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Writer-Director Stephen Kijak on 'Shoplifters of the World'

March 30, 2021

When iconic English rock band THE SMITHS broke up in 1987, their legions of highly devoted superfans around the world were crushed. Fans' devotion to the band's music elicited tears, heartbreak, anger, confusion and, as an urban legend has it, a host...

‘Concrete Cowboy’ Highlights The Power of the Inner-City Horseman

March 30, 2021

The visuals of Concrete Cowboy are stunning; a horse running alongside a bus route in the middle of Philadelphia. A rodeo in an empty urban field. A sunset highlighting the beauty of urban decay and the silhouette of a cowboy in the distance. What’s ...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: The Burning Presence of Tilda Swinton in ‘The Human Voice’

March 29, 2021

It’s not often that Tilda Swinton stars in a short film. Nor is it frequent that director Pedro Almodóvar (Volver, The Skin I Live In) would endeavor to make a short film of someone else’s work. But right now is far from ordinary, and there’s little ...

Afro Horror: Upgrading Your Creature Feature

March 26, 2021

This past week, I hosted a Clubhouse Q & A with my friend through the internet, Josh Rubin. At the top of our discussion we talked about our love for creature features, specifically werewolves. Perhaps in part due to the fact that Rubin’s own fil...

History of TV: The Masterful Characterization of BBC's 'Luther'

March 25, 2021

I’ve watched the Luther pilot three times. The BBC series started in 2010 and despite being “on” for nearly a decade, features only five seasons of bizarre, sadistic murders and mayhem on the dark and moody streets of London — with Idris Elba as DCI ...

‘Jumbo’ Is an Impressive, Sexy and Wild Ride

March 24, 2021

If slightly scary metal rides at the fair have never stirred arousal (or at the very least, caused an upchuck of guts), Belgian filmmaker Zoé Wittock will make one reconsider — and perhaps find the nearest traveling fair as soon as possible. Jumbo te...

Palmer' Screenwriter Cheryl Guerriero on the Role of Patience in Moviemaking

March 24, 2021

Palmer screenwriter Cheryl Guerriero knows something about patience when it comes to getting a movie made. She got the idea for Palmer's script back in 2007, but it would take 12 years for the film to finally see the light of day.

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Long Weekend’ Has Audiences Packing Their Bags for A Romantic Escape

March 22, 2021

Long Weekend is one of those romantic comedies that sticks to the guts harder than one may imagine. At first glance it seems a simple walk-and-talk piece; down-on-his-luck guy meets unexpected girl and they have a night at some dive bars that seems o...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'The Courier' Delivers a High Stakes Cold War Thriller

March 19, 2021

The Courier is the story of how an everyman helps change the course of history. In 1960, a British salesperson becomes a reluctant spy alongside his Soviet source, sneaking out vital nuclear information in the midst of the Cold War. Written by Tom O’...