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Blue Finch Films has closed a raft of international sales for a pair of SXSW-selected titles out of Cannes, with sci-fi action pic “Redux Redux” and female-driven horror “The Surrender” both finding homes across multiple territories.

The genre titles, which opened to critical acclaim at the Austin festival, are currently enjoying strong festival runs as Blue Finch continues to capitalize on their momentum in the international marketplace.

“Redux Redux” has been picked up by A Contracorriente Films for Spain, VOD Factory for France, Vendetta Filmes for Portugal, Capelight Pictures for Germany, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, and Premiere TV Distribution for Benelux. Additional deals include Umbrella Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Particular Crowd for Latin America, BookMyShow for India, and Falcon Films for the Middle East and North Africa region. Blue Finch will handle the U.K. and Ireland release later this year.

Directed by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus,...

Saban Films has secured the North American distribution rights to the sci-fi revenge thriller Redux Redux, written and directed by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus. The film, which debuted in the Midnighter section at SXSW earlier this year, is scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release later in 2025.

Redux Redux follows Irene Kelly, played by Michaela McManus, as she travels across parallel universes seeking revenge for her daughter’s death by repeatedly killing the murderer in each world. But as Irene becomes consumed by the hunt, her grip on her own humanity begins to fray.

The project features a cast that includes Jim Cummings, Jeremy Holm, Taylor Misiak, Grace Van Dien, and newcomer Stella Marcus. Produced by Mothership Motion Pictures, the film reunites the creative team behind indie titles Funeral Kings and 13 Cameras, including producers Michael J. McGarry, Pj McCabe, Nate Cormier and the McManus brothers themselves.

The deal for North...

Saban Films has acquired the North American rights to Redux Redux for a nationwide theatrical release later this year.

The sci-fi revenge thriller is written and directed by brothers Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus (The Block Island Sound).

In an attempt to avenge her daughter’s death, Irene Kelly travels through parallel universes, killing her daughter’s murderer over and over again. She grows addicted to the revenge streak, putting her own humanity in jeopardy.

Michaela McManus (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Jim Cummings (Halloween Kills), Jeremy Holm (“Mr. Robot”), Taylor Misiak (“Dave”), Grace Van Dien (“Stranger Things”) and newcomer Stella Marcus star.

Redux Redux is the first film produced by Mothership Motion Pictures, formed by the McManus Brothers, Pj McCabe (The Beta Test), Nate Cormier (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), and Michael J. McGarry (The Wolf of Snow Hollow).

“We couldn’t be happier to be working with...

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Hulu is one of the best places to find the best movies and TV shows you can watch on any streaming service. Every month, it adds hundreds of new titles to its content library, but with that, there are also some titles that have got to go. So, today, we are here to tell you about the best film you should watch before it leaves Hulu in February 2025.

The Beta Test (February 3) Credit – IFC Films

The Beta Test is a dark comedy thriller film co-written and co-directed by Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe. The 2021 film follows an engaged Hollywood agent, who has an intimate night with an anonymous woman but he soon becomes paranoid that his fiancée will find out about his infidelity. The Beta Test stars Jim Cummings, Pj McCabe, Virginia Newcomb, and Jessie Barr.

Spencer (February...

XYZ Films and Blue Finch Films have come on to represent North America and international rights, respectively, to the sci-fi horror thriller Redux Redux ahead of its world premiere in the Midnighter section at SXSW in March.

Hailing from brothers Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus, who were writers on Cobra Kai and co-directed The Block Island Sound and Funeral Kings, the story stars their sister Michaela McManus as Irene Kelly, who travels through parallel universes to kill her daughter’s murderer over and over again. As she grows addicted to revenge, the process begins to jeopardise her own humanity.

The...

XYZ Films and Blue Finch Films have come on to represent North America and international rights, respectively, to the sci-fi horror thriller Redux Redux ahead of its world premiere in the Midnighter section at SXSW in March.

Hailing from brothers Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus, who were writers on Cobra Kai and co-directed The Block Island Sound and Funeral Kings, the story stars their sister Michaela McManus as Irene Kelly, who travels through parallel universes to kill her daughter’s murderer over and over again. As she grows addicted to revenge, the process begins to jeopardise her own humanity.

The...

While we await the next feature from triple threat, actor/writer/director Jim Cummings—known for his excellent indies, “Thunder Road,” The Wolf of Snow Hollow” and “The Beta Test”—the actor is still demonstrating he can be a viable lead outside of his own movies too. His latest film is the Western crime feature “The Last Stop In Yuma County,” which features a sprawling indie cast (he’s also an exec-producer on the film) and has been described as “an old-fashioned shoot ’em up.”

Read More: ‘The Beta Test’: Jim Cummings & Pj McCabe Talk Their Dark Hollywood, Cancel Culture Satire [Interview]

The feature-length debut of writer/director Francis Galluppi, known for several shorts and Mt.

Continue reading ‘The Last Stop In Yuma County’: Jim Cummings Stars In New Western Crime Thriller Arriving In May at The Playlist.

Filmmakers Jim Cummings, Pj McCabe and Thomas Cross have teamed up to launch a new independent production studio, Cool & Happy Limited. Cummings and McCabe will serve as the studio’s chief creatives, while Cross will head up production.

“The same team has been making stuff for eight years. We started in shorts and then made three features: ‘Thunder Road’ ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ and ‘The Beta Test,’ most recently,” Cummings says. After enduring the Covid pandemic and last year’s Hollywood labor strikes, things came into perspective for the trio. “These are the people that I actually want to hang out with. It kind of perfectly aligned with what was happening in the industry. It has never been harder to get something through the front door of Hollywood.”

As Cummings puts it, the priority is making “unsanitized, well-crafted movies for cinema fanatics.” He cites Cool & Happy’s ability to...

15 Cameras is a standalone horror film that follows a couple who spiral into obsession and voyeurism after discovering hidden cameras in their new duplex. Director Danny Madden wanted the movie to explore the concept of our voyeuristic society and the idea that anyone can be watching at any time. The film was initially planned to feature Neville Archambault, the actor who played the Slumlord in the previous movies, but he passed away, leading to changes in the story and a focus on new characters.

Written by Pj McCabe, 15 Cameras is currently available to stream On Demand. The horror movie succeeds 13 Cameras and 14 Cameras but can be watched as a stand-alone film. When married couple, Cam and Sky, buy a duplex, they believe they're making a worthwhile investment in their future. However, once Cam finds hidden cameras throughout the house and a lair full of monitors, he spirals down...

Plot: When married couple Cam and Sky move into a property formerly owned by the voyeuristic, homicidal slumlord from the previous films, Cam discovers that the place is still equipped with cameras and monitoring equipment. He begins to follow in the slumlord’s creepy footsteps… while also starting to fear that the slumlord is still lurking around.

Review: In the 2015 film 13 Cameras, writer/director Victor Zarcoff and actor Neville Archambault introduced viewers to one of the most repugnant characters ever put on the screen: slack-jawed, perverted, homicidal slumlord Gerald. That film had one hell of a downer ending, so thankfully it received a sequel three years later – 14 Cameras, with Archambault reprising the role of Gerald and Zarcoff writing the screenplay for Scott Hussion and Seth Fuller to direct. Again, the door was left wide open for a sequel, with Gerald still up to his woman-capturing ways. So it’s good that,...

Stars: Will Madden, Angela Wong Carbone, Hilty Bowen, James Babson, Shirley Chen, Hannah Mckechnie, Skyler Bible, Courtney Dietz, Erik Leupp, Donna Allen, Brianne Moncrief, Jim Cummings, Stephen Ruffin | Written by Pj McCabe | Directed by Danny Madden

The “cameras” franchise – for yes, 15 Cameras is actually the Third film in the series – has had a bit of a fractured history. The first film debuted at Frightfest 2015 under the title Slumlord, then was released a year later under the title 13 Cameras. Two years later the rest of the world would get 14 Cameras, whereas here in the UK the film was quietly put out on VOD platforms as I See You… with zero fanfare or much fan reaction for that matter either.

Now comes 15 Cameras. Released some five years after the original sequel this film, sadly, does not feature Neville Archambault’s creed serial-killing, camera-watching Gerald, after the actor passed away last year. This...

Seven years ago, Victor Zarcoff introduced the world to a perverted creep named Gerald in his horror thriller 13 Cameras – and five years ago, Gerald returned to menace more people (including future Prey star Amber Midthunder) in the sequel 14 Cameras. Sadly, Neville Archambault, who played Gerald in both of those films, passed away unexpectedly last year at the age of 66. But Gerald’s legacy lives on in the upcoming sequel 15 Cameras, which is set to receive a VOD release from Gravitas Ventures on October 13th. With that date right around the corner, a trailer for 15 Cameras has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Directed by Danny Madden from a screenplay by Pj McCabe, the new sequel has the following synopsis: When Cam and Sky bought their duplex, it seemed like the perfect investment opportunity for the young couple; a starter home, a mortgage offset by renters,...

In the wake of 13 Cameras and 14 Cameras, Gravitas Ventures will next be unleashing 15 Cameras, and the third piece of the trilogy is coming to VOD on October 13, 2023.

From 30 Bones Cinema & Hood River Entertainment, 15 Cameras is written by Pj McCabe, directed by Danny Madden, and stars Will Madden, Angela Wong Carbone, Hilty Bowen, James Babson, Shirley Chen, Hannah Mckechnie, Skyler Bible, Courtney Dietz, Erik Leupp, Donna Allen, Brianne Moncrief, Jim Cummings, and Stephen Ruffin.

In the upcoming horror sequel…

“When Cam and Sky bought their duplex, it seemed like the perfect investment opportunity for the young couple; a starter home, a mortgage offset by renters, and even a guest room for Sky’s sister, Carolyn. But as Sky and Cam slowly uncover hidden cameras and secrets of the duplex’s previous owner, obsession consumes their marriage and they both fall into destructive forms of voyeurism. When new tenants move in downstairs,...

Exclusive: Joy Sunday (Wednesday) has signed with Gersh for representation in all areas.

Sunday made a splash in the Netflix hit series Wednesday in the role of Bianca Barclay, a siren and queen bee of Nevermore Academy who is set up early on as the titular character’s (Jenna Ortega) arch nemesis.

“When Bianca came into my life, I was honestly so happy to play her because, in a lot of ways, it was an opportunity to get to soften and to expand on a character like her,” Sunday told Deadline in a December interview. “I was just elated to be able to put my own spin on it and to really provide a nuanced take on the mean girl, the strong girl. I feel lucky to have been able to play her.”

Although the role of Bianca is her breakout, Sunday has appeared in Jim Cumming’s & Pj McCabe...

Arrow Video have released The Beta Test in the UK on a 2-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray featuring a whole host of extras.

Eyes Wide Shut meets Office Space, The Player and Black Mirror in The Beta Test, the acclaimed thriller from Jim Cummings, creator of Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow.

A ruthless, manipulative, and soon-to-be married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter inviting him to an anonymous sexual encounter. After some uncertainty he accepts, but euphoria turns to paranoia as he becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lies, infidelity and murder.

Strikingly shot and with pitch-perfect performances that will make you squirm in your seat, The Beta Test is a stylish, scathing satire of preening toxic masculinity, the dangers of technology, and the hollowness of Hollywood success.

2-disc Limited Edition Contents

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation

• Original lossless 5.1 audio

• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and...

One of the more well-known and fascinating obstacles that come with filmmaking is studio interference. There have been plenty of interesting stories from acclaimed directors behind blockbusters and lesser-known projects that have had to fight for the integrity of their vision. Sometimes it can be a losing battle, but there have been some pretty crazy stories in recent memory that showed the potential of staying true to the story you want to tell. The industry landscape has changed in recent years, where social media campaigns and crowdfunding can now help filmmakers to achieve their story aspirations without interference. 

A more recent example would be Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe's "The Beta Test," a film that "circumvented the system" in the words of its directors, who made their film with no interference. In the case of films made decades earlier, it wasn't as easy. For example, director James Mangold's second-ever feature,...

Happy Monday, dear readers! We’re back with this week’s horror and sci-fi home media releases, and we have a ton of killer titles arriving on Tuesday that you will undoubtedly want to add to your own Blu-ray and DVD collections. Scream Factory is showing Wes Craven’s Cursed some love with their new Collector’s Edition release, and not to be too confusing, the 2022 historical horror The Cursed is also headed to multiple formats this week as well.

The Beta Test by Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe is headed to both Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, courtesy of IFC, and if you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, Behind the Monsters: Season 1 is a fun watch for anyone who is super into iconic horror characters. Conor McMahon’s vampire comedy Let the Wrong One In is also being released this week, and if you’re a big Jason fan,...

Centenary screening of Nosferatu, world premiere of stoner comedy The Smoke Master bookend event.

Brazil’s Fantaspoa genre festival, billed as the largest of its kind in Latin America, is returning to an in-person event for the first time since 2019 and has unveiled its first wave of titles.

This year’s International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre will take place in five cinemas around the southern city from April 15-May 1. It is bookended by a special opening night centenary screening of F. W. Murnau’s vampire classic Nosferatu accompanied by a live soundtrack performed by Carlos Ferreira and Brazilian...

Exclusive: UTA has signed writer, director, producer and actor Jim Cummings (The Beta Test) for representation in all areas.

Cummings most recently partnered with Pj McCabe to co-write and direct The Beta Test, also producing and starring in that genre-bender, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. That film also starring McCabe and Virginia Newcomb sees an engaged Hollywood agent receive a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter, becoming ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity and digital data. IFC Films released it in the U.S. in November.

Cummings also wrote, directed, produced and starred in the acclaimed short film Thunder Road, which won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, along with SXSW’s Special Jury Award and other honors. He later adapted the short, in which a man eulogizes his mother, into a 2018 feature of the same name,...

While time has seemingly ceased to exist in year two of the global pandemic, we’ve had no shortage of entertainment options. More films have had simultaneous theatrical releases and digital releases and most film festivals have been hybrid this year, offering both in-person and virtual access to journalists as well as audiences. We’re hoping this trend continues in 2022 to allow accessibility to all.

With that said, 2021 has been a great year for horror. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to view and cover some truly amazing horror films this year. As the world still feels like it’s in a state of chaos, I’ve continued to turn to horror as a form of therapy. I’ve seen some fantastic horror movies and shows this year that not only provided an escape from reality, but also showcased some wildly talented filmmaking. In no particular order, the...

My final 2021 guests this week on the Deep Focus podcast are Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe, the co-directors, co-writers, and co-stars of IFC Films’ “The Beta Test,” Yes, this conversation is overdue. “The Beta Test” came out in late November, but it is available on all digital platforms to rent now, and let’s just say as a bit of a tease: you will see “The Beta Test” on our forthcoming list of the Best Films Of 2021 That You Didn’t See running in early January.

Continue reading ‘The Beta Test’: Jim Cummings & Pj McCabe Talk Their Dark Hollywood, Cancel Culture Satire at The Playlist.

Chicago – Creating a complex story and delivering it in a spectacular way was the accomplishment of two self-described “best friends.” Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe are the co-writers, directors and friends of the new film “The Beta Test” – releasing November 5th, 2021 – a thriller that takes on the darker side of human motivations.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Jim Cummings is also featured as Jordan, a wannabe Hollywood agent-type and player who is constantly striking out in his various pitches. His life takes a turn when he receives a mysterious invitation for a no-strings-attached sexual encounter, six weeks before his marriage to Caroline (Virginia Newcombe). His decision to proceed is the impetus for his future and the story’s direction. This is a maniacal festival of truth, as Jordan’s inability to cover up his sins devolve into an ever-deepening spiral. Cummings is great as a pretty boy whose darkness is a shadow over all lives he encounters,...

Arriving in select theaters and on VOD and Digital platforms today is The Beta Test from co-writers/co-directors Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe, courtesy of IFC Films. The film’s story is centered around an engaged Hollywood agent (played by Cummings) who receives a mysterious letter inviting him to indulge in an anonymous sexual encounter mere weeks before his wedding, and the downward spiral that follows once he realizes that there are no secrets in life anymore.

Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with both Cummings and McCabe (who also co-stars in the project) about their experiences collaborating on The Beta Test, and during the interview, the duo discussed their approach to the story and directorial duties on the comedic erotic thriller, as well as how they tackled blending several genres that don’t necessarily seem like they would work well together. McCabe and Cummings also chatted about...

Neon presents Spencer on just under 1,000 screens, Pablo Larraín’s well-reviewed psychological drama about the weekend Princess Diana rewrote the future of the British monarchy. The film is said to be looking at a $2 million-$2.5 million opening with an 84% Certified Fresh critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes but a 50% audience score (albeit from fewer than 50 ratings).

Meanwhile, Eternals is tracking to a $70M+ opening with flipped scores — 49% critics, 86% audience.

This is a period where counter-programming — a key role of independent film, specialty and arthouse fare, documentaries, barely exists. If recent Marvel Cinematic Universe release weekends are precedent, this one will be all Eternals all the time for the mostly younger crowds that are repopulating theaters.

Yet, even with no new wide-release superhero-mega-franchise hitting last weekend, nothing else opened well (except maybe Funimation’s My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission). That includes indie Last Night in Soho despite a solid media campaign,...

There have been many uncertainties at the box office since the pandemic began, but if there’s one thing that remains as true as ever, it is the box office dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). MCU films Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are two of the three top grossing films of the year, and the other film in the top three is Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which is part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and has some tie-ins with the MCU. This weekend sees the release of Eternals, the newest property in the MCU, and it is set to give the box office a jolt after a few weeks of declining grosses.

Opening on over 4,000 screens, the theatrical exclusive Eternals is the first film appearance of its titular race of immortal alien humanoid beings who are protectors of Earth against their evil counterparts the Deviants.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

A Cop Movie (Alonso Ruizpalacios)

There has never been a less auspicious time to make a “cop movie.” As scrutiny abounds from both within (content warnings on streaming services) and externally (social media) towards the past output of media producers, also suspect are the bevy of films and series that glamorize law enforcement, or see the police as uncomplicated arbiters of justice. Of course, last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests initiated all kinds of brave new thinking about a potential world devoid of cops. Like the Western genre, perhaps all police thrillers in future will be revisionist ones. Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ new Netflix-produced quasi-documentary, A Cop Movie, has thus arrived right on cue. – David K. (full review)

Where to...

The Beta Test, the newest micro-budget film from independent actor-writer-director Jim Cummings, finds the Emerson College alum teaming up with his friend, classmate, and collaborator Pj McCabe. The two worked together on 2020’s The Wolf of Snow Hollow, along with a slew of shorts over the past 15 years. Co-writing, co-director, and co-starring in The Beta Test, Cummings and McCabe craft a drama that leans into different genres more often than not—it wants to be “genre-fluid,” as the two describe it. In their own words, they just “wanted to make a dope movie.”

Following a scummy Hollywood talent agent (played by Cummings), the film navigates a topsy-turvy story focused on (mostly) bad people making (mostly) bad decisions. It attempts to satirize the prototypical “man in charge,” laughing at his mistakes and cautioning others to choose differently. It contains moments of pure shock, surrounding the agent’s involvement with a secret,...

The story usually goes like this: Filmmaker delivers promising work, scores an agent, and lets them take charge. Jim Cummings is on a mission to change that. After turning his Sundance-acclaimed short film “Thunder Road” into a feature with crowdfunding, he secured a Sundance Creative Distribution Fellowship grant to support his self-distribution efforts. Eventually, the movie made back its $200,000 production exclusively in France, which exceeded any traditional distribution offers he’d received. The director came out of the experience intent on retaining control of his work without any representation — and eager to convince other filmmakers to do the same.

“Agencies don’t actually care about independent film,” Cummings said in an interview last week. “They care about money and power. The way we make films is by completely circumventing that system.”

Now, Cummings and co-director Pj McCabe have made the case with a new movie. With “The Best Test,” the...

Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s “The Beta Test” is with a mad soufflé of a plot that starts with a Hollywood murder, climaxes in a nationwide sex conspiracy, and touches on everything from Harvey Weinstein to the WGA’s fight against packaging fees in between. At its heart, however, this endearingly overstuffed indie hinges on a simple observation that has nothing to do with digital growth, belittled assistants, or the Tiger Woods-directed all-dog reboot of “Caddyshack” that’s mentioned in a throwaway line by a talent agent who only speaks in throwaway lines: It’s never been easier to feel like your life isn’t good enough, and yet it’s never been harder to fuck around and find out. Literally. Temptation is only a click away, but you’d basically have to stage the heist from “Ocean’s Eleven” just to cheat on someone without getting caught.

On the one hand,...

As the year winds down, November brings a packed slate of new releases––including festival favorites we can already recommend and others that hold a great deal of promise. From some of the greatest auteurs working today to breakthrough voices, there’s much to check out. See our picks below.

16. The Humans (Stephen Karam; Nov. 14 in theaters and on Showtime)

One of the notable premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival was writer-director Stephen Karam’s debut feature The Humans, adapted from his Tony Award-winning play. Coming from A24, the film follows Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Steven Yeun, and June Squibb in a story of a family who gathers in Manhattan for a Thanksgiving meal as their fears are laid bare. As C.J. Prince said in his TIFF review, “Everything is wrong in The Humans, Stephen Karam’s adaptation of his Tony-winning play. Set entirely...

If you're in the Los Angeles area and are looking for something fun to do the Wednesday before Halloween, we might have the perfect sexy, spooky event for you. IFC Films and Film Independent are presenting a live reading of Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" with "The Beta Test" directors Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe. The best part? The directors request that the audience all dress in masks and capes, and full costumes are encouraged.

On Wednesday, October 27, 2021, Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe will direct a live reading of "Eyes Wide Shut," Kubrick's salacious story about a couple who get involved...

The post Eyes Wide Shut is Getting a Live Script Reading, and Full Costumes Are Encouraged appeared first on /Film.

IndieWire exclusively shares the news that Film Independent and IFC Films will host a live read of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1999 erotic mystery “Eyes Wide Shut” on Wednesday, October 27 in Los Angeles. The reading of the script will be directed by Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe, the directors of the upcoming IFC release “The Beta Test.” The directors encourage audience members to come dressed in full “Eyes Wide Shut” regalia — that means masks and capes, a la the infamous scene where Tom Cruise finds himself at a sex party for the one percent inside a mansion, are requested. Besides, you’ll be wearing a face mask anyway.

The event will take place at the DGA Theater on Sunset Blvd. in LA at 7: 30 p.m. Pst. Tickets are $20 for Film Independent members, with a limit of two tickets per membership. Proof of Covid vaccination is required to attend the event.

A24’s Lamb hit the top ten for the second week running (No. 8) at the North American box office, surging past $2 million. The Rescue expanded to 552 theaters, the widest documentary screen count since Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, said distributor Greenwich Entertainment, anticipating it will ultimately top $1M. Holdovers outperformed newcomers this weekend, including IFC’s Cannes selection Bergman Island.

For the three days, Lamb grossed an estimated $534,000 in 865 theater with a per screen average of $628. Weekend tally: Friday-$172,135; Sat.-$211,925; Sun.-$158,944. The R-rated horror-folktale where a childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery in their sheep barn, has a estimated cume of $2,037,730.

National Geographic Film’s The Rescue by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) has a projected gross of $386,400, or a $700 PSA. Greenwich said the film, about the dramatic rescue of a Thai boys soccer team from a flooded cave, has a total...

"Now I'm suspicious of everyone... We're so terrified of stepping out of line." IFC Films has just unveiled a second official trailer for The Beta Test, a seductive, provocative thriller from filmmaker Jim Cummings (of Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow). The first UK trailer arrived a few weeks back, time for another look. Cummings teams up with actor Pj McCabe to co-write & co-direct this film, which initially premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year. It's opening in the US in art house cinemas starting in early November. A married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data. It's partially a commentary on the world of agents in Hollywood, and partially a commentary on the disruptive nature of sexual provocation, how easily it can tear things apart. The film stars Cummings & McCabe,...

Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow writer-director-actor Jim Cummings is back with his latest feature The Beta Test. A selection at Berlinale, Tribeca, and Fantastic Fest, the film follows a married Hollywood agent who receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder, and infidelity. Ahead of a release on November 5, the U.S. trailer and poster have now landed.

Michael Frank said in his review, “Jim Cummings has become something of an indie film wunderkind, making low-budget, critically-acclaimed projects that hit festivals and reach the depths of Film Twitter, many members of which Cummings used to follow from his own account. Partnering with Pj McCabe to co-direct, co-write, and co-star in The Beta Test, Cummings’ latest feature concerns modern relationships. With Cummings taking the lead as Hollywood agent and resident douchebag Jordan, his story and performance rarely...

“The Beta Test,” the critically-acclaimed indie about the intersection of toxicity in Hollywood and digital culture, has unveiled an anxiety-ridden first trailer.

The IFC Films title, which played the Berlin International Film Festival this year and sits at 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, stars Jim Cummings, who wrote and directed the film with Pj McCabe.

The satire follows an engaged talent rep who accepts a mysterious offer to engage in a consensual and anonymous sexual encounter — only to face severe repercussions as his work and home life fall apart in the aftermath. The filmmakers called the project a dark thriller about the problematic nature of the entertainment industry and humanity’s willingness to jeopardize our happiness in small and constant decisions.

The film asks the question “In the age of internet consumerism and digital tracking, does anyone truly have privacy? And can we ever truly rest without having all the answers?...

Indie director Jim Cummings and co-star Pj McCabe have made a scornful part-thriller about an unctuous agent in thrall to the system

Writer-director-actor Jim Cummings’ has already made two films, Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, which were very well received on the American indie circuit. His latest, The Beta Test, co-written and directed with its co-star Pj McCabe, is part delicious satire of Hollywood culture and part frustratingly muddled thriller. But the good bits are sufficiently impressive it wouldn’t be fair to hold its flaws against it too much. We mustn’t be greedy for perfection.

Greed, as it happens, is probably the major sin of a Tinseltown agent called Jordan (played by Cummings), followed closely by lust, wrath, pride and envy. Given his rigorously gym-toned figure it would seem that Jordan is less guilty of gluttony or sloth, but there’s probably more than enough...

Weaving light Hollywood satire and fear of Big Data into a parable of erotic temptation, Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s The Beta Test watches as a mysterious one-night stand threatens to destroy a young agent’s life. Playing the agent in question, Cummings works the same muscles that attracted attention in the festival darling Thunder Road and its follow-up, The Wolf of Snow Hollow: Exploring the varieties of volatile awkwardness and desperation, he plays a well-known type (the showbiz ladder-climber who’s nothing but a smile) while making the character unlike any we’ve seen.

Cummings is Jordan Hines, a hungry young agent who acts as ...

Weaving light Hollywood satire and fear of Big Data into a parable of erotic temptation, Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s The Beta Test watches as a mysterious one-night stand threatens to destroy a young agent’s life. Playing the agent in question, Cummings works the same muscles that attracted attention in the festival darling Thunder Road and its follow-up, The Wolf of Snow Hollow: Exploring the varieties of volatile awkwardness and desperation, he plays a well-known type (the showbiz ladder-climber who’s nothing but a smile) while making the character unlike any we’ve seen.

Cummings is Jordan Hines, a hungry young agent who acts as ...

Following Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, writer-director-actor Jim Cummings is working at a steady clip with his latest feature, The Beta Test, having premiered at Berlinale earlier this year. Also a Tribeca and Fantastic Fest selection, the film follows a married Hollywood agent who receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder, and infidelity. Ahead of a release on November 5, the first trailer has now arrived courtesy of the U.K.

Michael Frank said in his review, “Jim Cummings has become something of an indie film wunderkind, making low-budget, critically-acclaimed projects that hit festivals and reach the depths of Film Twitter, many members of which Cummings used to follow from his own account. Partnering with Pj McCabe to co-direct, co-write, and co-star in The Beta Test, Cummings’ latest feature concerns modern relationships. With Cummings taking the...

“A hilarious skewering of the shallowness of the movie industry and the paranoia and mistrust that afflicts the guilty. Cummings and McCabe’s film touches a raw nerve with sharp, funny, awkwardly prickly provocation.” That’s our review, talking about “The Beta Test,” a new satirical feature from writer/director/actor/producer Jim Cummings (“Thunder Road,” “The Wolf of Snow Hollow.” Written and directed by Cummings and filmmaking pal Pj McCabe (who also co-stars in the film), “The Beta Test” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year and was eventually screened at the Tribeca Film Festival this past summer in North America.

Continue reading ‘Beta Test’ Trailer: Jim Cummings Tackles Toxic Masculinity & Hollywood Douchebaggery at The Playlist.

"It's the ultimate clickbait thirst trap." IFC Films has revealed the first official trailer for The Beta Test, a seductive, provocative new thriller from filmmaker Jim Cummings (of Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow). Cummings teams up with actor Pj McCabe to co-write & co-direct this film, which initially premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. It also played at the Tribeca, Edinburgh, Deauville, Vancouver, and Champs-Elysées Film Festivals this year. A married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data. It's partially a commentary on the wrold of agents in Hollywood, and partially a commentary on the disruptive nature of sexual provocation, how easily it can tear things apart. The film stars Cummings & McCabe, plus Virginia Newcomb, Kevin Changaris, Olivia Grace Applegate, Jessie Barr, Malin Barr, and Christian Hillborg. This...

Knoxville Horror Film Fest 2021: "The Knoxville Horror Film Fest will present its lucky 13th annual weekend of cinematic scares Thursday, October 21 through Sunday, October 24, with events split between Maryville, Tennessee’s Parkway Drive-In and the festival’s home base at Central Cinema in Knoxville.

It was Covid-era necessity that drove last year’s premier programming to the Parkway, but it’s pure pleasure that brings it back for a second year. Thursday night’s lineup will kick off the festival with a triple feature of John Carpenter’s ghostly 1980 classic The Fog, Rialto Pictures’ new 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Joe Dante’s The Howling (1981), and heavy metal horror cult item Trick Or Treat (1986). Friday night will continue the fun with the trailers of the 2021 Khff Grindhouse Grind-out, followed by another triple feature of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), An American Werewolf In London (1981) and SFX genius Phil Tippett’s years-in-the-making Mad God.

“A hilarious skewering of the shallowness of the movie industry and the paranoia and mistrust that afflicts the guilty. Cummings and McCabe’s film touches a raw nerve with sharp, funny, awkwardly prickly provocation.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

Hitting cinemas this fall is The Beta Test starring Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb, Pj McCabe, Kevin Changaris, Olivia Grace Applegate, Jessie Barr.

A married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, murder and infidelity in this scintillating satire.

Written and Directed by Jim Cummings & Pj McCabe, The Beta Test opens in Select Theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on November 5th.

The film premiered at Berlinale and the Tribeca Film Festival and will screen at the upcoming Fantastic Fest on Monday September 27th. Watch an interview from this summer with the two filmmakers.

https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-beta-test

Images Courtesy of IFC Films.

In Thunder Road, Jim Cummings crafted, from scripting through to performance and direction, a fractured anti-hero whose sense of self was slipping away from him - and he's back (alongside co-star/co-director/co-writer Pj McCabe) with a variation on this theme with his second movie, which also offers some sharp satire on the film world itself.

"It's exciting. I'm excited," is something of a mantra for Jordan (Cummings), not just in his Hollywood agent day job but as a go-to phrase for his fiancee (Virginia Newcomb), a fallback position when he hasn't been listening. Things are slipping for Jordan, a man who has the outward slick appearance of a professional whose upwardly mobile trajectory has no intention of stopping and yet whose internal anxiety levels are off the charts.

Cummings, as an actor, has the enviable ability of allowing the audience to see all these things at once, as though...

We Need To Do Something: "After Melissa and her family seek shelter from a storm, they become trapped. With no sign of rescue, hours turn to days and Melissa comes to realize that she and her girlfriend Amy might have something to do with the horrors that threaten to tear her family - and the entire world - apart."

Directed by Sean King O’Grady Starring Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy, John James Cronin and Lisette Alexis Written by and Max Booth III

Opening in theaters, Digital and VOD on Friday, September 3

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Recon: Reality Escape Convention: "Room Escape Artist announces the full line up and schedule for the second annual Reality Escape Convention (Recon), taking place online August 22 and 23, 2021, including the addition of veteran actor and immersive creator Neil Patrick Harris, who will be joining the virtual stage Sunday, August 22nd to introduce the keynote speakers and kick things off!

Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s ‘The Beta Test’ will open the festival.

US directors Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe’s feature The Beta Test will open the UK’s genre film festival Grimmfest which is running as a physical event in Manchester from October 7-10.

Cummings and McCabe will also star in the film about a Hollywood agent who gets sucked into a world of sexual infidelity and mysterious streams of digital data. Los Angeles based-Vanishing Angle produced the horror thriller. The feature initially premiered in the Berlin International Film Festival’s Encounters.

The festival is screening three...

In real life, Jim Cummings and Pj McCabe are close friends, bickering and chiding one another as they join our Zoom for an interview. They’re also the writers/directors/stars of Tribeca 2021 premiere, The Beta Test. In their film, they play close friends Jordan and Pj, Hollywood agency players with neuroses and self-absorption puffed up to hilarious effect. When a mysterious purple envelope invites Jordan to an anonymous tryst, the pair find themselves at the center of a web of conspiracy—or so they think.

In yet another impressive tonal balancing act (a recurring theme in Cummings’ work)—this time reminiscent of Robert Altman’s The Player—violence, paranoia and Hollywood in-jokes ensue.…...

Jim Cummings has become something of an indie film wunderkind, making low-budget, critically-acclaimed projects that hit festivals and reach the depths of Film Twitter, many members of which Cummings used to follow from his own account. Partnering with Pj McCabe to co-direct, co-write, and co-star in The Beta Test, Cummings’ latest feature concerns modern relationships. With Cummings taking the lead as Hollywood agent and resident douchebag Jordan, his story and performance rarely cease to be over-the-top—billed as a horror-thriller, The Beta Test turns towards violence as its narrative becomes muddled with convoluted data breaches and sex-induced madness.

Jordan’s an angry person, engaged to be married, stressed at work, and looking for a release. That release comes in the form of a purple envelope inviting him to a hotel room for a no-strings-attached sexual encounter with a mystery person, to which he of course obliges. With both parties blindfolded,...

Sydney Film Festival has revealed the first 22 titles on its line-up for this year, which will see the festival return to cinemas around the city after 2020’s virtual iteration.

Leading the pack are a contingent of local docos including Philippa Bateman’s Wash My Soul in the River’s Flow; Amanda Blue’s Step into Paradise and Eddie Martin’s The Kids, recently selected for Tribeca.

Sff will also boast the Nsw premiere of Kiwi film The Justice of Bunny King, Gaysorn Thavat’s debut feature led by Essie Davis and Thomasin McKenzie; and Nz-Canadian co-production, NIght Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet and executive produced by Taika Waititi.

Festival director Nashen Moodley is excited to return to an in-person event come August, noting the festival already had a “incredible” response to its summer season in January at the State Theatre, when it screened High Ground, Firestarter, Girls Can’t Surf, Minari and Another Round.