An Interview with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

You may remember back in February when I interviewed screenwriter Kris Simonian about the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid TV pilot he’s developing called Hole in the Wall. A lot has happened since then, including casting. So today, on the last day of the show’s crowdfunding efforts on Mobcaster, I give you an interview with Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid themselves, Mark Gantt and Thatcher Robinson! From here on out, I refer to them with their character’s names. So without further delay, I give you an interview with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!

Before I start though – please take some time to visit the Hole in the Wall Mobcaster page and consider donating to the show. It’s a great premise and a series I would love to see get picked up.

1) What is it about Kris and Ben’s vision of Butch & Sundance that intrigued you to pursue this show?

Butch:  First word that comes to mind is PASSION, second word PASSION. Ben and Kris are two guys that are so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about this subject, the time period and the history. When I read the pilot and series bible I was so impressed with the thoroughness and attention to detail. I feel like I’m in safe hands with them.

Sundance: I think the initial appeal, for me at least, was almost entirely about playing an outlaw. There’s a yearning in the back of my mind, and I think most people’s, to just throw all societal attachments to the wind and travel from town to town, living by your bootstraps. I think it’s primal, it’s just not usually acted upon. Sundance is a guy who acted upon it, and this was my best chance to get as close to that adventure as I could.

Beyond that initial appeal, though, Kris and Ben’s take on the legend of Butch and Sundance is about demystifying the pair and depicting the human beings that became the legendary figures we still know more than a century later. There’s really not an extensive canon on Butch and Sundance and this project is going back to their origins, to show how the relationship began and how the two grew over time. That’s extremely exciting for me, because not only do we get a chance to plant our flag in mostly unexplored territory but also because I’ll get to discover Sundance and the person he was for a long time to come. Yes, the dialogue is fast and witty and ridiculously fun to say, but these are real people who bleed and exploring people who bleed is why I act in the first place.

Mark Gantt as Butch Cassidy

2) While preparing for the role, are you purposely staying away from Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s interpretation of the characters?

Butch:  God yes! There was of course some hesitation to playing the role of Butch Cassidy. I remember the Beringer film and I just felt that they were trying hard to cast him to look like Newman. At the end of the day, I have to create my own Cassidy. And be prepared for the ‘haters’!

Sundance:  I know I am. I saw the movie a few years ago and obviously those two are fantastic. They were in their prime, and I would be doomed if I tried to imitate what they did. Beyond that, we’re looking at a completely different time in Butch and Sundance’s lives. In the movie they’re nearing the end of their time together and our show is looking at the beginning of their relationship, many years previous. If you put Newman and Redford’s performances in our show they would be fun and charismatic, no doubt, but it would be inaccurate because these guys were not the same people at the beginning as they were at the end.

3) Is there a certain level of excitement and pride working on not only a pilot, but an independent project that has a more grassroots vibe?

Butch:  Absolutely. This is such an exciting time for filmmakers right now. We’ve got an opportunity to create something really awesome for a fraction of the budget you’d need just ten years ago. As I mentioned before, passion goes a long way in this town. I think we’ve all got enough to carry this to the finish line.

Sundance: Oh absolutely. We have that “nobody believes in us” underdog mentality right now, and I know that I’m eager to prove wrong everybody who doubts this project or passes on it. And when we succeed we will know how hard-earned it all was. Nothing was given to Kris and Ben and they worked their butts off to make their dream come true. I only hope I can do everything I can to contribute to that dream.

Thatcher Robinson as The Sundance Kid

4) Switching subjects completely, what’s your go – to book recommendation? Why?

Butch:  When people are traveling I always suggest a Graham Greene short story collection. You can’t go wrong.

Sundance: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. I read it a few years ago and no book has lingered on my mind as much since. The story is equal parts exhilarating and tragic, Kavalier and Clay are a duo on par with Butch and Sundance, and Chabon sets it all in a 1940s New York that he paints with exquisite and aching detail. I highly, highly recommend it.

5) Any Last Words?

Sundance: I primarily want to thank Kris and Ben for taking a leap of faith and trusting me with the part of Sundance. Also, to anybody reading this, I hope you’ll consider investing in the project. It’s a fun, rollicking script put together by an amazingly dedicated team, and I truly believe in its quality. You could be a part of something special from the ground floor up.

Friday 5 Questions with Mike Tyrkus, Editor-in-Chief of CinemaNerdz.com

This week, I’m stepping away from the typical author, musician, film director cadence I’ve been on recently, and featuring a fellow blogger. For today’s Friday 5, I welcome Mike Tyrkus of CinemaNerdz!

I’ve known Mike from my days of writing freelance for the VideoHound’s Movie Retriever. By the time that blog ended, I had written several reviews, feature stories, and participated in a 24 Hour Movie Marathon with Mike. My wife and I joined Team Movie Retriever to watch movies to benefit the Michigan Children’s Leukemia Foundation. So, when Mike let me know about the start of CinemaNerdz, I was on-board 100%.  In fact, if you want to see my recent features and reviews, check out my archive HERE. Enough about me though, it’s Mike’s time to shine.

1) What is it about movies that made you want to be a film critic, and as an extension, start CinemaNerdz.com?

The first film review I ever wrote was for my college paper, it was on The Silence of the Lambs. At that point I remember thinking that if you could somehow convince someone to pay you to watch movies and talk or write about them, you would have really achieved something. Well, I’m still waiting for someone to start paying me but the job has had its benefits nevertheless. I’ve always looked at the art of the cinema as sort of the coming together of most art disciplines. That point of view is what I think keeps me interested after all this time. There’s always something new to discover in film (even in a film you’ve seen dozens of times). Coming from a film criticism and academic background, I strive to keep my verbosity at bay (though some may say I fail miserably sometimes) and try to let people know simply whether they should spend their hard-earned money at the movies. That was kind of the impetus behind CinemaNerdz. Too often, criticism can become enamored with its own self-importance. Don’t get me wrong, that’s fine in the right context, but sometimes a reader just wants to know what will keep them entertained for 90 minutes.

I love CinemaNerdz!

2) Aside from the reviews, what is one thing you consider a key differentiator for CinemaNerdz that folks couldn’t find anywhere else?

That’s easy, the writers. Without their voice, CinemaNerdz would be just another movie web site regurgitating the news of the day. The variety of styles that all of the very talented writers that the site employs are what singles us out. We’ve got your typical film geeks, film scholars, housewives, a few everyman critics that just tell you whether you’ll enjoy the film or not, and we’ve even got our own resident child critic to give us the age-specific perspective on films that most critics would dismiss as garbage. In essence, it takes a lot of different Nerdz to make up CinemaNerdz.

3) What’s the most exciting thing that you’ve been exposed to as a result of movie reviews?

That’s a little harder to answer. There have been a lot of great experiences that have come my way because of this, as well as all of the great people I’ve had the opportunity to meet over the years. But, I’d have to say the most exciting thing has been being invited to join the Detroit Film Critics Society back in 2011. Being a member of that group as well as serving on the Leadership Committee has been a tremendous experience.

4) Since I’m all about dirt, what’s the worst movie you’ve ever reviewed?

Without a doubt, it would have to be The Happening. Watching it, I constantly felt as though I was watching something that the director really didn’t care if I was in on or not. M. Night Shyamalan has proven himself a gifted filmmaker with films like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, but a couple missteps over the past few years (The Village, The Last Airbender, and The Lady in the Water) have caused my belief in him to waiver. The Happening did nothing to change that opinion. In fact, it makes me question whether the only thing that Shyamalan has had going for him was the so-called “trick ending” and that once that was taken away he may be just another average filmmaker producing tired, formulaic, and often boring movies. I can usually find something positive to say about most movies, but not The Happening.

Why was I in this movie?

5) What movie are you anticipating the most in 2013?

The film that immediately comes to mind is Star Trek: Into Darkness. I’m sure that at the end of the year there will have a few other movies I’ve seen that are more worthy of year-end praise, but the Star Trek fan in me is simply too excited to be silent.

Friday 5 Questions with It Came From Yesterday mastermind Jeff Waltrowski

I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the creature feature flicks from the ’50s. Ever since I saw the giant ants in Them! I was hooked.

Part of that love is what intrigued me about the upcoming film, It Came From Yesterday. With a heavy dose of nostalgia, and some modern cinematic improvements, Jeff Waltrowski presents a love letter to a style of film that dates back to the golden age of cinema. With the film gearing up for release in 2013, coupled with my love for independent cinema, it seemed like the right time to bring Jeff onto the blog to talk about his film.

1)  It Came From Yesterday is clearly an homage to the old-time creature films.  What is it about that genre that motivated you to make your movie?

I always saw that time of the ’50s as the birth of sci-fi in cinema. Sure sci-fi had been around for a long time before that, even in film, but the ’50s is really when it came into its own. The serials were dying off and giving way to the features that were trying to support that young audience.  At the same time, filmmakers were beginning to take full advantage of the idea that sci-fi is best when it’s used as an allegory for the times.  Films like The Day the Earth Stood Still and even Teenagers from Outer Space, under the surface, were all about the Red Scare.  On television, Rod Serling was even using The Twilight Zone to discuss all aspects of the human condition.  Given all of that, the genre films of that period always had a sense of wonder about them.  There was an awe and a spectacle and even a message of hope.  When Klaatu went to warn the people of Earth about our destructive ways, deep in his heart he saw the good in people and that showed through in the film.

ICFY is not only trying to recapture that era and those themes, but also the era of the serials from the ’30s and ’40s.  As I mentioned earlier, there was a segue from the serials to the sci-fi films of the ’50s.  The serials were no longer financially successful in the early ’50s as television was on the rise.  I always saw that the death of the cliffhanger paved the way for the success of the B-movie.  Studios were trying to present that same sense of adventure to younger audiences, but now in a feature format.  ICFY comments on that transition.  The story takes place primarily in 1947 and there is a definite sense of change in the air.  The days of Buster Crabbe and the patriotic, bare knuckle swashbuckler are coming to close and suspicion and doubt are becoming more prominent as the world is threatened by more unexplained phenomena.  Everything from the villains that our hero faces to the way the government reacts to him are in a state of flux.  While this may not be the the main thrust of the story, it is characteristic of the world the story takes place in and it was the kernel that the idea sprang from.  In the end, my goal was to tell a story that was thrilling, comedic, and all the while had a sense of emotional resonance for our characters.  Shrouding it in the vernacular of old school sci-fi and adventure really made a lot of sense for me to tell a fun story and put in all the themes and concepts I wanted to discuss without being too literal about it.

It Came From Yesterday movie poster

2)  If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

This may be the hardest question that I have ever been asked.  I am gonna have to go with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  It may not be my favorite film (it is up there though), but I can’t remember a film that captivated me more and was more thrilling than TWOK.  I was just a little kid when it was released, but sitting in the theater and seeing that Ceti Eel crawl into Chekov’s ear is one of my earliest memories of the cinema.  That movie, that had a budget of $12 million dollars (which was still modest for that time), is more engaging and more dramatic than any $200 million dollar blockbuster that has ever been released.  I could watch it time and time again and still be moved by it.  Even if Chekov’s ear does look a little fake.

Still from It Came From Yesterday

3)  Even though It Came From Yesterday is a nod to the creature-features of yesteryear, you used VFX and green screen for the film. With the recent news about the VFX House snubs at the Oscars, and several house’s financial woes, I’m curious what your opinions are on the matter?

I didn’t get to see Bill Westenhofer’s speech get cut off, but I read about it the next day.  It was unfortunate that he didn’t get to say his peace, even though they cut him off after what seems like a short amount of time.  The academy has never given proper respect to the technicians nor to genre films in general.  Practically every advancement in film making can be attributed to a genre film and a lot of those advancements are in the field of special and visual effects.  But society sees the stars as what’s important about film and the academy wants to focus on that and they want to focus on the razzle dazzle of Hollywood. So of course they’re gonna cut off the guy who sits at a computer making CG fish fly into a canoe as he brings up something negative about an aspect of the industry that no one really understands.  It’s terrible, but that’s the way the industry works.

Now with VFX houses facing financial woes, do I have a solution?  No.  It’s becoming cheaper and cheaper to farm it out oversees than to deal with the big four houses here in the States.  Do those US artists deserve to get paid well?  Of course.  Do they get paid too much? Probably.  Are they going to be willing to be paid less in order to lower their costs?  Hell no.  Studios will  spare no expense for their star, but they will get everything else dirt cheap.  This is also terrible, but it’s also how it is.

4)  Now that the distribution is worked out, when can folks expect to see the movie?  What can they expect from It Came From Yesterday?

Yesterday‘s day is coming very soon.  Currently Panorama Entertainment is submitting the film to the festival circuit.  Along with this, we’re formulating plans for a limited theatrical release followed by video and digital in the fall.  It’s been a long time coming for us and I couldn’t be happier that we ended up with Panorama.  This is a company that really believes in this property and their filmmakers in general.  And I cannot wait for ICFY to find its audience.  This is a film that I would want to watch just as a fan of sci-fi and as a fan of adventure.  On the surface, it’s high camp, but as you look closer, it’s go a strong story and characters with hearts of gold.  We’re not spoofing the genre.  This is a new and compelling story that uses the conventions of the silver era of sci-fi to engage the viewer.  To find out news on the release as it happens be sure to follow ICFY at www.facebook.com/itcamefromyesterday and on our website at www.itcamefromyesterday.com

5)  What’s next for you?

Along with promoting ICFY, I’m itching to get back behind and in front of the camera. And I’m excited about what ICFY will do once it’s out there in the world.  I have two features that I’m currently developing and both seem like dream projects for me.  My goal as a filmmaker is to make the film people tell me I can’t make.  Whether, it’s too complicated, too technical, too expensive, too this, too that.  I want to live in that space where I’m constantly challenging myself not only technically, but as a storyteller, as an actor, as a writer, as a director.  And I want to surprise audiences.  I think ICFY does that.  Just wait for what’s next.

• Posted in 5 Questions, movies
• Tagged 5 Questions, Bill Westenhofer, cinema, clear conscience pictures, creature features, danger-mation, film, firday 5, golden age of cinema, green screen, it came from yesterday, jeff waltrowski, movies, Oscar snub, panorama entertainment, professor jack, retro cinema, VFX
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Friday 5 Questions with Screenwriter Kris Simonian

Sticking with my recent theme of featuring independent spirits in the world of entertainment, this week I welcome an aspiring screenwriter by the name of Kris Simonian.  I had the pleasure of taking a few Writing classes with him in college and now he’s out in Los Angeles trying to live the dream.  While he understands the enormous amount of competition in the industry, he still pushes on.  He’s a tremendously talented writer and everything I’ve read of his, from short stories to scripts, have been top notch.  Don’t forget the name of Kris Simonian because I predict one day you’ll be saying, “I remember when…” when talking about one of the great new shows on television.

He’s currently working on a television pilot about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid called Hole in the Wall.  He, along with his director Ben Ross, are currently working with crowdfunding site Mobcaster to get the pilot funded.  If you care about independent film, then consider chipping in a few bucks (or at least spreading the word).

Kris Simonian

1) Be honest, what’s the life of an aspiring screenwriter living in LA really like?

The life of an aspiring screenwriter in Los Angeles is a lot like being a waiter…namely because to make ends meet, you’re going to spend most of your time waiting tables. Or being a valet. Or working as a janitor. Something to occupy your daylight hours because this is a competitive town and writing jobs are hard to come by. I’d say, of the six million or so people in LA, about five and a half are aspiring writers, actors, directors or producers. The remaining five hundred thousand settle into porn (San Fernando Valley represent!). Seriously, walk into any Starbucks downtown and you should be able to count it as experience in a writer’s room. Open laptops as far as the eye can see and everyone in there slurping lattes has a story to tell. It can be distressing – especially if your Barista has a better take on a story you’re currently developing.

In a short amount of time I’ve experienced both highs and lows this industry has to offer. I’ve sharpened my skills under the wing of an Emmy award winning writer. I’ve brought a script out to pitch to different production companies (note to all aspiring writers: take public speaking and learn to feel comfortable in a room. I am not and it makes everything so. Much. Harder.). I’ve both hired and subsequently fired a manger. It’s been difficult and maddening at times but I’ve loved nearly every minute of it.

Plus I’ve gotten really great at waiting tables.

2) To this date, what are you most proud of?

In regards to the scripts I’ve written, that’s a tricky question. As you know, every writer goes through cycles where they love their piece one minute and hate it the next. It’s dumb but I feel we all do it – comes with the territory. There are three scripts that I’ve written that I have managed to escape this cycle of love/hate: “Straw Poll”, “Turncoat” and, my most recent, “Preach”. I won’t bore everyone with the synopsizes (synopsi?) here but if they were so inclined, they can check out my website to read up on them…and also boost my visitor numbers some. (www.krissimonian.com)

If it’s what I’m most proud of in life, I’d say it’s my marriage. My wife has been both a supporting supporter and a harsh critic and helped me become a better writer and person. Also, she’ll probably read this, so I better give her a solid shout out…especially this close to Valentine’s Day.

3) Tell me a little about Ghouls and your new web series. What kind of freedom comes with working on a web series?

“Ghouls” is a six part web-series about five classic movie monsters who have decided to mount a film comeback but find that modern horror movies and fans have passed them by. They struggle to find relevancy in a changing world. We had a blast filming it – we shot everything in three long days at limited locations – and worked with some top notch actors and crew members. It was a special experience.

Like most great ideas, Ghouls came to life when myself and co-creator Ben Ross were killing time. We were driving to Comic-Con in San Diego and happened to pass a sign that read “Batiquitos Lagoon” and one of us started riffing about how funny it’d be if The Creature from the Black Lagoon ran this classy resort at Batiquitos Lagoon and was constantly crowing about his resort’s safety record when compared to any other tourist destination. We cracked ourselves up for the remainder of the trip and when we got home we started writing up the series. In the true spirit of making anything on a low budget, we actually couldn’t afford to include The Creature from the Black Lagoon in the series but, like all monsters, he’s still close to our hearts. If anyone wants to check them out (gratuitous plug alert) you can watch them at: http://blip.tv/ghouls

Web-series are strange beasts. They are easy to make – just Google “web-series” and wade through page after page of results – but very few are actually good. I’m not saying we reached the pinnacle of the medium or anything, but I think “Ghouls” is a cut above most web-series I’ve seen. With anything creative results may vary from person to person, but if nothing else I know the look and sound of “Ghouls” is more professional than most shows.

As for the freedom of the medium, the web is great because you can literally do anything, throw it online and hope it finds an audience and I think that’s great. But there is a difference between taking the cinnamon challenge and creating an engaging show with a story to tell. I will say this though, as great as the web is and as fun as web-series can be, I think most people working on one would much rather be doing TV or film instead. In my opinion, the web is an incredible stepping stone where you can really hone your craft but I don’t know if it’s an ultimate end game for most people. I’m glad I did it and I would do it again but my attention for now is pushing into television.

Which dovetails perfectly into my new project. Ben and I are working on an independent TV pilot entitled “Hole-in-the-Wall: The Legend of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid”. We were approached by Mobcaster, a crowd-sourcing webpage that specializes in independent TV. They had seen “Ghouls”, liked it, and asked if we had any potential ideas for a TV pilot. Naturally we did and jumped at the chance to do it. It was kind of amazing because trying to get someone in the TV business to say “yes” to anything is like trying to get Republicans and Democrats to see eye to eye on anything. It’s just not going to happen. In the traditional TV world, executives climb the company ladder by not going out on a limb for potential new shows – it’s why you always see cop, lawyer, and doctor shows continually on the air. If it worked in the past, it’ll work again.

But the Mobcaster guys were really cool with everything. We said, “We wanna do a western about two infamous outlaws” and all they said was, “Sounds great. We’ll help make that happen” and left us to our own devices. It’s refreshing. But this is crowd-sourcing, so we need help from the public to make this thing happen. It’s an “all or nothing” deal – we raise the cash or we don’t get to make it. So (another gratuitous plug alert), if you want to see a western staring two classic outlaws, visit our site and drop a buck or two: http://mobcaster.com/fundraise/hole-in-the-wall/pilot

4) If you could choose any director to direct one of your scripts, who would it be and why?

I’ve actually been working on this. Deep in my underground lab, I have slowly been cobbling together spare parts from various machines to build the perfect robot director. They’ll have the perfectionist zeal of Kubrick, the slick styling of Spielberg and the eyebrows of Martin Scorsese and we’ll make hit after hit until either I die or its batteries die out. Seriously though, any one of those guys (even the corpse of Stanley Kubrick), David Fincher, the Coen Brothers and/or Paul Thomas Anderson. The why is as simple as I love their work. Whenever they release a new movie, it instantly becomes a must see for me. Even if they do miss on a film, it’ll never be boring or ugly. Plus, if they’re making a movie of mine, I can assume things are looking up for me professionally and that’s not too shabby.

5) What’s next for you?

I’m constantly writing. I just finished a one hour spec pilot entitled “Preach” about a family of “prosperity preachers” – guys like Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn – and I’ve been bombing every management and production company with query letters in the hopes I get a bite. Ben and I are also plugging away on the script for “Hole-in-theWall” and will finish it up by the end of the month. Also, I just picked up a few other shifts at TGIFriday’s, so that’s a boom too.

12 Days of Movies Christmas – cinemanerdz.com – AKA My Top 12 Alternate Christmas Movies

Aside from this blog, one of the places you can find a majority of my writing is cinemanerdz.com.  Just this week, I posted a list of 12 Alternate Christmas movies to watch when you get sick of the same old standards.  Here’s a little excerpt of that article.  I invite you to click on the cinemanerdz.com logo and finish the article.  Hell, feel free to throw it up on reddit if you want to.  I just want to make sure everyone gets the chance to read and realize that movies like Lethal Weapon and Trading Places should be considered Christmas classics.

Enjoy my article and…

Merry Christmas!

“Like most people, I love Christmas movies. In fact, I’ve already watchedElf multiple times this season and I’m also eagerly anticipating the 24-Hour A Christmas Story movie marathon on Christmas Eve. I also need to figure out a way to fit in Home Alone and Christmas Vacation. But, no matter how much I love watching some of the more traditional Christmas movies, by this time of year, I start to get a little burned out on the regular fare. That’s when I start looking to watch a different breed of Christmas movie. Some of these you may have trouble defining as Christmas movies, but if you’re looking for a crop of movies to dust the cobwebs off the old holiday standards, these should do the trick. Without further ado, I give you the Twelve Days of Movies Christmas.”

Click the logo to read the rest of the article

ATTENTION Authors, Publicists, Agents, Literary Types, and Entertainers!

My name is Dane Jackson and I want to help promote your books, music, movies, video games, apps, podcasts, businesses, etc.

I like the idea of the long-standing Friday Five series that appears on blogs across the web, but I think it’s cooler to ask you Five Questions.  That way, my readers know that every Friday, I’ll be featuring a really cool person on my blog talking about something they care about.

Most of my readers know me from my days in the book world as well as my more recent stints writing about music and movies (in October, they know me for my awesome posts about Halloween).

If you’re in the entertainment industry, I can help promote you.

Here are a few examples of past Friday 5 Questions features…

Joseph Williams, author of The Hunt

Jay Bonansinga, co-author of The Walking Dead novels

Michael Spradlin, author of countless children’s books and new horror/steampunk/urban fantasy novel Blood Riders

Alma Katsu, author of The Taker trilogy

Chuck Wendig, author of countless horror and urban fantasy novels, RPGs, writing advise, and penmonkey at terribleminds.com

David Moody, author of the Autumn series and Hater trilogy

If you’re interested in being featured in my Friday Five – “5 Questions With…” series, please leave a note in the comment section below or fill out the form below.

Name(required)

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31 Days of Lessons Learned: There’s a Fine Line Between Classic and Dated

31 Days of Lessons Learned:  Day Twenty Three

There’s a Fine Line Between Classic and Dated

From now until Halloween, my wife and I are watching horror movies every night to get in the spooky mood.  I love horror movies, so this is definitely my favorite time of year.  Tonight, we watched the original Carrie movie from 1976 starring Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, and the dude from Greatest American Hero (among others).

I’ve seen it on more than one occasion and I still like watching it, but this time around, I noticed a few things that just don’t jive these days.  For starters, the opening girl’s changing room scene feels like a scene out of Porky’s.  If you think about it, the actresses in that scene are all playing high school kids.  Do you think a movie filmed these days would have a scene depicting a room full of naked high school kids?  I don’t.

The clothing and the music also make this classic horror film feel pretty dated.  So much so that all the scares and mayhem feel completely telegraphed with all the music cues.

The whole time I watched the movie, I just kept swaying between thinking Carrie was a classic or just another dated flick.

What I learned is that it’s just too close to call.  I guess it’s a dated classic…

I guess that conflict is one of the reasons they’re remaking the movie…well, that and for another payday.

I just hope some of the other horror flicks I plan on watching in the next week don’t conflict me this much.

My name is Dane Jackson and I am Watching Movies in Support of Children’s Leukemia Research

When I first heard about the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLF), I thought it would be a great organization to work with.  I was always reminded of the girl in my third grade class and the hardships she had from her battle with Leukemia.  Kids are so innocent, that when I see sick kids or kids in need, it really gets to me, so I’ve always gravitated towards children’s charities.  Anything that can help a kid be a kid again is alright in my book, and the CLF does wonders for these kids.
I’m not in the best of shape (yet), so the walks and runs and such aren’t up to my speed, so the annual Fall fundraiser the CLF hosts is perfect.  They work with the Emagine Movie Theatre in Novi to put on a 24-Hour Movie Marathon.

Hollywood Nights Movie Marathon

That’s right.  To help raise money for the CLF, I’m going to watch 24 hours of cinema.  I’m not doing it alone either.  Joining me on my journey is my wife, my daughter’s Godfather, and his wife.  This will be the second time I’ve done this charity event since I heard about it in 2010 (I had to skip 2011 unfortunately).  Because I had to skip 2011, my donation goal is pretty aggressive.  I want to raise $500 for this charity.  I’m currently almost half-way there, but with less than four weeks to go, I’m starting to get nervous that I won’t reach my goal.  With all the folks who visit my blog on a regular basis, and all the folks who subscribe to it, I’m hoping you can help me with my goal.  Share my blog on Facebook; tweet my link on Twitter; +1 it on Google+; take a retro picture and tag it on instagram; share it on your Linkedin newsfeed.  Or, if you have some extra cash, you can always donate too.
Even though watching movies for 24 hours sounds like a walk in the park, let me tell you from experience that it’s a test of endurance and a constant battle to convince your mind to stay awake for one full day.  Sure, watching movies is a pretty fun way to pass the day (I am a freelance movie critic after all), but the highlight of the day was getting a tote bag with a hand-written note from one of the kids that I helped by being there.  It was a very emotional moment that my wife and I still talk about two years later.

The event is Friday, October 12th and once I recover from it that weekend, I’ll write an entire recap of the event on my blog.

Thanks much for all the help in spreading the word.  I appreciate it.  And most importantly, the kids and families in Michigan who are fighting Leukemia appreciate it.
If you’re interested in finding out more information about the event, or what your donation will go to, please click on the banner below.  Also, if you’re in Michigan, why not sign up to participate as well?  See you at the movies!

Click the banner to get to my donation page and to find out more information about the CLF

The History of Batman in Film

For the last four weeks, I’ve been chronicling Batman’s journey through the cinema on CinemaNerdz leading up the release of The Dark Knight Rises today.  As a matter of convenience, I’m including links here to all of those articles in one place for your convenience.  Happy reading and please be sure to let me know your thoughts.  Immediately, you’ll notice a lack of Kevin Conroy as Batman in Mask of the Phantasm.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I didn’t have the time to include the Animated theatrical release.  Now that I’m done with the series, I will probably go back and right this wrong as Conroy is an amazing Batman.

Also, keep checking CinemaNerdz.com throughout the day as my review for Dark Knight Rises will be published today.

(EDIT: CLICK HERE for my review of Dark Knight Rises)

So now, without further ado, here is my four-part series of The Batman on film.  Enjoy!

Batman on Film Part One:  Batman (1966)

Batman on Film Part Two:  Tim Burton

Batman on Film Part Three: Joel Schumacher

Batman on Film Part Four: Christopher Nolan

Where I hype the new Avengers flick…

I recently wrote a blog about Marvel’s new upcoming Avengers flick for CinemaNerdz.  If you want to see what I had to say, click the image below.

 

Check out my thoughts on The Avengers