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A few weeks back, when my daughter Jessie filled in for me with Baron Vaughn on our Wolfpop podcast Maltin on Movies with Baron Vaughn, she solicited questions from listeners and a great many people responded, on a wide variety of topics. Jessie and I then hosted two more episodes in which we responded to your queries. We promised to post some of the material we tackled and some we couldn’t get to. This is just the first installment; we’ll certainly do this again, given your enthusiastic participation. Here goes: *** Alex Maizus ‏@AlexMaizus probably cliché but, favorite film? I wish I had a more...

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Reviewed by Kevin Scott, MoreHorror.com

Jug Face (2013)

Written by: Chad Crawford Kinkle

Directed by: Chad Crawford Kinkle

Cast: Lauren Ashley Carter (Ada), Daniel Manche (Jessaby), Larry Fessenden (Sustin), Sean Bridgers (Dawai), Alex Maizus (Emaciated Boy), Sean Young (Loriss), Mathieu Whitman (Bodey)

I gotta say that this movie could be about anything. Let me present a few possible scenarios: A poor, homely, simpleton girl that is abused by those more fortunate than her, and hopefully, she executes a cold and calculating plan of revenge using supernatural means? Nope. Maybe a backwoods girl possessed by something unholy whose only salvation is an exorcism by a righteous crusader? No, but closer than the first option.

“Jug Face” begins with Ada, a young rural girl getting crudely deflowered in the woods by her boyfriend perhaps, unfortunately more like her brother. A few weeks later, she suspects and then confirms that she is pregnant.

Three 14-year-olds cause all sorts of trouble in and around their Catholic middle school. Sounds pretty familiar, perhaps, a bit obvious, and possibly even downright dull. I mean, who still makes movies about troublemaking teenagers these days? First-time fraternal-twin filmmakers Kevin and Matthew McManus just made one, and it's sort of great. Sure, it's laden with vulgar talk for some easy laughs, but that's about where the simple stuff ends. At its best moments, Funeral Kings is a mixture of Stand By Me, Superbad, the deservedly obscure Heaven Help Us, and a particularly perceptive, enjoyably gritty independent comedy that knows what it's talking about. The town is unnamed and the era is unspecified, but our three central characters are the baby-faced Charlie (Alex Maizus), the...

With Venice finished and Toronto in full swing, a couple of key film acquisitions have taken place over the last few days. Here's the breakdown:

Focus Features has acquired Derek Cianfrance's thriller 'The Place Beyond The Pines' starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes. Gosling plays a motorcycle who commits a crime to support his child, putting him in the line of sight of a ruthless cop (Cooper).

Olivier Assayas' coming-of-age drama "Something in the Air" has been sold to more than 20 territories with IFC Films taking the North American rights.

FilmDistrict have acquired North American distribution rights to Spike Lee's "Oldboy" remake starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sharlto Copley. No potential release date has been given.

Outsource Media Group has acquired North American rights to the Mike Newell-directed "Great Expectations" starring Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jeremy Irvine, and Holliday Grainger.

Let's take a look at some acquisitions today, shall we? Mike Newell's Great Expectations, starring Jeremy Irvine, Holliday Grainger, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane, has had domestic rights picked up by Outsource Media Group. Funeral Kings, from Kevin and Matthew McManus, stars Dylan Hartigan, Alex Maizus and Jordan Puzzo and was recently acquired by Freestyle Releasing. Michel Gondry's The We and the I, starring Michael Brodie, Teresa Lynn and Raymond Delgado, has been picked up by the partnership of Paladan and 108 Media. Hit the jump for images, posters and full press releases. Here's a look at the press release for Great Expectations: Outsource Media Group Announces Its First Acquisition Of All North American Rights To Mike Newell’S Great Expectations Toronto CA (September 8, 2012) - On the eve of its Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, new funding entity, Outsource Media Group, has...

Three 14-year-olds cause all sorts of trouble in and around their Catholic middle school. Sounds pretty familiar, perhaps, a bit obvious, and possibly even downright dull. I mean, who still makes movies about troublemaking teenagers these days? First-time fraternal-twin filmmakers Kevin and Matthew McManus just made one, and it's sort of great. Sure, it's laden with vulgar talk for some easy laughs, but that's about where the simple stuff ends. At its best moments, Funeral Kings is a mixture of Stand By Me, Superbad, the deservedly obscure Heaven Help Us, and a particularly perceptive, enjoyably gritty independent comedy that knows what it's talking about. The town is unnamed and the era is unspecified, but our three central characters are the baby-faced Charlie (Alex Maizus),...

Coming of age stories depend upon authenticity if they are to have any power whatsoever.  I've certainly seen enough phony versions of a young man's first steps into a larger world to know when something rings true and when it doesn't.  The strength of "Funeral Kings," the debut feature of Kevin and Matthew McManus, is that it evokes a sustained emotional state that perfectly captures life at a certain age, straining against everyone else's definition of you, in a way that suggests these are filmmakers worth watching. Charlie (Alex Maizus) and Andy (Dylan Hartigan) and Felix (Charles Kwame Odei) are friends,...

Funeral Kings Trailer. Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus‘ Funeral Kings (2012) movie trailer stars Kevin Corrigan, Michaela McManus, Sarah Baldwin, Dylan Hartigan, and Eric Rollins. Funeral Kings‘ plot synopsis: “It’s always a good day for a funeral at St. Mark’s Middle School. Andy and Charlie, two altar servers, don’t just get to miss class anytime a parishioner kicks the bucket, they cut out early and play hooky as soon as the service is over. Eventually their irreverent personalities will put them in a situation that is too big for them to handle.”

This coming-of-age film will remind the viewer of the UK TV show Skins in its in-your-face portrayal of teens and adolescents.

Funeral Kings also stars Jordan Puzzo and Alex Maizus.

Watch Funeral Kings movie trailer and leave your thoughts on it below in the comments section. For more Funeral Kings photos, videos, and information, visit our Funeral Kings Page.

Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths,...

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year's Festival, March 9 - 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas. We are also pleased to reveal the world premiere of Emmett Malloy's documentary Big Easy Express as our Closing Night Film, which follows a train ride unlike any other with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show. Big Easy Express will screen on Saturday, March 17. The program will also include the world premiere of Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' 21 Jump Street, screening in the Centerpiece slot on Monday, March 12. The 2012 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of celebrating ambitious experimentation with risk takers both in front of and behind the camera, and a deep immersion into cultural touchstones. The Midnighters feature section and the Short Film program will be announced on February 8.

"SXSW has long been a haven for bold...

Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977

Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen

screens as part of 24 Beats per Second

SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:

Narrative Feature Competition

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.

With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.