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Two years ago, we heard that Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring) would be starring in The Leader, a true crime biopic about a story that shocked the world back in 1997, the mass suicide of the members of the Heaven’s Gate cult. That project has finally made it into production, and Deadline reports that Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) has joined the cast. Details on the character he’ll be playing haven’t been revealed – but it’s not difficult to imagine him playing a member of the Heaven’s Gate cult.

Farmiga is playing cult leader Bonnie Nettles, a.k.a. Ti. Nelson’s character is the cult’s infamous frontman, Marshall Applewhite, a.k.a. Do. Also in the cast are Simon Rex (Red Rocket), Grace Caroline Currey (Fall), Matthew Glave (The Wedding Singer), William Mapother (In the Bedroom), Jb Yowell (A Jar Full of Christmas...

Best known for his role on The Big Bang Theory as Sheldon Cooper, Jim Parsons is taking on something very different for his next big role. He is the latest addition to the cast of The Leader, an upcoming thriller inspired by the real-life story of the infamous Heaven's Gate religious group.

Per Deadline, Parsons has officially joined the cast of The Leader, but his role has not yet been disclosed. He won't be playing Marshall Herff Applewhite, referred to as "Do" by his followers, who led the group alongside Bonnie Lu Lettles, also known as "Ti." It was previously announced that Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga were respectively playing Marshall and Bonnie.

The film was written and directed by Michael Gallagher. Other confirmed cast members include Simon Rex (Red Rocket), Grace Caroline Currey (Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Matthew Glave (The Wedding Singer), William Mapother (Lost), Jb Yowell...

Exclusive: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) is a new addition to the cast of The Leader, the true-crime thriller inspired by the story of the infamous religious group Heaven’s Gate, which is now in production.

Character details are under wraps. Parsons joins an ensemble led by Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga.

Written and directed by Michael Gallagher, The Leader tells the unbelievable true story of UFO cult leaders Marshall Herff Applewhite (Nelson) and Bonnie Lu Nettles (Farmiga), who inspired hundreds of people to abandon their families, drop out of society, and prepare to evacuate planet Earth. Heaven’s Gate, the group that inspired the film, committed the largest mass suicide ever to take place on U.S. soil.

Others in the cast include Simon Rex, Grace Caroline Currey, Matthew Glave, William Mapother, Jb Yowell, Kelly Lynn Reiter, Danielle Vasinova, Blake Robbins, Jana Gallagher, Paten Hughes, Molly Robbins,...

Philadelphia’s suburban elites and digital-privacy concerns are put under the microscope in Spy High, a riveting four-part indictment of a wealthy township caught spying on students. Centered on privileged teen Blake Robbins, the series — which won the Audience Award at SXSW this past March — chronicles his 2010 lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District for secretly recording his at-home activities, via a school-provided laptop. As a resident of the actual district, I can confirm that this was a huge scandal in the area. Briefly. “I was also aware of this [story],” echoes Spy director Jody McVeigh-Schultz, a fellow P.A. native who grew up not too far from Lower Merion. “I knew of Lower Merion, it’s where Kobe [Bryant] went. I was like, ‘Yeah, Kobe’s high school!'” Several years after moving to L.A., McVeigh-Schultz recalls hearing about the Robbins case — Blake’s parents sued school administrators after they...

‘Spy High’ incorporates comedic elements to its documentaristic nature in order to create a unique type of docuseries, creating a new paradigm for the medium. In February 2010, the Lower Merion School District became the center of attention all over the country when student Blake Robbins filed a federal lawsuit against the suburban Philadelphia school district for alleged webcam spying through school-issued laptops. The district allegedly started using the now discontinued software “TheftTrack” to remotely activate student webcams and take over 56,000 images of students around October 2009. On November 11, 2009, Harriton High School Assistant Vice Principal Lindy Matsko accused Robbins of taking and selling illegal pills using a photograph taken with his webcam of him consuming some “Mike and Ike” candy as “proof”, scolding him for his “improper behavior” and contacting his parents, this quickly led to them suing the district on Blake’s and other student’s behalf alleging privacy violations. Throughout the lawsuit,...

Prime Video has announced the lineup of movies and TV shows that will be available on the service in April. The Prime Video April 2025 lineup includes new Amazon original movies, TV shows, and specials.

Members can look forward to #1 Happy Family USA, America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Season 2, The Bondsman, Étoile, G20, Lol: Se Rir, Já Era, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Spy High, Superboys of Malegaon, and Wear Whatever the F You Want.

G20 Prime Video Originals

The Prime Video April 2025 programming includes the following Originals.

America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Season 2 (2025 – Streaming April 1)

America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation is back! Host Jeannie Mai and head judge Dan Souza return to mentor and guide 11 aspiring cooks as they compete for the job of a lifetime.

In the end, one cook will become the newest Atk cast member, receive an option for a cookbook, and win $100,000. Who has what it takes?...

Spy High recounts a scandal from 2010 at a suburban high school, captured in a four-part docuseries that reexamines how school policies collided with personal privacy. The series opens with the case of Blake Robbins, a 15-year-old who finds himself entangled in a dispute after his school appears to misuse technology intended to secure devices. Set against the backdrop of a well-to-do district, the series details how a school-issued laptop became an instrument of unauthorized observation, raising pressing questions about digital privacy and institutional trust.

At its core, the narrative follows Blake’s unexpected clash with authorities, as a routine educational tool transforms into an object of surveillance. The story unfolds through investigative reporting paired with reenactments that capture both the gravity and occasional absurdity of the situation.

The structure meticulously transitions from the spark of controversy—a startling discovery in a teenager’s private space—to an unfolding conflict that...

The real-life case of a teen accused of dealing drugs leads to a much bigger privacy debate.

What starts as a simple school scandal turns into something way bigger in “Spy High,” a gripping new docuseries that’s all about privacy, power, and the gray area between keeping kids safe and watching their every move. It centers on Blake Robbins, a 15-year-old who claims his elite public school was secretly spying on him after he got accused of dealing drugs. But what sounds like a one-off courtroom drama quickly unpacks deeper questions about how much surveillance is happening in schools today — and who gets to decide where the line is. All four episodes drop Tuesday, April 8 only on Prime Video.

How to watch ‘Spy High’ When: Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 3 a.m. Et TV: Prime Video Stream: Watch with a subscription to Prime Video From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a Vpn.

Prime Video’s Spy High asks a very important question: is it legally justifiable to disregard student data privacy under the pretense of protecting them? At times, due to certain cases, the judiciary has to venture into uncharted territory, and something similar happened in the case of Robbins v. Lower Merion School District. The Harriton High School was found guilty of taking pictures of students, using the laptops that were provided to them, without their consent. So let’s find out what happened in the case and if Lmsd was held guilty by the court.

What was the webcam gate scandal?

In 2010, the vice principal of Lower Merion School District called the parents of one of the students, Blake Robbins, to inform them about what their son was up to. Apparently, the school administration had gotten hold of a picture where Blake was openly consuming pills. The administration had a reputation to maintain,...

To help you anticipate and navigate all that television has to offer across broadcast, cable and streaming, TVLine offers daily, weekly and monthly What to Watch digests, as well as an overview of every new TV show premiering in 2025.

This week, you’ll find six new shows (including the Jon Hamm drama Your Friends & Neighbors and the Simu Liu-hosted reality series Got to Get Out), nine returning favorites (including Black Mirror, Doctor Who, Hacks and The Handmaid’s Tale) and 14 finales (including 1923, The Pitt, The White Lotus and Yellowjackets).

More from TVLineEvery New Scripted Show Confirmed to Premiere in 2025 — Save the Dates!

You may know Mark Wahlberg from his recent turn as a crazy bald pilot in Flight Risk, or you may know him as Marky Mark, Dirk Diggler, the guy who isn't Ted in Ted, or the Entrouage dude. You may not know Wahlberg as a valuable force in the documentary filmmaking scene thanks to Unrealistic Ideas, his production studio with Archie Gips and Stephen Levinson. The studio has produced McMillion$, MoviePass, MovieCrash, Gold, Lies and Videotape, Murders at Starved Rock, and other documentaries. Unrealistic Ideas' latest is the Prime Video docuseries Spy High, a quirky but disturbing look at a spy ring orchestrated by Lower Merion High School in what would become known as WebCamGate. It's a wild but intimate documentary that feels like Citizenfour Jr.

The series is directed by Jody McVeigh-Schultz, who has worked with Wahlberg and Unrealistic Ideas before. "I mean, as you can imagine, Mark Wahlberg...

Prime Video’s new docuseries, Spy High, dives into a real-life scandal involving a school accused of spying on its students. The four-part series, produced by Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas, premieres on April 8. Here’s the Lowdown: Spy High centers on the case of Blake Robbins, a 15-year-old student who sued his prestigious public school, alleging […]

Spy High: New Docuseries Explores School Surveillance Scandal on Prime Video...

"This is inside people's homes - stay the hell out!" Privacy is always important! Prime Video has revealed the official trailer for a docu series titled Spy High, available for streaming in April in a few weeks. It recently premiered at SXSW 2025 where it won an Audience Award in the TV Premieres section. This unsettling doc examines the latest era of surveillance and monitoring tech implementation at schools around the nation. A teen's life is upended when his school accuses him of dealing drugs using a photo from his bedroom taken by the computer they gave him. His family's lawsuit reveals a shocking scandal that sparks FBI involvement and raises alarming questions about student privacy. Spy High is a 4-part series that explores the story of 15-year-old Blake Robbins, who filed a lawsuit claiming that his prestigious public school was spying on him. Beneath this juicy suburban scandal lie more troubling revelations,...

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer for the new docuseries Spy High, from Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas and acclaimed director Jody McVeigh-Schultz.

All four binge-worthy episodes will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on April 8.

Spy High is a four-part docuseries that explores the story of 15-year-old Blake Robbins, who filed a lawsuit claiming that his prestigious public school was spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs.

Beneath this juicy suburban scandal lie more troubling revelations, with implications in a larger war over digital privacy being waged in schools today.

“Spy High isn’t just a story about digital privacy. It’s about how we make decisions as communities, how we decide what’s best for our kids, and who makes those decisions,” said director Jody McVeigh-Schultz.

“It’s about what we prioritize and value, as our schools mold...

Mark Wahlberg's new movie Flight Risk, which comes from director Mel Gibson, is officially rolling out in theaters everywhere starting today, but the Oscar-nominated actor also has another project in the works that is sure to shock the world in just a few short months. Wahlberg, along with his production company Unrealistic Ideas, will executive produce a new docuseries, Spy High. The four-part series will explore the story of Blake Robbins, a 15-year-old who filed a lawsuit claiming that his prestigious public school was spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs. The larger issue at play examined in the documentary is the war over digital privacy being waged in schools today. Spy High will debut at SXSW this March before arriving on Prime Video in April.

“Spy High,” a documentary project following the 2010 class action lawsuit Robbins v. Lower Merion School District, has been ordered to series at Amazon Prime Video following its inclusion in the SXSW 2025 lineup.

The official logline for the four-part series reads, “‘Spy High’ explores the story of 15-year-old Blake Robbins, who filed a lawsuit claiming that his prestigious public school was spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs. Beneath this juicy suburban scandal lie more troubling revelations, with implications in a larger war over digital privacy being waged in schools today.”

After its SXSW premiere in March, “Sky High” will begin streaming in April.

Mark Wahlberg executive produces the series alongside Archie Gips and Stephen Levinson via their Unrealistic Ideas banner. Executive producers also include Aliza Rosen, Jody McVeigh-Schultz and David Wendell. Amazon MGM is the studio.

“We’re proud to bring this important and thought-provoking docuseries, which...

Prime Video has ordered a four-part docu-series on Blake Robbins, the Pennsylvania student who filed a lawsuit against his prestigious public school for allegedly spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs.

Spy High, which will delve not only into the 2010 lawsuit but also into the larger implications of digital privacy in schools, is set to debut at SXSW in March. Mark Wahlberg is set to executive produce via his Unrealistic Ideas banner.

After its festival debut, the series will be available on Prime Video in April. No specific release date has been announced.

Additional executive producers are Archie Gips and Stephen Levinson also via Unrealistic Ideas, Aliza Rosen, Jody McVeigh-Schultz and David Wendell. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

“We’re proud to bring this important and thought-provoking docuseries, which explores the events that unfolded in 2010, to our global Prime Video customers,” Lauren Anderson, head of brand and content innovation,...

There are several other movies and shows similar to Netflix's epic period Western series American Primeval. American Primeval was written by Mark L. Smith, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Revenant with Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Peter Berg directs all six episodes of American Primeval. Taylor Kitsch leads an ensemble cast as Isaac Reed, which features Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Shea Whigham, Lucas Neff, and Kim Coates as Brigham Young. In addition to Young, American Primeval alters several real-life historical details and figures.

American Primeval uniquely blends brutal and violent elements of the horror genre with the classic Western. Despite its 59% Rotten Tomatoes score, it earned an 86% audience score and has been in Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows in the United States since it was released on January 9, 2025. Kitsch previously starred in the Peter Berg film Lone Survivor alongside Mark Wahlberg and Berg's classic television series Friday Night Lights.

Movies like Sicario offer explosive action, thought-provoking political intrigue, and awards-pedigree acting talent. Released in 2015, Sicario is a slow-burning thriller about the nuances of drug cartel operations and the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the movie focuses on three perspectives: an FBI agent, played by Emily Blunt; a secretive government agent, played by Josh Brolin; and an even shadowier assassin, played by Benicio del Toro. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it got a sequel three years later, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

Only the best action-thriller movies remain comparable to Sicario, with its stunning cinematography and deeply ugly subject matter. However, many fan-favorite films by director Denis Villeneuve and other acclaimed filmmakers hit the same spots. Several are also available for subscribers on major streaming platforms or even for free, making it easy to find movies like Sicario for fans...

Like any movie genre with hugely popular movies and franchises, there comes a time when the studios decide to revisit their existing IPs by remaking movies from their back catalog. The horror genre is no different, and while audiences often get some great remakes, such as 1982's The Thing, and The Fly from 1986, there are many horror remakes that would have benefited from a few changes.

There have also been some excellent modern horror remakes recently, such as the intoxicating Speak No Evil, plus hopes are high for Robert Eggers' upcoming Nosferatu. However, for every horror remake that lands a killer blow with audiences, and at the box office, there are other movies from the genre that would have been much better with a few tweaks. There's nothing wrong with remaking classic horrors, if they're remade with respect to the original.

Martyrs (2015) Directed By Kevin Goetz And Michael Goetz

When...

The neo-Western film genre reimagines the themes and ideas of classic Western movies for a modern audience. Often, this takes the form of a Western-style movie set in contemporary times, or if it was set in an earlier time period, the film blended genres and presented itself as a more targeted critique of American societal values than whats normally seen in a typical Western. Neo-Westerns are often much darker stories that tackle existential questions of life, death, and the complexities of determining good from evil.

Many of the best modern Western movies embrace a neo-Western sensibility and include works by some of the best directors of all time, such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, and the Coen brothers. While many of these films dont focus on traditional bandits, cowboys, or outlaws, they often utilize the desolate landscapes and brooding atmospheres of classic Western cinema. The best neo-Westerns ever made...

"Don't hide from your demons." Indican Pictures has revealed the official trailer for an eerie indie horror-thriller titled Faceless, a new film from filmmaker Marcel Sarmiento, director of the strange genre films Heavy Petting and Deadgirl. His latest film is another strange concept that is especially unsettling - a man wakes up to discover he has received a full face transplant. As he attempts to make sense of things leaving the hospital, he's plagued by vivid, unexplainable flashbacks and stumbles around trying to find out what's going on. Brendan Sexton III stars in this as George, with a cast including Alex Essoe, Terry Serpico, Clayton Landey, and Blake Robbins. The trailer is just as peculiar and confusing as you might expect for a film like this, as it's a bit challenging to try and figure it out just from two minutes of footage. Check it out. Here's the first official...

Stars: Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Isabel May, Odessa A’zion, Brooke Sorenson, Jessica Sarah Flaum, Dakota Baccelli, Blake Robbins | Written and Directed by Jud Cremata

Okay, so the whole “one take” style of movie making is becoming quite the gimmick. Rarely is it done to perfection and more often than not it really hinders the creative vision and harms the final product. If your going to use a gimmick like “one take” you have to nail it! I personally subscribe to the Haunting of Hill House or [Netflix Original] Extraction philosophy – which is if you have a crazy complicated badass 15-20 minute period that would be better served as a one-shot, that’s where you do it. This way you end up with an audience that never shuts up about the opening of Hill House Episode 5!

The other thing is, if you are going to commit to it then you can...

Stars: Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Isabel May, Odessa A’zion, Brooke Sorenson, Jessica Sarah Flaum, Dakota Baccelli, Blake Robbins | Written and Directed by Jud Cremata

Emma has recently moved in with her cousin Taylor after her father’s untimely death. The victim of a prank by Taylor’s friends, Emma ups the ante by planning to scare the mysteriously reclusive girl who lives across the street. All they know is Julie’s alone and the house is rumoured haunted after a little boy vanished years ago. But what starts off as a simple plan becomes a nightmare of wrong choices with horrific results..

Filmed in long continuous takes, with only the odd cut (Not the one-take many are advertising it as), Let’s Scare Julie uses that particular gimmick to great effect – the handheld camera following around the girls without cutting away (most of the time) brings a great deal of claustrophobia to the proceedings.

James B. Cox's feature film debut Hacked has been picked up for North American distribution. Young production outfit Sp Releasing will upload Cox's 2016 film onto VOD and DVD next Tuesday, March 6th.      ...Sp Releasing has acquired the North American rights to Hacked.   Set for a March 6th release on VOD and DVD, the film stars Molly Burnett, Blake Robbins, and Adam Shapiro with Andy Allo, Amy Aquino, and Brian Patrick Wade in supporting roles. The award-winning indie Hacked centers on a young programmer who joins forces with a group of renegade hackers to stop an artificial intelligence from reaching the outside world.        Burnett is playing the leader of the Anonymous-like hacker thieves who infiltrate the building, intent on stealing...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

"Slow-burning" is the most apt description of Blake Robbins' Midwestern gothic mystery based on Nancy Pickard's 2010 novel. Reminiscent of Winter's Bone and offering a similarly powerful leading role to its young star Maika Monroe, The Scent of Rain and Lightning is a well-acted, intelligent thriller that ultimately rewards the viewer's patience even if it too often sacrifices narrative clarity in favor of atmosphere.

The central character, twentysomething Jody Linder (Monroe), is informed at the story's beginning that the person who murdered both her parents several years ago has just been released from prison after his sentence was commuted. Desperate...

Ryan Lambie Feb 16, 2018

The director of the superb thriller The Scent Of Rain And Lightning talks to us about the making of the film and lots more...

As an actor, Blake Robbins will be immediately recognisable to fans of such TV shows as Firefly, Oz and the Us version of The Office. As a director, meanwhile, he's made his mark with gritty drama The Sublime And The Beautiful (2014), which he wrote and made for just a few thousand dollars.

See related  Collateral episode 1 review New on Netflix UK: what's added in February 2018? 28 British TV dramas to watch in 2018

His latest film is The Scent Of Rain And Lightning, a suspenseful and superbly-constructed thriller starring Maika Monroe, Maggie Grace, Bonnie Bedelia and Will Patton. Based on the novel by Nancy Pickard, it tells its story along two strands: one in the present, where a young woman, Jody (Monroe) is coming to...

Stars: Maika Monroe, Maggie Grace, Will Patton, Mark Webber, Brad Carter, Bonnie Bedelia, Logan Miller, Justin Chatwin, Aaron Poole, Kassia Conway | Written by Jeff Robison, Casey Twenter | Directed by Blake Robbins

Directed by Blake Robbins, and based on a New York Times bestselling novel by Nancy Pickard, The Scent of Rain and Lightning tells the story of Jody Linder (Maika Monroe), a Midwestern twenty-something who’s past resurfaces when the man convicted of killing her parents has his sentence pardoned. Jody begins to question the facts behind her parents’ deaths and gradually faces the possibility that the wrong man was convicted of the crime. The further Jody delves into the past, more and more startling truths begin to emerge about her family’s tragic past, and Jody must put the pieces together to reveal the truth.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning is a layered slow burning thriller which respects...

The Us rights for the thriller-western The Scent of Rain & Lightning have been acquired by Sp Releasing. The film stars Maika Monroe (It Follows), Maggie Grace (Taken) and Bonnie Bedelia (Parenthood) and is out in theaters and on-demand Feb. 16 through Sp’s output deal with Echo Bridge Releasing, with the DVD release following on March 20. Directed by Blake Robbins, and based on a New York Times bestselling novel by Nancy Pickard, the film tells the story of Jody Linder…...

In a marketing move that was as slyly clever as it was infuriating, Chinese sneaker manufacturer Kaiwei Ni created an ad within Instagram Stories that appeared to have a stray hair onscreen. The goal, of course, was to trick users into swiping up to go to its website, where it was hosting a Black Friday sale for Yeezys.

The ad was first spotted on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, according to The Verge, and then shared on Twitter by the user Blake Robbins, who grumbled that “someone needs to stop these growth hackers.” Instagram apparently concurred. A company spokesperson told The Verge that, “This ad violated Instagram’s policies and was removed from future delivery in Stories several weeks ago. We also disabled the account from advertising on the platform again."

Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

Vision Films has acquired the international sales rights to thriller The Scent of Rain & Lightning, which will be presented at the annual American Film Market in Santa Monica. Blake Robbins directed the film, which stars Maika Monroe (It Follows), Mark Webber (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), Will Patton (Falling Skies), Bonnie Bedelia (Parenthood), Justin Chatwin (Shameless), Aaron Poole (The Void), Logan Miller (Before I Fall), Brad Carter (True Detective) and Maggie Grace…...

Maika Monroe, Maggie Grace and Bonnie Bedelia star in The Scent Of Rain And Thunder - an unmissable indie thriller...

There are some movies that come at us with all the subtlety of a charging rhino. There are others that encourage us to lean in, listen closely, and absorb every detail. The Scent Of Rain And Lightning, a mystery-thriller based on a novel by Nancy Pickard, falls into the latter category - which is one reason why it's such a must-see movie.

Told with intimate close-ups and a dreamlike blurring of the past and present, The Scent Of Rain And Lightning tells the story of Jody Linder (Maika Monroe), an Oklahoman 20-something whose psychological wounds are reopened when a lank-haired, loathsome character named Billy (Brad Carter) is suddenly released from prison. When Jody was still a child, her parents were both brutally murdered, and the finger of suspicion quickly fell on Billy.

U.S. award-winning crime novelist Nancy Pickard published “The Scent Of Rain and Lightning” in 2010 and now, seven years later, its film adaptation has been released. Directed by Blake Robbins (“The Sublime And Beautiful“) and based on the adapted screenplay by Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison, the film centers on the story of Jody (Maika Monroe), a young woman living in the American Midwest who just learned the man arrested for the murder of her parents has been released from jail.

Continue reading Maika Monroe Shines In ‘The Scent of Rain and Lightning,’ A Surprising And Slow-Burning Whodunnit Mystery [Review] at The Playlist.

Blake Robbins’ new film “The Scent of Rain & Lightning” tells the story of one girl’s search for answers and what grief and revenge can do to a tightly knit midwestern community.

Read More: ‘Bokeh’ Exclusive Clip: Maika Monroe Faces the End of the World in Sci-Fi Drama — Watch

Based on the best-selling novel, the film follows a young woman (Maika Monroe) as she learns her parents’ killer has been released from jail. When rumblings in her small Oklahoma town suggest he may be innocent, she questions everything from the police investigation to the witnesses, uncovering her own family secrets to piece together the shocking truth.

Alongside Monroe, the film features Maggie Grace (“Lost”), Mark Webber (“Green Room,” “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”), Bonnie Bedelia (“Parenthood”), Will Patton (“The Good Wife”) and Justin Chatwin (“Shameless”).

“The Scent of Rain & Lightning” makes its world premiere at the upcoming Atlanta Film Festival.

If you’re heading up to Park City next week to check out the various festival offerings, we’ve got some tips for you. Thanks to Slamdance Polytechnic and Creative Future, a gaggle of Slamdance filmmaking alums, friends of the festival and knowledgeable cinephiles have joined together to offer up some “Park City Hacks” to their fest-attending brethren.

From what to pack (warm stuff, and then more warm stuff, and then probably still more warm stuff) to the best places to decompress and some very key notes on what kind of stuff to consume while you’re in Utah (more water, less booze), the video also includes plenty of tips on how to best navigate the business side of the festival. In short, it’s got something for everyone.

Read More: Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup: ‘Aerotropolis,’ ‘The Children Send Their Regards’ and More

The video includes tips from Slamdance alumni like Peter Baxter,...

Stars: Troian Bellisario, Bailey Noble, Kate Burton, Caitlin Carmichael Caitlin Carmichael, Melissa Tracy, Romy Rosemont, Toby Huss, Elyse Cole, Ever Prishkulnik, Blake Robbins, Taylor John Smith, Lexi Dibenedetto, Ivar Brogger | Written by Mark L. Smith | Directed by Kevin and Michael Goetz

To be fair, given the reputation Pascal Laugiers’ Martyrs has in the horror community, it was never going to be an easy task for Kevin and Michael Goetz to remake the film. Given that there are already a myriad of reviews out there comparing the two (detrimentally), I’m going to try something new and Not mention Laugiers’ original film too much… Though given how closely this remake follows the original movie, that could be difficult!

Martyrs tells the story of Lucie, a young girl who – in the films opening – escapes from a warehouse where she was being held captive and brutalised.With no idea of where she came from or who she is,...

Here's the first trailer and photos gallery for "Martyrs" remake. The movie set to premiere at Screamfest this month and Anchor Bay will release it VOD alongside a limited theatrical run. The Goetz Brothers directed the U.S. version of Pascal Laugier's 2009 French horror film that challenged religion, and played a cathartic role in his real life loss. Troian Bellisario, Bailey Noble, Kate Burton, Blake Robbins, Caitlin Carmichael, Toby Huss, Lexi Dibenedetto and Taylor John Smith are starring.In ‘Martyrs' 10-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age. Nearly a decade later and still haunted by...

Here's the first trailer and photos gallery for "Martyrs" remake. The movie set to premiere at Screamfest this month and Anchor Bay will release it VOD alongside a limited theatrical run. The Goetz Brothers directed the U.S. version of Pascal Laugier's 2009 French horror film that challenged religion, and played a cathartic role in his real life loss. Troian Bellisario, Bailey Noble, Kate Burton, Blake Robbins, Caitlin Carmichael, Toby Huss, Lexi Dibenedetto and Taylor John Smith are starring.In ‘Martyrs' 10-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age. Nearly a decade later and still haunted by...

Logan Miller (“Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse”), Mark Webber (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”), Will Patton (“Falling Skies”) Bonnie Bedelia (“Die Hard”), Justin Chatwin (“Shameless”) and Aaron Poole (“The Samaritan”) have joined the cast of the indie movie “The Scent of Rain and Lightning,” TheWrap has learned. Maika Monroe, Maggie Grace and Brad Carter star in the feature adaptation of Nancy Pickard’s book, which is currently filming in central Oklahoma. Veteran actor Blake Robbins (“The Sublime and Beautiful”) is directing the film, which follows a young woman who learns her parents’ killer has recently been released from jail,...

Coming courtesy of Dread Central, here’s the first image and poster from the Goetz Brothers’ remake of Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs – which has already completed filming (it’s a rarity these days to only hear about a movie After it’s finished) – the latest film from the uber-prolific Blumhouse Productions.

The remake stars Bailey Noble (True Blood) and Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars). Martyrs also features Kate Burton (Stay, Big Trouble in Little China) and Blake Robbins (Rubber). The script comes fromMark L. Smith whose previous work includes Vacancy, The Hole and The Revenant.

Ten-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age. Nearly a decade later and still haunted by demons, Lucie finally tracks down the family that tortured her.

No parent should ever endure the loss of their children from a horrific accident.

Veteran actor Blake Robbins makes his directorial debut in the drama “The Sublime and Beautiful.” Robbins also stars in the film as a father coping with the death of his children after DUI driver accidently kills them. The movie touches on the touchy subject of morality, retribution and forgiveness.

Laura Kirk (“The Time Machine”) and Matthew del Negro (“Teen Wolfe” ) also star in the film.

“The Sublime and Beautiful” is currently available on iTunes and VOD via Candy Factory Distribution.

Latino-Review: Where did you come up with the idea for “The Sublime and Beautiful?”

Blake Robbins: I personally had a situation on which I lost my best friend to brain tumor when we were getting out of college. I think I was twenty-seven at the time of his passing. I personally was dealing with grief for twenty plus years now.

Blake Robbins’s haunting psychological drama The Sublime and Beautiful takes us to a dark place that reminds us that we are not the perfect human beings we imagine we are. Robbins wrote and directed the film and plays David Conrad, a small town college professor with a wife and three little girls. He’s not entirely sympathetic – he’s having an affair with a student and he lets his family life take a back seat. But things come into sharp focus the week before Christmas when tragedy strikes. A drunk driver kills his daughters in a car accident, leaving him and his […]...

Title: The Sublime and Beautiful Director: Blake Robbins Starring: Blake Robbins, Laura Kirk, Matthew Del Negro, Anastasia Baranova, Scott William Winters, Armin Shimerman Solid acting and filmmaking technique breathe a good bit of life into “The Sublime and Beautiful,” a Slamdance Film Festival world premiere and narrative feature competition title, but there is ultimately not enough of distinguished merit to save the movie from a screenplay that trades in rote, plodding dramatic developments and say-nothing symbolism. While not without a couple moments of nicely observed quiet heartache, too much of this impressionistic tale of survivor’s guilt, built around a drunk driving accident that robs a small town couple of their three children, is balanced alongside meandering story [ Read More ]

The post Slamdance: The Sublime and Beautiful Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Batman director Christopher Nolan is among the film-makers who got their first break at the other movie event in Utah

Christopher Nolan arrived in Park City, Utah, last weekend, to pick up an award from the independent film festival where he first found recognition. Surprisingly, the award didn't come from Park City's most famous film event, the Sundance film festival, but its lesser-known counterpart, Slamdance, which takes place over the same two weekends on the same street.

If Sundance, 30 this year, is the established, dependable older sibling, Slamdance, founded independently in 1995, is the younger: an edgier, cheaper alternative for film-makers and fans alike, showing 100 movies a year, and with many of its alumni going on to wild success. In 1999, it accepted Nolan's first film, Following, starting a chain of events that eventually led to Christian Bale in a Batsuit.

In 2007, the festival became responsible for the most profitable film of all time,...

David (Blake Robbins) and Kelly (Laura Kirk) are raising three young children in a quaint suburb in Kansas. David works as a college professor who is sometimes tempted by his female students. All the while, Kelly stays at home to take care of the kids. Regardless of David's indiscretions, of which Kelly is probably suspicious, they seem to have a fairly content relationship. One night, while David is on a date with his T.A. (Anastasia Baranova), tragedy strikes his family. In a bold moment of directorial confidence, The Sublime and Beautiful opts not to immediately disclose the precise nature of the tragedy, but we know by the emotional states of the surviving characters that the event was devastatingly horrible. In the aftermath of said tragedy, David is crippled by extreme levels of hatred, blame and guilt.

The Slamdance Film Festival has been making noise in Park City since 1995. An anarchic movie haven, the festival (January 17-23) runs concurrent with Sundance (January 16-26), offering subversively minded filmmakers, whether shut out of Sundance or not, an opportunity to screen their feature debuts with budgets of less than $1 million and without distribution. This year's Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition lineup at Slamdance screens films from all corners of the world including the Us, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Mexico and Israel.Making its world premiere at Slamdance, the performance-driven narrative drama "The Sublime and Beautiful" is written and directed by Blake Robbins (NBC's "The Office," HBO's "Oz"). He stars as a father coping with the death of his children as he wrestles with his morals and desire for retribution, descending into a complicated hell of grief alongside his wife (Laura Kirk). A Toh! exclusive trailer below.

Many filmmakers got their start on the independent film circuit.

So who will follow the greats such as Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”), Marc Forster (“World War Z”) and Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”)?

The Slamdance Film Festival announced their lineup for the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition after receiving over 5,000 submissions this year.

All of the competing films are directorial debuts with less than $1 million and without Us distribution. The films include 11 world premieres, 4 North American premieres and one Us premiere.

The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 17-23in Park City, Utah at the Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street.

Here’s the lineup:

Narrative Features Program

Copenhagen – Director & Screenwriter: Mark Raso

(USA, Canada, Denmark) World Premiere

A charming scoundrel visiting the city of his father’s birth, William is drawn to his impromptu guide Effy – wise, spontaneous, and half his age.

Cast: Gethin Anthony,...

Top brass at the upcoming 20th Slamdance Film Festival have revealed their narrative feature and documentary line-up, one day before the first programme announcements are due from Park City neighbour Sundance.

There are 10 narrative and eight documentary films including 11 world premieres, four North American and one Us.

Festival organisers sorted through more than 5,000 submissions to find the 18 titles, all of which are feature directorial debuts budgeted at under $1m and without Us distribution.

Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for the Spirit Of Slamdance Award judged by the film-makers themselves. The festival also presents Audience Awards.

“The 2014 Feature Competition bristles with raw talent and innovative filmmaking,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter. “As an organisation run by film-makers for film-makers, we couldn’t imagine a truer way of representing the first 20 years and beginning our next.”

The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival...

Dispatch is the latest film to be released by Monarch Home Entertainment and this film deals with a former screenwriter who now runs a limousine service. And for Nick (Michael Bershad) this limousine service brings more problems and desperation with Nick taking chances with the business' money. This dramatic thriller will release on DVD December 27th and those interested can take a look at the first trailer for Dispatch below.

Release Date: December 27th (DVD).

Director: Steven Sprung.

Cast: Michael Bershad, Bruce Bohne, Erick Avari, Melina Lizette, Blake Robbins, and Harry Karp.

The trailer for Dispatch is here:

Source:

Dispatch at Monarch Home Entertainment

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When you sit down to watch a movie about a homicidal telekinetic tire, you've made a certain decision about life and your filmwatching experience. If you expect realism, developed characters, a serious study in mise-en-scene, well, then you've clearly got a warped sense of reality and belong in retail hell, either folding ironic overpriced T-shirts or brewing overpriced beverages that have gone beyond the realm of coffee into some sort of hyper-milkshake. It's a movie. About a fucking tire. That kills people. With it's mind. But fortunately, writer-director Quentin Dupieux knows that. So what he's created with Rubber is such a meta experience that Charlie Kaufman would have to go into Doctor Who's head to find Sam Beckett and ask him to lead him into the dream snow fortress in the middle of Philip Seymour Hoffman's head when he was pretending to be John Malkovich. It's not just a film about a killer tire,...