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Here's the recently-released first episode of the new Stacey Dash web series Sergio alerted you to in December. The series, which will follow the "awkward, conflicted world" of Dash, is called Stacey Dash Is Normal, while episode 1 is titled The Dip. In episode 1... Iit's Stacey's daughter's 9th birthday, but Stacey wasn't invited to the party given by her kid's stepmother. Alone at home, with her pug and a raging libido, Stacey fumbles through a day that keeps getting worse. The series is created/produced by Stacey Dash and Abe Schwartz, directed by Ryan Howard and Abe Schwartz, written by Schwartz. Watch episode 1 below:...

Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films being made available by Netflix for instant streaming. Important Note: There may be some films that do not become available on the specified dates. This is merely a report of the most accurate release dates I can find, but is not directly confirmed by Netflix themselves.

American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010)

Streaming Available: 06/29/2011

Synopsis: Since his tragic death from cancer at age 32, comedian Bill Hicks’s legend and stature have only grown, and this unique documentary tells his story, blending live footage, interviews and animation to fill in the details of a life cut short. A comic’s comic and unflagging critic of hypocrisy and cultural emptiness, Hicks was one of a kind, a Lenny Bruce for the late 20th century,...

The film is called Bad Batch, a stoner comedy, and the feature-film debut for Abe Schwartz, and its synopsis reads: One night, an unlikely group of college students (who met on Facebook) eat a full tray of maybe the strongest pot brownies ever. Unexpected shit hits the fan, the stakes climb higher and higher, and each character is sent to a strange, deranged, and intense place.

The film is described as a do-it-yourself, low-budget project, in the same vein as films like Clerks and Paranormal Activity, shot & edited in cinéma vérité style.

The film stars Lionel Sam, Jessica Watkins and Jr Lemon.

It makes its theatrical debut tonight in Los Angeles, at the Downtown Independent, 251 South Main Street, at 7:30Pm. And guess what? Tickets are Free! You just have to register to claim yours, and you can do so Here.

The rest of you not in L.A. can...

Bad Batch — an indie film written, directed and produced by Abe Schwartz — will have its premiere in Los Angeles… just in time for the highly debated Proposition 19 vote for medical marijuana legalization on November 2, 2010.

When:

Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 7:30 Pm – 10:00 Pm (Pt)

Where:

Downtown Independent

251 South Main Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tickets are Free but going fast. If the movie seems like something you’d be into, I’d love to see you there. If you’d like to attend, please register through our Eventbrite invitation. The premiere party, taking place at Downtown Independent Theater in Los Angeles will also feature live music, booths presenting info on both sides of Prop 19, a Q&A with the cast and crew following the 70 min. feature and more.

Trailer:

Source: Huffington Post...

Hi, my name's Abe Schwartz, and this is my first blog post for Huffington Post. I'm a filmmaker, though I'd never been to a film festival before Sundance this past January. I've been watching movies all of my life, working on making my first feature the past 2+ years, and still, I'd never been to a film festival before this January. It was a great experience. There were lots of amazing, technically sound films in contention in Park City, Ut. Many featured stars and higher budgets; some featured unknowns and modest budgets. My first feature film, Bad Batch, was not in contention though I wanted to check out the scene, anyway. I didn't submit to Sundance. Should I have? Maybe. I didn't have the deadline marked on my calender. I was focused on finishing the movie and getting it just right. I...

The cruel irony of do-it-yourself filmmaking is that while it's gotten easier and cheaper to actually make the things, it's gotten harder and more expensive to get them into theaters. As a result, the stigma once associated with releasing a film on the Internet rather than in cinemas is starting to fade away. It's no longer a last resort. In fact, for Abe Schwartz, whose stoner film Bad Batch is being released online today, it was the best option almost from the beginning.

"I think I always knew I was going to take a non-traditional approach," says Schwartz, a 26-year-old Philly native who's making his debut as a writer and director. The film, a low-key, black-and-white comedy about two guys and a girl who have a bad trip from some pot brownies, has an early Kevin Smith or Richard Linklater vibe, and lends itself to the small screen. "These character-driven films,...

Writer/director Abe Schwartz’s feature film Bad Batch becomes available to consume today, but We Are Movie Geeks has a special treat for our readers. For the one lucky winner of this contest will not only receive a free DVD of Bad Batch, but will also received an autographed poster. Two great prizes for one small effort. So, how can you win this Bad Batch prize pack?

Bad Batch is a unique breed of comedy about three college students who get more than they bargain for from a “bad batch” of pot brownies. So, in the spirit of the film, share your best “bad batch” story with us and one of them will win a DVD and poster. Simply send your best “bad batch” story to wamgcontests @ gmail.com and we’ll select one winner at random.

Just to clarify, “bad batch” can mean whatever you interpret it to mean.

Imagine if Ingmar Bergman had directed a stoner comedy written by Richard Linklater, a la Slacker. Now, if you can wrap your head around that notion, you have an idea of what to expect from Bad Batch. In all honesty, I’m not going to sit here and suggest this is a film on the same caliber as any of Bergman’s or Linklater’s films, but considering this is the debut feature film from writer/director/producer Abe Schwartz, made on what can best be described as a modestly micro-budget, Bad Batch is actually an interesting film.

Bad Batch is a story about three strangers who meet on Facebook and decide to get together to enjoy some pot brownies. The film begins with Hannah (played by actress and stand-up comedian Jessica Watkins) scoring some “Purple Erkle” marijuana from her dealer Isaac, played by Abe Schwartz, who also happens to...

During my week long coverage of SXSW 2010, I ran into an indie filmmaker outside the Alamo Drafthouse named Abe Schwartz. After speaking with Abe for a bit, I learned about his groovy sounding film called Bad Batch, which is literally on the cusp of being released upon the world for all to see. Check out the trailer, synopsis, website and poster for Bad Batch and also check back soon for my review of the film.

Synopsis

Have you ever had a bad high? In the do-it-yourself vein of Clerks and Paranormal Activity, Bad Batch is a fresh, new, indie feature that.s equal parts cinéma vérité and stoner comedy.

One night, an unlikely group of college students (who met on Facebook) consume a full tray of maybe the strongest marijuana-laced brownies known to man. Hannah, a Jewish, sexually ambiguous hipster looking for a fun time, plays host to Lavar and Jenkins,...