News

Welcome to Holiday Favorites, a series in which Slackerwood contributors and our friends talk about the movies we watch during the holiday season, holiday-related or otherwise.

Today's Holiday Favorites are from a couple active in the Austin film community. Filmmaker Jennifer Harlow's most recent movie, the feature The Sideways Light (my review, my interview), premiered at the Austin Film Festival in October. Her husband, actor Mark Reeb, has appeared in a number of local films, including The Overbrook Brothers, Eve of Understanding and the short Happy Voodoo ... as well as The Sideways Light.

From Jennifer Harlow:

There are lots of movies I watch every year at Christmas: Love Actually, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harold and Kumar. Here I make my case for Christopher Columbus's Rent as the best Christmas movie ever, or "Jesse L. Martin Jesse L. Martin Jesse L. Martin."

"December 24, 9 pm, Eastern Standard Time.

Some great short filmmakers will be strutting their stuff at the 3rd annual Razorblades In Your Reese's short film fest, a free event taking place at La's Downtown Independent on Halloween (Wednesday October 31). One name to watch on this year's slate is Swedish director Adam Berg, creator of the Philips Carousel commercial. Berg is set to make his directorial debut with Universal's upcoming remake of Cronenberg's Videodrome. Both The Ruins director Carter Smith and John E. Bryant, best known for his SXSW feature The Overbrook Brothers, will have shorts in this year's lineup as well. Razorblades has become a good place to spot young talent. Past fest's have included works by Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Rodney Ascher (Room 237), and Spencer...

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund. The trailer is now available. As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project.

Today's interview is with John Bryant, a local filmmaker who seems to specialize in jaw-dropping scenes. Most recently I was delightfully stunned by The Good Neighbor, a short he wrote that played SXSW 2011. He expanded his 2006 short Momma's Boy into the feature The Overbrook Brothers, and is also responsible for unleashing the short film Oh My God upon us, which played Aff in 2004 and Sundance in 2005, and is now available online for your viewing pleasure (warning: it's not for the faint-hearted).

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?...

Here's an update on the latest Austin-related movie news:

The latest production from Troublemaker Studios, Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World, was shooting in downtown Austin this weekend, which apparently only increased the traffic frustration caused by Acl Fest. Still, it's always nice to hear about films shooting downtown, especially when you are not downtown.Speaking of Troublemaker, Robert Rodriguez has said that his next film project will be Sin City 2 ... if the script is ready. And the stars align. And he isn't offered something else way cooler in the meantime. Perhaps we'll find out more details at Austin Film Festival, where he'll be receiving the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award. Speaking of which, I'm wondering if one of those TBAs at Aff won't be a Rodriguez film, since award winners usually do one retrospective. Which movie do you think they'd show? At this time of year,...

More Spring Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]

[Repertory Calendar]

[Jason Reitman's Favorites]

Over 85 films will be filing through arthouses and multiplexes between now and the end of April, but nearly triple that number will be accessible from the comfort of home, whether it's on demand, online or on DVD. Here's what will be hitting televisions, computer screens, Netflix queues and store shelves this spring.

On Demand

Once you get through the masterful six-hour "Red Riding Trilogy" currently available on demand through May, IFC Films and their Sundance Selects label have quite the collection of festival favorites available to beam directly onto your TV in the next few months. It starts on February 17th with the Festival Direct release of the acclaimed John Bryant comedy "The Overbrook Brothers," about two siblings who find out they're adopted, as well as the Sundance Selects release of "Flannel Pajamas" director Jeff Lipsky's multi-generational comedy "Once More With Feeling," starring Chazz Palminteri as...

Here's the latest Austin film-related news:

The newest additions to the 2010 Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards: actor Lukas Haas (Witness, Convicts), who used to live in Austin; and Waiting for Guffman, filmed in Austin and Lockhart. Catherine O'Hara will accept the award on behalf of the Christopher Guest film. Tickets are still available for the award ceremony at Austin Studios on March 11.Local filmmaker John Bryant's feature film The Overbrook Brothers, which played SXSW 2009, will be released on IFC On Demand on Feb. 17. (Bryant is second from left in the photo above, taken during an Overbrook Brothers Q&A.) That link includes a trailer, which I feel doesn't quite do the comedy justice. You'd do better to watch Bryant's 2006 short Momma's Boy, now available on Atom, which was remade as the first part of The Overbrook Brothers. The short co-stars Steve Zissis, who was also in the Duplass brothers' film Baghead,...

Cinematical has just been handed this exclusive trailer for the SXSW break-out hit The Overbrook Brothers, a film that has carried plenty of good buzz around to several other film festivals over the past year and is now ready to slam its fist down in your living room when IFC brings the film On-Demand this February 17th via its IFCInTheaters brand. Directed by John E. Bryant (and written by Bryant and Jason Foxworth), The Overbrook Brothers follows two brothers who go on a road trip to find their biological parents. On paper that may sound like a lot of small, indie comedies, but take a look at the trailer after the jump and tell me this flick doesn't look like an absolute riot.

A bunch of my friends and colleagues had lots of good things to say about this film after it premiered at SXSW last year, including our own...

Two new photos from Prince of Persia, the first shot of Marmaduke, the first photos from Peter Weir's The Way Back,

Posters including a Hit-Girl one-sheet from Kick Ass, Shrek Forever After, Knight and Day, Valentine's Day, Solomon Kane, Edge of Darkness, Inception, The Crazies.

""Avatar" pulled in a very impressive $16.4 million gross on Monday, bringing its total to $94 million in four days. Around $40 million of the film's $77 million opening weekend total came from 3D screenings..." (full details)

"Paramount Pictures is seeking a 12-16 year old girl to play the lead in the Coen Brother's upcoming Western remake "True Grit". Details can be found at www.truegritcasting.com..." (full details)

"Disney has confirmed that the 17-minute 3D short film "Captain Eo" starring Michael Jackson will return to Disneyland for a limited engagement starting in February 2010..." (full details)

"IFC Films has acquired North American rights to John Bryant's road...

Two new photos from Prince of Persia, the first shot of Marmaduke, the first photos from Peter Weir's The Way Back,

Posters including a Hit-Girl one-sheet from Kick Ass, Shrek Forever After, Knight and Day, Valentine's Day, Solomon Kane, Edge of Darkness, Inception, The Crazies.

""Avatar" pulled in a very impressive $16.4 million gross on Monday, bringing its total to $94 million in four days. Around $40 million of the film's $77 million opening weekend total came from 3D screenings..." (full details)

"Paramount Pictures is seeking a 12-16 year old girl to play the lead in the Coen Brother's upcoming Western remake "True Grit". Details can be found at www.truegritcasting.com..." (full details)

"Disney has confirmed that the 17-minute 3D short film "Captain Eo" starring Michael Jackson will return to Disneyland for a limited engagement starting in February 2010..." (full details)

"IFC Films has acquired North American rights to John Bryant's road...

IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to John Bryant's "The Overbrook Brothers," a road movie about two brothers searching for their biological parents, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival this year.

The film's cast includes Nathan Harlan, Mark Reeb, Laurel Whitsett and Steve Zissis. "Brothers" was produced by Chris Ohlson and Bryant. Tom Borders exec produced and Angela Pires served as associate producer. Jason Foxworth collaborated with Bryant on the screenplay.

It will be released via IFC Films' movies-on-demand platform for three months beginning Feb. 17.

The deal was negotiated by IFC's Arianna Bocco with Andrew Herwitz from Film Sales Company.

One of the hardest things for a truly independent filmmaker at a festival is competing with the high-profile titles.  I try to balance what I watch when I'm in a festival environment, known and unknown, and sometimes it really pays off.  I like taking a chance on something you've never heard of starring no one you know written and directed by a name that's totally unfamiliar to you.  And I like when I'm rewarded for it. John Bryant's "The Overbrook Brothers," from a screenplay co-written by Jason Foxworth, is one of those lovely surprises, a strong, consistent, occasionally ugly comed about...

We wanted our SXSW '09 coverage to be pretty much wrapped up by this point, but then we figured ... what's the rush? At this point we'd be covering mostly the smaller films anyway, none of which have been seen outside the festival circuit, and it'd be stupid to pack our Cine spotlight into storage without shining it a few more times for the indie guys.

So yes, Drag Me to Hell was damn fun; Observe and Report was shockingly funny and unexpectedly ... dark; and everyone pretty much loved I Love You, Man. (Oh man, and don't even get me started on the Bruno footage!) Thanks to SXSW for programming some fun, flashy studio fare -- but now we're gonna tone the budgets down just a little. Not that it matters really. A movie is a movie is a movie, right? And I'd rather pick through any of the following flicks...

Editor’s Note: The following is a list of links to interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. SXSW Interview: “The Overbrook Brothers” Director John Bryant SXSW Interview: “Bomber” Director Paul Cotter SXSW Interview: “Trimpin” Director Peter Esmonde SXSW Interview: “The Way We Get By” Director Aron Gaudet SXSW Interview: “Garbage Dreams” Director Mai Iskander SXSW Interview: “True Adolescents” Director Craig Johnson A …...

Editor’s Note: The following is a list of links to interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. SXSW Interview: “The Overbrook Brothers” Director John Bryant SXSW Interview: “Bomber” Director Paul Cotter SXSW Interview: “Trimpin” Director Peter Esmonde SXSW Interview: “The Way We Get By” Director Aron Gaudet SXSW Interview: “Garbage Dreams” Director Mai Iskander A scene from Judi Krant’s “Made in China.” …...

Editor’s Note: The following is a list of links to interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. SXSW Interview: “The Overbrook Brothers” Director John Bryant SXSW Interview: “Bomber” Director Paul Cotter SXSW Interview: “Trimpin” Director Peter Esmonde SXSW Interview: “The Way We Get By” Director Aron Gaudet SXSW Interview: “Garbage Dreams” Director Mai Iskander SXSW Interview: “True Adolescents” Director Craig Johnson A …...

Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. “The Overbrook Brothers” Director: John Bryant. Writer: John Bryant and Jason Foxworth Jason brings his girlfriend home for Christmas… and bad things happen. Cast: Nathan Harlan, Mark Reeb, Laurel Whitsett, Steve Zissis, John Jones [Courtesy of SXSW] “The Overbrook Brothers” will screen in the Narrative Features …...

Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. “The Overbrook Brothers” Director: John Bryant. Writer: John Bryant and Jason Foxworth Jason brings his girlfriend home for Christmas… and bad things happen. Cast: Nathan Harlan, Mark Reeb, Laurel Whitsett, Steve Zissis, John Jones [Courtesy of SXSW] “The Overbrook Brothers” will screen in the Narrative Features …...

SXSW is one of my favorite festivals of the year as it showcases some of the best and most innovative real independent films, and with this host of world premiers, it's also playing alot of Sundance material as well as genre fare from all over the world, many of which we've covered heavily in these pages.

From the Sundance lineup, we have films like Moon, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, You Won't Miss Me, Grace, and Humpday, among others.

For the world genre material we've covered, there's Lake Mungo, The Square, Zift, and Awaydays.

I think you get the point that lots of great looking film will be playing. I'll leave a bit of the exploration to you..

Lineup after the break.

Narrative Features Competition

Artois the Goat

Director: Kyle Bogart. Writer: Cliff and Kyle Bogart

Lab technician Virgil Gurdies embarks on an epic quest to craft the greatest...

Spike Lee, Sebastian Gutierrez, Kathryn Bigelow and Greg Mottola will be representin' at this year's South by Southwest film festival in Austin.

The complete lineup of 108 movies includes an even split of world premieres and films already barnstorming the fest circuit. Lee's documentary "Passing Strange," which premiered at Sundance, will screen at the nine-day fest along with Gutierrez's "Women in Trouble," Bigelow's "Hurt Locker" and Mottola's "Adventureland."

Cary Fukunaga's "Sin Nombre," Duncan Jones' "Moon" and Lynn Shelton's "Humpday" -- all recent Sundance screeners -- will show at SXSW as well.

Already announced are John Hamburg's latest comedy, "I Love You, Man," which will open the festival, and Jody Hill's "Observe and Report," which will play as the festival's centerpiece screening.

Eight films each will compete for the grand jury prize in of the festival's main competition categories: narrative features and documentary features. Among the narrative entrants are "Artois the Goat,...