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MOVIE REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness
(2013, dir. J.J. Abrams)
I never really connected with Star Trek as a kid. I grew up with a Luke Skywalker action figure firmly gripped in one chubby hand and Darth Vader hectoring him from the other. The schism between the two sci-fi camps, Wars vs Trek, has been joked on forever. For me, the dashing heroism, the witty (to an eight-year-old) banter and sense of adventure in the Star Wars films made the stilted pseudo-science committee-meeting blather of Trek seem like a roomful of nerds being nerdy just waiting for their next wedgie.
THURSDAY: Science Team Soiree At Portrait House
We've already let you know a bit about Science Team, the zany sci-fi/horror film from some of the people that brought you locally produced cult hit The Taint. The filmmakers have been raising funds on indiegogo in order to defray production costs, and with the deadline for the indiegogo campaign arriving this Saturday, the filmmakers are throwing a party at brand new Carytown restaurant Portrait House to bring in some additional donations and have a good time.
Netflix’s Hemlock Grove is Incredibad And Totally Worth Your Time
Netflix, the online video service, has become a powerful force to be reckoned with. It’s really a double-edged sword though – in addition to having an amazing collection of classic, amazing movies and TV shows, it also has a plethora of some of the worst content to ever be filmed.
Netflix Nerdery #4
After a brief conversation with a former coworker of mine last week, I came to the conclusion that I’m not funny. He asked me a question about something I wrote for my last column, and whether the words I chose were supposed to be humorous. I wanted to tell him I had written it in to be funny, but that was a lie.
MOVIE REVIEW: Evil Dead
Evil Dead (2013)
dir: Fede Alvarez
Evil Dead has been out in theaters for over a week now, giving die-hard fans of the franchise, and even casual horror buffs, a chance to check it out and put their two cents in. After comparing all the reactions both in online reviews and among my friends, co-workers, etc., I was surprised to discover that most people were a bit taken aback by the film’s attempt at seriousness.
Netflix Nerdery #3
Last week, when I watched The Taint, a Richmond based B-Horror film, I realized how awesome my job with RVA Magazine is. Because of my position as a journalist, I was given an opportunity to speak with The Taint's director. Watching and discussing this film has been one of the more immediately bewildering, albeit enjoyable, assignments I've had here.
Science Team Presents The Taint At Gallery 5!
This Sunday, as part of a night of independent cinematic entertainment, Gallery 5 will be screening Richmond cult classic The Taint. Recently released on Blu-Ray by legendary schlockmeisters Troma Entertainment, The Taint's outrageous special effects will appear at higher quality than ever.
RVA No. 12: Bryce Wagoner
While local director Bryce Wagoner was putting the final touches on his debut documentary, After Porn Ends, he obtained the opinion of two people any filmmaker exploring the world of adult entertainment would want by their side: his grandparents.
“I showed my MeeMaw about ten minutes of the film and told her I had a chance to make this movie but that it involved pornography,” Wagoner admitted when we spoke via phone last month. “After watching the clips she said, ‘Honey, I’m just glad you were the first one to come up with the idea.’”
Netflix Nerdery #2
Welcome, all, to the second installment of Netflix Nerdery--where the explosions are bigger, the women are hotter, and the particularly unfashionable bifocals resting on the bridge of your noses are actually taped together. Okay, so I didn’t have to bring up the bit about the glasses to accentuate the thrill of this second blog installment--everyone in Richmond wears those. Let’s get down to business.
Netflix Nerdery with Brian Charlton
I have been trying to start this blog for awhile now, ever since starting at RVA Magazine. It has proven difficult only in that I wanted to figure out a structure for it. But now I've decided on more of a “what the hell” kind of approach. I am here to guide you--nay, school you--with the best, the worst, and the strangest of Netflix.
Street View: A New Skateboarding Documentary From Thunderwood
Chris Underwood of Thunderwood Skate, the man who brought you last year's excellent Bru-Two, a film showcasing East Coast skaters and skate spots in glorious HD, is working on a followup, and it's shaping up to be just as awesome as his last film. While Bru-Two was an all-HD video production, Underwood and his crew are taking a different approach with their new film, shooting the whole thing on Super 8mm film stock--which is much harder to get these days than it once was. Due to rising film and transfer costs, Underwood is returning to Kickstarter to raise the funds necessary to finish his new project, and you can help!
FILM REVIEW: Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey
Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
(2013, dir. Ramona S. Diaz)
For me, documentaries that stand out from the pack are typically either incredibly rewarding or thoroughly depressing. Thankfully, Don’t Stop Believin’ is one of the more inspirational documentaries that you’re apt to view. Some are already familiar with the story of Arnel Pineda, a vocalist from Manila who Journey guitarist Neal Schon discovered on Youtube.
VCU's Fourth Annual Southern Film Festival Hits Richmond This Weekend
VCU kicks off its Southern Film Festival February 8th and 9th. Featuring full lengths and short films ranging from the 1920s to today, the festival is full of scenes that are close to home. The Festival’s fourth year brings the theme of freedom, as it simultaneously celebrates the sesquicentennial of the end of slavery.
Here Are The Top 5 Stupidest/Funniest Super Bowl Commercials Of 2013
The Super Bowl is the most watched television event of the year, and has been for a long time now, so it's become a notoriously high-profile landing spot for commercials. Companies pull out all the stops to produce memorable ads designed to be remembered by drunk football fans eating nachos and hollering at the TV screen.
VIDEO: The SHHO Presents Nickelus F, "GotDamnMurdah"
Richmond native and hip hop heavyweight, Nickelus F just released the visually striking music video for his song entitled “GotDamnMurdah!” On this track, Nick F coasts on blunt smoke, women, and undoubtedly “eating pussy with my fronts in.” Contrary to what the title suggests, the song is in fact very laid-back. The video, directed by Nils Westergard, features plenty of hot chicks in black underwear (always a good thing), some familiar party scenes, and visuals that’ll stick in your head like gold glitter (the herpes of craft supplies). It’s all so perfectly melded together that you might just get lost and fall into the screen as if it were a mysterious vat of blue goo. We caught up with Nils Westergard to find out more about working with Nickelus F, the music video, and what he has in store for the future.
Gay RVA: A Tale Of Two Theatres
Is this town big enough for two indie movie houses?
Up until last month, Regal’s Westhampton was Richmond’s only indie film theatre, and that alone gave it significant value. Will Bow Tie Cinema new art house theatre, Criterion Cinema, send the landmark Westhampton reeling?
Criterion Cinemas At Movieland Boulevard Square Opens Next Weekend
On Friday, December 28, a new cinema devoted entirely to independent films will open in Richmond. Criterion Cinemas, a four-screen theatre owned and operated by Bow Tie Cinemas and located adjacent to their Movieland theatre at Boulevard Square, will host films that previously had little opportunity for theatrical screenings in the RVA area.
Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story
Last minute events can often prove to be more rewarding than the planned ones. For an ex-Randolph Macon student who easily fills half his life with anything Japan-related, an invitation to the world premiere of Live Your Dream: The Taylor Anderson Story on November 9 at Richmond CenterStage was just such an impromptu reward.
FRIDAY: Direct-To-Video At The Byrd Theatre
Direct-to-Video, a new group video show curated by Dylan Languell, hopes to reintroduce Richmond to video as an art form. Languell spent the last 4 and a half months organizing the show to provide a space for artists to experiment in the video medium.
DAILY FIX: Henry Rollins' RVA Tour Diary
Henry Rollins is currently on his Capitalism 2012 spoken word tour, which has taken him to the capitals of all 50 states in the union. Tonight, it finishes up in our nation's capital, Washington DC, with a spoken word performance that will be broadcasted around the world over youtube. But before you check that out, here's one of the many videos Rollins has made over the course of his journey; a video diary entry from his stop in Richmond back on October 21.
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