point of fact, the line of chuckle-worthy dialogue, “let’s have a bachelor party with chicks and guns and fire trucks and hookers and drugs and booze,” sounded eerily reminiscent of me planning my annual New Year’s Evil bashes. I remembered that I was convinced, during the first year after my college graduation, that there had to be an expiration date on those carefree, booze-swilling shenanigans.

…and then I made friends with writers in Austin. These guys, by and large, drink like they are constantly attending Hemingway’s wake (a Hemingwake?), and it becomes very easy to get washed away in the warm frivolity and clink glass after glass in celebration of being accepted into such a fantastic community. Still, as the years trudge forward and the hangovers hang around longer, I can almost hear middle-aged me shouting backwards across what we perceive as time, “knock it the hell off, you infantile stooge!” Apparently future me is very fond of silent-movie-era insults. “So you like to party, and the people in the movie are partying,” derisive future me continues, “that’s not a significant parallel to draw from the narrative.”

Stuff a corn dog up it, future me. You’re missing the bigger picture, old man.

What makes Bachelor Party such an apt film to discover on the threshold of one’s thirties, is that the eponymous celebration is not merely another party…it’s a last hurrah. Traditionally, a bachelor party is an opportunity to be, for one last time, completely unburdened by responsibility. Now granted, I am myself a married man, and indeed my bachelor party in New Orleans got out of hand, but it did not bear that note of finality. At that point I had been with my wife for eight years, so I never felt like I was losing any freedom marrying someone I had known that I wanted to be with since I was in high school. Yeah, I know, “awww….vomit.”

So when does the grown-up sword of Damocles plunge down into my skull?

Bachelor Party shares the gleeful id-expulsion of more contemporary boner jams like The Hangover…which, given its emphasis on male bonding, might be more appropriately labeled a “bro”ner jam. I watched all three of those films as a critic, and found them incrementally less charming with each sequel. Were they really dropping off in quality, or was each year’s push toward thirty slowly waning my desire to vicariously indulge my own id? If my distaste for that series was charted via notches on the wall, could I actually measure the height of my impending crotchetiness?

This was the kernel of a thought planted in my head when I walked out of The Hangover III, and one that grew into ripe concern as I struggled through Bachelor Party. It’s not that I didn’t find it funny. It was, at points. Nor was the film without its charms, but that charm was nearly solely contingent upon Tom Hanks’ screen presence.

Having little to no exposure to younger Hanks (apart from Big, in which he is intentionally playing his adult character with childish overtones), I was under the false assumption that Bachelor Party, while raunchy by reputation, would be a bit more sophisticated than the average boner jam. I was incorrect. Still, even as the boobs ran rampant–satiating the prepubescent boys born woefully ahead of the advent of internet porn–I couldn’t help but latch on to the genuine affability of Tom Hanks’ character. Why was it that amid that marauding depravity and tit-for-tit-sake nudity I found Tom Hanks so damned likable?

And then it hit me, not just the answer to that question, but perhaps the comforting resolution to the troubling internal debate brought to a head by this Bachelor Party viewing. Tom Hanks’ character differs from those in The Hangover, our modern equivalent, in that through every moment of this rager thrown to send off his freedom, he never compromises the things that define him. He gets drunk, but unlike those Hangover bros, doesn’t have to descend into a drug-addled fugue state in order to traverse his own misadventures. And even as he is drowning in a sea of half-naked loose women, he’s the only one who doesn’t have sex with a prostitute nor indeed commit even the slightest of fidelity infractions. In fact through much of the film, he’s a sarcastic observer of the next-level debauchery of others morseo than a participant.

The script goes out of its way to establish this strength of character within Hanks’ Rick Gassko. In fact, the guy is so steadfast in his refusal to compromise his relationship for a moment of carnal indulgence that he actually ends up bucking romantic comedy convention. In most rom-coms, there is a moment which, for lack of a better term, I have dubbed the romantic MacGuffin. It’s the totally facile misunderstanding that leads two people who are supposedly madly in love to separate until the end of act three. When that moment arises in Bachelor Party, Hanks simply climbs up on a ledge and asks the party to vouch for his fidelity. And it’s done, the misunderstanding is instantly cleared up. It’s phenomenal. He’s that solid a guy.

So it clicked. Maybe it’s not the partying that needs to stop, and perhaps there is no definitive temporal no-fly zone for id-indulgence. The lesson here is not to retreat into a “party version” of oneself. If the drinking and less-than-responsible cavorting is altering your personality as opposed to augmenting it, you’re doing it wrong. I’ve learned that I want to be Tom Hanks, not Tom Sizemore. It’s not that I’m getting too old to party, I’m just fed up with not remembering the party’s best moments. Further satisfying was the knowledge that Hanks himself was twenty-eight when he made Bachelor Party; teetering on the precipice of the big 3-0 himself.

Send the hookers home, break out the guitar, and sing a goddamn chorus of Kumbaya. We’ve just had a bona fide moment of clarity here.

The other fascinating thing about being a near-thirty movie geek watching Bachelor Party for the first time is its accidental prescience with regard to the corporate destruction of the film-going experience. Near the end of the film, as the gang races to save Debbie from the clutches of her ex-boyfriend, a.k.a obligatory rich blonde 80s douchebag, they enter a movie theater with so many screens that they can’t find their way around. There is literally a sight gag involving a twisty, impossibly-complicated map of all the theaters in the building.

The early 1980s, according to my limited research, is the era in which the multiplex really began to have a presence in America. Before that, it was all about the smaller movie houses or the left-over, but still functional, movie palaces from the golden age of cinema. These days, the multiplex is the standard of film-going; standard as in ubiquitous, not in terms of quality. I find myself pining for the two-screen movie houses the likes of which I briefly got to enjoy as a sprat whenever I visited my grandparents in tiny Mt. Vernon, Illinois. What was a casual jab at silly novelty, is now a painful portent of the loss of theater individuality. Funnier still are the jokes about the absurd gimmick that was (*cough cough* still is) 3D. Maybe I’m alone on this, but that unintentional foresight still bums me out.

One month down; cutting it entirely too close by posting on the very last day of January. Still, perhaps one celebratory shot is in order. Just one shot…and a pinata…actually is it too late to order a Greyskull-shaped bouncy castle and a barrel of fireworks?

Brendan Behan once stated that “there is no such thing as bad publicity, except your own obituary.” After the week that World Wrestling Entertainment has had, I’m sure they vehemently disagree.

The embarrassment of last Sunday’s Royal Rumble has been talked about ad nauseum, so I won’t get too deep into that. The short of it is, despite a packed arena chanting in unison for Daniel Bryan, all in attendance were left unassuaged as he did not even appear in the thirty man-over the top rope challenge. Fans were so irate that they booed everyone still competing in the ring, even long-standing babyface Rey Mysterio and the newly returned Batista, the latter’s post-show interactions with the fans won’t earn him any points with them or probably with upper management.

Not even forty eight hours after, CM Punk (one of the top superstars in the company) no-showed the Tuesday taping for Friday Night SmackDown. He reportedly had a conversation with Vince McMahon and stated “I’m going home.” Now, whether this is attributed to the rumors of him being physically battered and burned out, or, as many believe, he was tired of the lack of upward mobility for himself and a few others (whom the crowd seem to cheer more so than some of the ‘company pets’).

But this is “sports entertainment.” Daniel Bryan being kept out of the Rumble could be a clever ploy to get the fans even more angry and even more behind Bryan. Punk leaving could be a clever angle, much like what was pulled in 2011. But considering how the WWE now has a movie star in the main event of Wrestlemania three years in a row, and that no-showing an event a wrestler was contracted to appear at is not good for business, this all appears to be real. It also appears to be more of “the Fed” doing what they think is best for business…as in giving their buddies a push, ignoring the fans and proving how out of touch with what makes a superstar in the 2010s.

For me, SXSW is more interesting than the Golden Globes, more important than the Oscars, and more exciting than any the other film events in Hollywood. SXSW represents the creativity and artistic integrity that can still exist in the film making community. That’s why it’s an exciting privilege and honor to reveal to you the 2014 SXSW features lineup. It’s an exciting and varied lineup and whilst I’ll be over here in Bonnie Scotland, OneOfUs’ Austin crew will be bringing you extensive coverage, video and podcasts over the course of the festival. Think of us as your one-stop source for what is happening throughout the entire festival.

Over the course of nine days, 115 films will screen featuring 68 films from first time filmmakers, 76 world premieres, 10 North American premieres, and 7 US premieres, including the Kickstarter-funded Veronica Mars movie. This list includes all 115 features to be shown with the Midnighters feature section, short film program, and conferences to be announced soon.

The list is extensive, so let’s get to it!

Narrative Features

‘10,000KM’ (World Premiere)(Spain)
Director: Carlos Marques Marcet Screenwriters: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet Autonell
A year of a long distance relationship, two computers and two cities – Los Angeles and Barcelona, can love survive 6,000 miles?
Cast: Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer

‘Animals’ (World Premiere)
Director: Collin Schiffli, Screenwriter: David Dastmalchian
Jude and Bobbie are a young, homeless couple who masterfully con and steal in an attempt to stay one step ahead of their addiction. They are ultimately forced to face the reality of their situation when one of them is hospitalized.
Cast: David Dastmalchian, Kim Shaw, John Heard

‘Before I Disappear’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Shawn Christensen
Based on the 2013 Academy Award® winning short film Curfew. At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his eleven-year-old niece, Sophia, for a few hours.
Cast: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Emmy Rossum, Paul Wesley, Ron Perlman, Richard Schiff

‘Fort Tilden’ (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers It shouldn’t be this hard for Allie and Harper to get to the beach.
Cast: Bridey Elliott, Clare McNulty, Griffin Newman, Jeffrey Scaperrotta, Neil Casey

‘The Heart Machine’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Zachary Wigon A man begins to suspect that his long-distance girlfriend, whom he met online but has never met in person, has been living in the same city the whole time and sets out to find her.
Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Lyn Sheil, David Call, Louisa Krauss.

‘I Believe in Unicorns’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Leah Meyerhoff
I Believe in Unicorns follows the lyrical journey of an imaginative teenage girl who runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter, but not even unicorns can save her now. Cast: Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack, Julia Garner, Amy Seimetz, Toni Meyerhoff.

‘The Mend’ (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: John Magary
A dark comedy about rage, doubt, lust, madness and other brotherly hand-me-downs.
Cast: Josh Lucas, Stephen Plunkett, Lucy Owen, Mickey Sumner, Austin Pendleton

‘Wild Canaries’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Lawrence Michael Levine When their elderly neighbor suddenly drops dead, a young Brooklyn couple investigates signs of foul play.
Cast: Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter

Documentary Features

‘Beginning With The End’ (World Premiere)
Director: David Marshall
Beginning With the End takes viewers on a profound, and profoundly moving, journey with a group of high school seniors working as trained hospice volunteers — a story of beginnings and endings in a year of self-discovery and awakening.

‘Born To Fly’ (World Premiere) (SXsports screening)
Director: Catherine Gund
Born To Fly pushes the boundaries between action and art, daring us to join choreographer Elizabeth Streb and her dancers in pursuit of human flight.

‘The Great Invisible’ (World Premiere)
Director: Margaret Brown
Penetrating the oil industry’s secretive world, The Great Invisible examines the Deepwater Horizon disaster through the eyes of oil executives, explosion survivors and Gulf Coast residents who were left to pick up the pieces when the world moved on.

‘The Immortalists’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Jason Sussberg, David Alvarado
Two eccentric scientists struggle to create eternal youth in a world they call “blind to the tragedy of old age.” As they battle their own aging and suffer the losses of loved ones, their scientific journeys ultimately become personal.

‘Impossible Light’ (World Premiere)
Director: Jeremy Ambers
Impossible Light reveals the drama and the daring of artist Leo Villareal and a small team of visionaries who battle seemingly impossible challenges to turn a dream of creating the world’s largest LED light sculpture into a glimmering reality.

‘Mateo’ (World Premiere) Director: Aaron I. Naar
Mateo follows America’s most notorious white mariachi singer on his misadventures in Cuba.

‘Print the Legend’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Luis Lopez, Clay Tweel
The 3D Printing revolution has begun. Who will make it?

‘Vessel’ (World Premiere)
Director: Diana Whitten
A fearless sea captain, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, sails a ship through loopholes in international law, providing abortions on the high seas, and leaving in her wake a network of emboldened activists who trust women to handle abortion on their own terms.

Headliners

‘Chef’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jon Favreau
Chef is a rich and vibrant comedy – the story of Carl Casper (Favreau), who loses his chef job and cooks up a food truck business in hopes of reestablishing his artistic promise. At the same time, he tries to reconnect with his estranged family.
Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Robert Downey, Jr., Emjay Anthony

Joe (U.S. Premiere)
Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Larry Brown, Gary Hawkins A gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption erupts in the contemporary South in this adaptation of Larry Brown’s novel.
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan

‘Neighbors’ (Worldwide Premiere – Work In Progress)
Director: Nicholas Stoller, Screenwriters: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby.
Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Kudrow

‘Predestination’ (Australia) (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
A riveting adventure through time centered on a secret government time traveling agency designed to prevent future killers and terrorists from committing their crimes. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor

‘Veronica Mars’
Director/Screenwriter: Rob Thomas, Screenwriter: Diane Ruggiero
Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulledback to her hometown, an ex-boyfriend with baggage, and an unraveling murder mystery. Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter, Ryan Hansen, Enrico Colantoni (World Premiere)

Narrative Spotlight

‘Break Point’(World Premiere – SXsports screening)
Director: Jay Karas, Screenwriters: Gene Hong, Jeremy Sisto
Two estranged brothers reunite to make an improbable run at a grand slam tennis tournament. The mismatched pair, with some unlikely help from a precocious 11-year-old boy, re-discover their game and their brotherhood.
Cast: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Joshua Rush, J.K. Simmons, Amy Smart

‘CESAR CHAVEZ’ (North American Premiere)
Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Keir Pearson, Timothy J. Sexton
Chávez chronicles the birth of a modern American movement led by famed civil rights leader and labor organizer, Cesar Chavez.
Cast: Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich, Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Gabriel Mann

‘Faults’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Riley Stearns
An expert on cults is hired by a mother and father to kidnap and deprogram their brainwashed daughter. He soon begins to suspect the parents may be more destructive than the cult he’s being hired to save her from.
Cast: Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Ellis, Lance Reddick, Jon Gries

‘The Frontier’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Rabinowitz, Screenwriter: Carlos Colungu
An estranged son travels back home to confront his overbearing father to see if there is any relationship left between them.
Cast: Max Gail, Coleman Kelly, Anastassia Sendyk, Katherine Cortez, Oliver Seitz

‘Kelly Cal’ (World Premiere)
Director: Jen McGowan, Screenwriter: Amy Lowe Starbin Kelly
Cal explores the heartfelt, somewhat absurd moments in our lives when we seek out a little bit of extra attention.
Cast: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston, Josh Hopkins, Cybil Shepherd

‘The Mule’ (Australia ) (World Premiere)
Directors: Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson In 1983, a naive man is detained by Australian Federal Police with lethal narcotics hidden in his stomach. Caught, ‘The Mule’ makes a desperate choice…to defy his bodily functions and withhold the evidence…literally.
Cast: Hugo Weaving, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Ewen Leslie, Geoff Morrell, Georgina Haig, Noni Hazlehurst, John Noble

‘A Night In Old Mexico’ (USA / Spain) (World Premiere)
Director: Emilio Aragón, Screenwriter: William D. Wittliff
Forced to give up his land and home, Texas rancher Red Bovie isn’t about to retire quietly in a dismal trailer park. Instead he hits the road with his estranged grandson for one last adventure.
Cast: Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irvine, Angie Cepeda, Luis Tosar, Joaquín Cosio

‘Patrick’s Day’(Ireland) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Terry McMahon
A young man with mental health issues becomes intimate with a suicidal air hostess but his obsessive mother enlists a dysfunctional cop to separate them.
Cast: Kerry Fox, Moe Dunford, Catherine Walker, Philip Jackson

‘Sequoia’ (World Premiere)
Director: Andy Landen, Screenwriter: Andrew Rothschild Faced with stage three cancer, a young woman sets out to end her life on her own terms, in Sequoia National Park.
Cast: Aly Michalka, Dustin Milligan, Todd Lowe, Demetri Martin, Sophi Bairley

‘She’s Lost Control’ (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Anja Marquardt Ronah’s life unravels when she starts working with a new client, Johnny.
Cast: Brooke Bloom, Marc Menchaca, Dennis Boutsikaris, Laila

‘Take Care’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Liz Tuccillo
After being hit by a car, a woman (Leslie Bibb) comes home to realize her friends don’t really want to take care of her. Desperate for help, she turns to an unlikely source.
Cast: Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski, Betty Gilpin, Michael Stahl David, Nadia Dajani

‘Thank You a Lot’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Muir A struggling, two-bit music manager will lose his job unless he signs a reclusive country music singer, James Hand, who also happens to be his estranged father.
Cast: Blake DeLong, James Hand, Robyn Rikoon, Sonny Carl Davis, Jeffery Da’Shade Johnson

‘Things People Do’ (North American Premiere)
Director: Saar Klein, Screenwriters: Joe Conway, Saar Klein
Bill Scanlin loses his job and embarks on a life of crime. As Bill stays ahead of the law, he discovers that sometimes the only thing worse than getting caught is getting away with it. Cast: Wes Bentley, Jason Isaacs, Vinessa Shaw, Haley Bennett

‘Two Step’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Alex R. Johnson
Two Step is a fast-paced Texas thriller in which the lives of James, a directionless college dropout, and Webb, a career criminal with his back against the wall, violently collide.
Cast: Beth Broderick, James Landry Hébert, Skyy Moore, Jason Douglas, Ashley Rae Spillers

‘We’ll Never Have Paris’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Jocelyn Towne, Simon Helberg, Screenwriter: Simon Helberg We’ll Never Have Paris is a clumsy and at once human account of screwing up on a transcontinental level in a noble effort to win back “the one.”
Cast: Simon Helberg, Maggie Grace, Melanie Lynskey, Alfred Molina, Zachary Quinto, Jason Ritter

Documentary Spotlight

‘Above All Else’ (World Premiere)
Director: John Fiege
A former stuntman and high wire artist puts his family and future on the line when he rallies a group of East Texas landowners and activists to blockade the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

‘Butterfly Girl’ (World Premiere)
Director: Cary Bell Abbie came of age in honky tonks, defying her life threatening disease, but all the while longing for an identity of her own. Now that she is 18, how much is she willing to sacrifice for her independence?

‘DamNation’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Travis Rummel, Ben Knight This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers.

‘Doc of the Dead’ (World Premiere)
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe The definitive zombie culture documentary, from the makers of The People vs. George Lucas. Doc of the Dead traces the rise and evolution of the zombie genre, its influence on pop culture, and investigates the possibility of an actual zombie outbreak.

‘Harmontown’ (World Premiere)
Director: Neil Berkeley A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon (NBC’s “Community”) as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.

‘LADY VALOR: The Kristin Beck Story’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Sandrine Orabona, Mark Herzog A former U.S. Navy Seal seeks life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness living life as a transgender woman.

‘The Legend Of Shorty’ (UK) (World Premiere)
Directors: Angus MacQueen, Guillermo Galdos
‘The Legend of Shorty’ is the story of a man and a myth.

‘Manny’ (World Premiere) (SXsports screening)
Directors: Ryan Moore, Leon Gast From abject poverty to international hero, Manny Pacquiao rose to fame in the boxing ring. At the height of his career, Manny entered the political arena. As history’s only boxing Congressman, Manny is faced with a new challenge.

‘Seeds of Time’ (North American Premiere)
Director: Sandy McLeod ‘Seeds of Time’ follows agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler’s global journey to save the eroding foundation of our food supply in a new era of climate change.

‘Supermensch’ (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Mike Myers
Mike Myers makes his directorial debut with this star-packed documentary about the legendary Shep Gordon, who managed the careers of Alice Cooper, Blondie, Luther Vandross, and Raquel Welch — and still had time to invent the “celebrity chef”.

‘That Guy Dick Miller’ (World Premiere)
Director: Elijah Drenner
‘That Guy Dick Miller’ is the incredible true story of the wannabe-writer, turned accidental character-actor.

‘Wicker Kittens’ (World Premiere) (SXsports screening)
Director: Amy C. Elliott
Every January, the country’s largest jigsaw puzzle contest is held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wicker Kittens invites you to choose your favorite team and watch them try to put the pieces back together.

‘Visions ‘Arlo and Julie’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Steve Mims
A neurotic couple’s obsession with a mysterious puzzle comically unravels their world, disconnecting them from reality and jeopardizing their fragile relationship.
Cast: Alex Dobrenko, Ashley Spillers, Chris Doubek, Sam Eidson, Hugo Zesati

‘Beyond Clueless’ (UK)(World Premiere)
Director: Charlie Lyne
Narrated by cult teen star Fairuza Balk, Beyond Clueless is a dizzying journey into the mind, body and soul of the teen movie, as seen through the eyes of over 200 modern coming-of-age classics.

‘Big Significant Things’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Bryan Reisberg
A week before they move across the country together, Craig lies to his girlfriend in order to go on his first road trip – to the south. Alone.
Cast: Harry Lloyd, Krista Kosonen

‘Buzzard’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Joel Potrykus
Devil masks, metal, video games, Mountain Dew, and a Party Zone. Scheming slackers of the world unite and take over!
Cast: Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Teri Ann Nelson, Alan Longstreet, Rico Bruce Wade

‘Creep’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass
When a videographer answers a Craigslist ad for a one-day job in a remote mountain town, he finds his client is not at all what he initially seems.
Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

‘Cumbres’ (Heights) (Mexico) (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Gabriel Nuncio
Due a tragedy, two sisters abruptly escape from their hometown in Northern Mexico. Their journey creates a bittersweet relationship marked by pain, guilt and love.
Cast: Aglae Lingow, Ivanna Michel, Abdul Marcos, Sergio Quiñones, Ganzo Cepeda

‘The Dance of Reality’ (Chile / France) (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Alejandro Jodorowsky
The Dance of Reality is a 2013 independent autobiographical film written, produced and directed by Alejandro Jodorowosky.
Cast: Brontis Jodorowsky, Pamela Flores, Jeremias Herskovits, Cristobal Jodorowsky, Bastián Bodenhöfer, Alejandro Jodorowsky

‘Evaporating Borders’ (USA / Cyprus)(North American Premiere)
Director: Iva Radivojevic
Evaporating Borders is a poetically photographed and rendered film on tolerance and search for identity. Told through 5 vignettes portraying the lives of migrants on the island of Cyprus, it passionately weaves themes of displacement and belonging.

‘Evolution of a Criminal’ (World Premiere)
Director: Darius Clark Monroe
How does a 16 year-old evolve into a bank robber?

‘Housebound’ (New Zealand) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Gerard Johnstone
When Kylie Bucknell is sentenced to home detention, she’s forced to come to terms with her unsociable behaviour, her blabbering mother and a hostile spirit who seems less than happy about the new living arrangement.
Cast: Morgana O’Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Cameron Rhodes, Millen Baird

‘The Infinite Man’ (Australia)(World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Hugh Sullivan
The Infinite Man is a time travel comedy-romance about a man whose attempts to construct the perfect romantic weekend backfire when he traps his lover in an infinite loop.
Cast: Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, Alex Dimitriades

‘Open Windows’ (Spain) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Nacho Vigalondo
Nick’s a lucky guy – he’s having dinner with Jill Goddard, the hottest actress on earth. Then a guy named Chord calls: dinner’s been canceled. And it’s Jill’s fault. But Chord’s got something better… A 21st Century Rear Window.
Cast: Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey, Neil Maskell, Adam Quintero, Ivan Gonzalez.

‘Other Months’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Nick Singer
Marking time as an itinerant plumber, and haunted by recurrent nightmares, Nash hungers for the fleeting ecstasies of nightclubs and bedrooms. Other Months is a stark, honest portrait of disconnection—a young man coming to face his paralysis.
Cast: Christopher Bonewitz, Britannie Bond, Emma Morrison-Cohen, Liam Ahern, David Rudi Utter

‘The Possibilities Are Endless’ (UK) (World Premiere)
Directors: Edward Lovelace, James Hall Scottish musician.
Edwyn Collins’ world was shattered by a devastating stroke. After fighting back from the brink of death, he discovers that life, love and language mean even more to him that he could ever have imagined.

‘Premature’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Dan Beers, Screenwriter: Mathew Harawitz
On the most important day of his young life, a high school senior is forced to relive his failed attempt at losing his virginity over and over again, until he gets it right.
Cast: John Karna, Katie Findlay, Craig Roberts, Carlson Young, Adam Riegler

‘Song from the Forest’ (Germany)(North American Premiere)
Director: Michael Obert
A modern epic set between rainforest and skyscrapers.

‘Space Station 76’(World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jack Plotnick, Screenwriters: Jennifer Cox, Sam Pancake, Kali Rocha, Michael Stoyanov
Welcome to the future of the past.
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Kylie Rogers

‘Surviving Cliffside’ (World Premiere)
Director: Jon Matthews
A West Virginia family faces illness, addiction, and gun violence—while their daughter makes a run for Little Miss West Virginia.

‘The Wilderness of James’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Johnson
A restless teenager explores the wilderness of his city while struggling with the absence of his father.
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Virginia Madsen, Isabelle Fuhrman, Evan Ross, Danny DeVito

Episodic Screenings

‘COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey’
Directors: Brannon Braga, Bill Pope, Screenwriters: Ann Druyan, Steven Soter
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey is a thrilling, 13-part adventure across the universe of space and time revealed by science, exploring humanity’s heroic quest for a deeper understanding of nature. Narrator: Neil deGrasse Tyson

‘Deadbeat’ (World Premiere)
Director: Troy Miller, Written And Co-Created By: Cody Heller, Brett Konner
Kevin Pacalioglu may have no money and no clue, but he does have one thing–he can see dead people. Faced with New York’s most stubborn ghosts, our hapless medium goes to whatever lengths necessary to help finish their unfinished business.
Cast: Tyler Labine, Cat Deeley, Brandon T. Jackson, Lucy DeVito

‘From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series’ – Pilot (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Robert Rodriguez
The Gecko Brothers are back. Based on the thrill-ride film, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series is a supernatural crime saga from Creator, Director and EP Robert Rodriguez premiering March 11 on El Rey Network.
Cast: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia, Lane Garrison, and Wilmer Valderrama, and Don Johnson

‘Halt and Catch Fire’ (World Premiere)
Director: Juan Jose Campanella, Screenwriters: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers Halt and Catch Fire captures the rise of the PC era in the early 1980s, during which an unlikely trio – a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy – take personal and professional risks in the race to build a computer that will change the world as they know it.
Cast: Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Rio Davis, Kerry Bishe, Toby Huss, David Wilson Barnes

‘Penny Dreadful’ (USA / UK)(World Premiere)
Directors: John Logan, Juan Antonio Bayona, Screenwriter: John Logan
Penny Dreadful is a psychological horror series that re-imagines literature’s most terrifying characters (Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula) in a whole new light. Cast: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Reeve Carney, Rory Kinnear, Billie Piper, Danny Sapani, Harry Treadaway

‘Silicon Valley’ (World Premiere)
Director: Mike Judge, Created By: Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, Episode One Written By Mike Judge & John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. Episode Two Written By Carson Mell.
The new HBO series takes a comic look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Cast: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Christopher Evan Welch, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross

24 Beats Per Second

‘The 78 Project Movie’ (World Premiere)
Director: Alex Steyermark
The 78 Project is a journey to connect today’s musicians with the recordings of the past. Using a 1930’s Presto recorder, artists get one take to cut a 78rpm record anywhere, finding in that adventure a new connection to our shared cultural legacy.

‘AMERICAN INTERIOR’ (Wales)(World Premiere)
Directors: Dylan Goch, Gruff Rhys
Two men. Two quests. Two centuries apart. Four ways to experience the search for a lost tribe. Film. Book. Album . App.

‘The Case of the Three Sided Dream’ (World Premiere)
Director: Adam Kahan
The documentary film on the life and legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a one of a kind musician, personality, activist and windmill slayer who despite being blind, becoming paralyzed, and facing America’s racial injustices – did not relent.

‘Deep City’ (World Premiere)
Directors: Dennis Scholl, Marlon Johnson
Deep City is an inspirational story that explores the early days of soul music in South Florida, the pioneers of that era and their lasting contributions to the broader American musical landscape.

‘God Help the Girl’ (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch
An indie musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian about two girls and a boy and the music they made one Glasgow summer.
Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Pierre Boulanger, Cora Bissett

‘JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY’ (World Premiere)
Director: Greg Olliver
A down & dirty documentary on the life and career of blues legend Johnny Winter, featuring Edgar Winter, James Cotton, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Luther Nallie, Tommy Shannon, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and more.

‘Leave The World Behind’ (UK)(World Premiere)
Director: Christian Larson
A documentary following the break-up of Swedish House Mafia and their subsequent One Last Tour. A rare look at the electronic scene, amazing live footage and the psychological drama of 3 guys who walked away from everything to save their friendship.

‘Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton’ (This Is Stones Throw Records)
Director: Jeff Broadway
Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records.

‘Que Caramba es la Vida’ (Germany) (World Premiere)
Director: Doris Dörrie
In the macho world of Mariachi music, very few women can hold their own. Just like the songs they play, this film is a snapshot of life, death and the things in between – seen from a bird’s-eye perspective.

‘Road To Austin’ (World Premiere)
Director: Gary Fortin
Road To Austin, chronicles how Austin, Texas became the Live Music Capital of the World, dating from 1835 to present day. The film builds to a climax and weaves its way towards an all-star live performance led by Stephen Bruton and his 14-piece band.

‘Rubber Soul’ (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jon Lefkovitz
Rubber Soul reconstructs portions of two historical interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono based on available transcripts and audio, juxtaposing them in order to explore the dynamic nature of Lennon’s identity over time. Cast: Joseph Bearor, Denice Lee, Dillon Porter, Andrew Perez

‘Sheffield: Sex City’ (UK) (World Premiere)
Director: Florian Habicht
Dylan said ‘Don’t Look Back’ – but what happens if you do?

‘Soul Boys of the Western World’(UK) (World Premiere)
Director: George Hencken
A voyage through the heart of the 80s with one of the decade’s most iconic bands, Spandau Ballet, this archive-only film tells the story of a group of working-class London lads who created a global music Empire, but at a price none of them imagined.

‘SVDDXNLY’ (World Premiere)
Director: David Laven
SVDDXNLY uncovers the young life and career of A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob, from humble Harlem beginnings to their rapid rise to fame.

‘Take Me to the River’ (World Premiere) Director: Martin Shore
Take Me to the River is a film about the soul of American music. The film follows the recording of a new album featuring legends from Stax records and Memphis mentoring and passing on their musical magic to stars and artists of today.

‘The Winding Stream’ (World Premiere)
Director: Beth Harrington
The Winding Stream is the story of the American music dynasty, the Carters and Cashes, and their decades-long influence on popular music.

SXGlobal

‘The Desert’ (Argentina)(North American Premiere)
Director: Christoph Behl
The failed story of a love triangle in a post-apocalyptic world.
Cast: Victoria Almeida, William Prociuk, Lautaro Delgado

‘For Those in Peril’ (UK) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Wright
In a remote Scottish town, a young man is the lone survivor of a strange fishing accident that claimed the lives of 5 men. Spurred on by sea-going folklore, the village blames him for this tragedy, making him an outcast amongst his own people.
Cast: George Mackay, Michael Smiley, Nichola Burley, Kate Dickie

‘The Special Need’ (Germany / Italy / Austria)(North American Premiere)
Director: Carlo Zoratti
Searching for “the first time” Alex, Carlo and their autistic friend Enea find a lot more than they were looking for…

‘Ukraine Is Not A Brothe’(Australia)
Director: Kitty Green
A feature documentary that reveals the truth behind Ukraine’s topless feminist sensation, ‘Femen’.

‘Wetlands’ (Germany)
Director: David F. Wnendt, Screenwriters: Claus Falkenberg, David F. Wnendt
18-year-old Helen has her very own view on life, hygiene and good sex. she loves to shock people with unexpected and un-girly behavior.
Cast: Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Meret Becker, Marlen Kruse, Peri Baumeister

‘A Wolf at the Door’ (Brazil) (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Fernando Coimbra
A nerve-rattling tale of a kidnapped child and the distraught parents left behind that captures the darkness that ensues when panic breeds suspicion and love turns to hate.
Cast: Milhelm Cortaz, Leandra Leal, Fabiula Nascimento Festival Favorites

‘Bad Words’
Director: Jason Bateman, Screenwriter: Andrew Dodge
Jason Bateman’s feature directorial debut is the subversive comedy Bad Words. Bateman stars as Guy, who finds a loophole in the rules of a national spelling bee and causes trouble by hijacking the competition.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Philip Baker Hall, Allison Janney

‘Boyhood’
Director/Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
One family’s journey shot over the course of 12 years.
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater

‘The Case Against 8’
Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White
A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

‘The Dog’
Directors: Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
An astonishing documentary portrait of the late John Wojtowicz, whose attempted robbery of a Brooklyn bank to finance his male lover’s sex-reassignment surgery was the real-life inspiration for the classic Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon.

‘For No Good Reason’ (England)
Director: Charlie Paul
Johnny Depp pays a call on his friend and hero Ralph Steadman and we take off on a high-spirited, raging and kaleidoscopic journey discovering the life and works of one of the most distinctive radical artists of the last 50 years.

‘Frank’
Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan
Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon, who discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins a band of eccentric musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara.
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender, Scoot McNairy, Carla Azar

‘Hellion’
Director/Screenwriter: Kat Candler
When 13-year-old Jacob’s delinquent behavior results in the authorities placing his little brother Wes with their aunt, he and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for their actions and each other in order to bring Wes home.
Cast: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars

‘The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz’
Director: Brian Knappenberger
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, from the development of RSS and Reddit to his groundbreaking work in political organizing and the tragic taking of his own life at the age of 26.

‘JIMI: All Is By My Side’ (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: John Ridley
Covering a year in Hendrix’s life from 1966-67, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend. Cast: Andre Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Ruth Negga, Adrian Lester

‘Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter’
Director/Screenwriter: David Zellner, Screenwriter: Nathan Zellner
A lonely Japanese woman abandons her structured life in Tokyo to seek a satchel of money rumored to be hidden in the Minnesota wilderness.
Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Shirley Venard

‘No No: A Dockumentary’ (SXsports screening)
Director: Jeffrey Radice
In the 1970s Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on LSD and courted conflict and controversy, but his latter years were spent helping others recover from addiction. No No: A Dockumentary weaves a surprising story of a life in and out of the spotlight.

‘Obvious Child’
Director/Screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre
Obvious Child is an unapologetically honest comedy about what happens when 27 year‑old Brooklyn stand-up comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, Gabe Liedman, David Cross

‘Only Lovers Left Alive’
Director/Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
A story centered on two vampires who have been in love for centuries. Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin

‘Ping Pong Summer’
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Tully
Coming soon…Summer 1985.
Cast: Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, Robert Longstreet

‘The Raid 2’
Director/Screenwriter: Gareth Evans
Picking up from right where the first film ends, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in the police force.
Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadwo Special Events

‘All American High: Revisited’
Director: Keva Rosenfeld
All American High: Revisited is a time capsule of teen life in the 1980s, a long-lost documentary that captures an unforgettable era through the eyes of those who lived it.

‘Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater’ (France / Portugal / US)(U.S. Premiere)
Director: Gabe Klinger
A documentary portrait of the friendship between the renowned filmmakers James Benning and Richard Linklater.

‘GODZILLA: THE JAPANESE ORIGINAL’ (Japan)
Director: Ishiro Honda, Screenwriters: Takeo Murata, Ishiro Honda
The 1954 classic that inspired the modern monster movie (national re-release from Rialto Pictures in April). Q&A with Gareth Edwards, director of the summer 2014 film Godzilla, from Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures.
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ – Extended Q&A with Wes Anderson Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars; and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; a desperate chase on motorcycles, trains, sleds, and skis; and the sweetest confection of a love affair – all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ – 40th Anniversary Screening Director/Screenwriter: Tobe Hooper, Screenwriter: Kim Henkel An idyllic summer afternoon becomes a terrifying nightmare for five young friends after they stumble upon the home of a depraved Texas clan.
Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen

Are you excited about this year’s SXSW? What films or TV would you like to see in your local theater? Comment below!

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