In Which We Do Some Coastal Log-Rolling, And Make More Promises That We Probably Won't Keep...



First things first, I wanna remind those of you in the L.A. and NYC areas that there are several films screening that were shot here in the Midwest. Those of you in the NYC area can attend the Hoboken International Film Festival, which kicks off this weekend - THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN screens on Saturday, June 5th, if you'd like to see it on the big screen (instead of, say, on your t.v. via Starz VOD; or on your computer screen via Netflix streaming).

THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN




Monday, June 7th is the date for THE BATTLE FOR BUNKER HILL, Kevin Willmott's new film (though, actually it was shot before INDIAN). It previously screened at the Atlanta Film Festival in April - here's a podcast featuring an interview with Kevin about the film, and Dan Hoyt's review on the Helium website.

THE BATTLE FOR BUNKER HILL



Those in the L.A. area planning on attending the Dances With Films festival may want to reserve some tickets for the screening of LAST BREATH on Tuesday, June 8; Ty Jones' thriller/drama that's starting to hit the festival circuit after winning the Audience Favorite award at the Omaha Film Festival.


I slacked on the blog a bit mainly due to so many other things; mainly looking for work... paying work. I've also been working on a couple of feature scripts and other things, but those are ventures that may potentially pay off Some Bright Day - Way.... WAY Off In The Future, where things can look pretty bright or dark, depending on how good the coffee is in the morning. In The Right Now, it's pretty fucking Hard -- but then, it usually has been.

I've also been watching a wide variety of films at home, since it's way cheaper than going out and the selection is much better than what's in the theaters. So, I turn to what the unemployed and obnoxiously vocal do in Tough Times -- blog about movies. Yes, I know -- how original. You're lucky that it's not about music... now that I've reached the plateau of Bitter Old Man, I no longer recognize what or who the Hell is playing in the clubs that the kids are listening to.

It's pretty fun no longer trying to be Cool...

So for the few of you following my rantings (THANK YOU every last one of you!), I should repay your kindness by providing more content a bit more often -- Facebook has largely been the recipient of the quick hit & run snark, illustrated by link - maybe a little of that will still get here, but I have to try harder - especially when I demand it from others.

Coming in April...

Screenings! An excuse to get out of the house and see something that was intended for people over the age of 14!! Granted, that may not be incentive for most people, but I'm sure there's at least a few of you still around out there...



Starting this Friday, April 2, THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN (award-winning western drama directed by Kevin Willmott) will have public screenings at Screenland Armour Theater in North KC beginning Friday, April 2 and running through Thursday April 8th. Kevin Willmott is scheduled for a Q&A after the first screening Friday, April 2. After this, it'll go into blackout, prior to its debut on Starz, so this will be your last chance to see it on the big screen for awhile.



April also brings the Kansas City FilmFest (merging of the KC Filmmakers Jubilee and the Kansas City Film Society Film Festival) - this is the second year under the FilmFest name, and it looks to be a good one. Among those in attendance is director/actor L. Q. Jones, who will be screening the classic A BOY AND HIS DOG as a special presentation.

Very appropriate since KC artist Richard Corben did a graphic adaptation of the Harlan Ellison story; and the latter part of the film is set in an odd environment called 'Topeka'...

Making its premiere is San Francisco filmmaker Chris Brown's new feature, FANNIE, ANNIE & DANNY -- I worked on Chris' first feature film, DAUGHTERS some years ago - and attend some of the seminars, parties, after-parties, etc.




A little further away - Atlanta, GA to be exact - BUNKER HILL (now with 'The Battle For' appended to the title) will screen at the Atlanta Film Festival in mid-April. BUNKER will be playing more dates on the festival circuit this year, and I'll pass 'em along as soon as I hear about them. It recently screened at my old, abandoned college stomping grounds SIU-C, at their annual Big Muddy Film Festival.

More TOGI articles/reviews... plus a mention of STINGRAY SAM and the KCK Film Festival 1/31.


Now that the Sundance Film Festival is over, the reviews and press are starting to trickle out, now that there's time to write stuff instead of having to get to screenings and parties and schmoozing, apparently.

On YouTube, a nice segment featuring Kevin and DP Matt Jacobson, prior to the festival:




Robert Butler, of the KANSAS CITY STAR has an interview w/Kevin as the festivities die down; another interview can be found at Flavorwire.com, and at Lawrence.com ...

NEWSPAPER ROCK, a blog featuring news and commentary on Native American culture featured a segment from an online show 'On Native Ground' that interviewed several cast members (Winter Fox Frank, Thirza Defoe & Wes Studi) and Kevin at Sundance... and looking further on YouTube, there are more segments of 'On Native Ground' with Winter Fox Frank and Delana Studi.

Also on YouTube (see a pattern forming here?), is a nice exchange with Kevin and director Tze Chun talking about their films at Sundance.

PBS also gives TOGI a mention on their Newshour blog, along with two other films that they highly regarded.

As to the reviews... more lukewarm reviews at CinemaStrikesBack and the Onion AV Club, along the lines of the previous Hollywood Reporter review linked in the previous post; but there is a rave review at TheFilmtalk.com, and Variety also showers praise on the film.
So more to come, as soon as news comes in. It does appear that TOGI has a spot in festivals overseas (it has a spot at the Berlin International Film Festival), and it does appear that foreign distributors may be interested.

The other film I was interested in at Sundance (other than BLACK DYNAMITE - Sony scooped that up, so that will be in theaters at some point) is Cory McAbee's new project STINGRAY SAM. Flavorwire.com has a short review up (as well as a review of another KC film, STAY THE SAME, NEVER CHANGE) -- and MustangDaily has an article about McAbee and the new ep's from the band, formerly The Billy Nayer Show, now American Astronaut.

According to the Butler article, The KCK Film Festival is an event on Saturday, Jan. 31st that will feature several short films from local filmmakers (Lisa Marie Evans is one of the filmmakers exhibiting work), along with a screening of BUNKER HILL. So if you haven't seen it yet, grab a friend and check it out.

The event is from 2pm - 5pm at the YWCA, 1017 N. 6th St. (6th & Minnesota), Kansas City, KS.
A donation of $5 is requested.

BUNKER HILL screening in Topeka, KS 10/25/08

Saturday, October 25, 2008 • 7:00 p.m.
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
1515 SE Monroe • Topeka, Kansas

Free and open to public
RSVP by October 22, 2008 to
(785) 235-3939 or brownfound@juno.com

BUNKER HILL reviews from Washington D.C. screening.











The Chutry Experiment posts about Bunker Hill's ACLU screening - and has some good things to say; also, David Henderson weighs in with some praise on his blog.

Thanks to Laura Kirk for providing the links.

Local Film news

Things are a happenin' with some recent films I had some involvement in...

First off, BUNKER HILL:

ACLU OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA
TO HOST WASHINGTON, DC SCREENING OF
KEVIN WILLMOTT’S NEW FEATURE FILM

“BUNKER HILL”

6:30PM, THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AUDITORIUM

KANSAS GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS TO INTRODUCE THE FILM

PANEL DISCUSSION ON CIVIL LIBERTIES IN POST-9/11 AMERICA TO FOLLOW

WASHINGTON, DC -- Bunker Hill, the new, politically-charged independent feature film from director Kevin Willmott (CSA: Confederate States of America) will have an exclusive screening at the University of the District of Columbia’s Main Auditorium on Thursday, June 12, 2008, hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of the National Capital Area. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius will appear, and a panel discussion on Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 America will follow the screening.

The film stars Emmy and Peabody Award winner James McDaniel (NYPD Blue, Sunshine State); Saeed Jaffrey the legendary actor from India who has starred in more than 150 films including Gandhi, Passage to India, My Beautiful Launderette and The Man Who Would Be King; and Laura Kirk, star and co-writer of the acclaimed feature film Lisa Picard is Famous, which premiered at The Cannes Film Festival.

Bunker Hill is the story of a former Wall Street executive who leaves prison and heads for the small town of Bunker Hill, Kansas, where his ex-wife and their children have started a new life. Soon after he arrives, an apparent massive terrorist attack against America darkens the town. Cut off from the world, the town’s militant past is reawakened and forces coalesce to protect citizens from an unseen enemy. The town’s fear leads to the creation of a posse of gunmen, resulting in torture, illegal searches and eventually, murder.

"The America we live in today is very different from the America we lived in on September 11, 2001. The differences I speak of are the things Americans are doing to themselves, not the terrible things done by those wanting to do harm to this Country. We can rebuild the icons of democracy --- the Twin Towers are being reconstructed; the Pentagon has been restored; the grass on the side of that Hill in Pennsylvania has grown back --- yet, democracy itself is far more fragile. It is not easily rebuilt and restored. Democracy and freedom must not become casualties in the War on Terror. This great film reminds us of that," said Johnny Barnes, executive director of the ACLU of the National Capital Area.

“When writing fiction, you always hope that you’re on to something that reflects what is actually going on in the world,” says Willmott. “Bunker Hill tells a pretty wild story that is amazingly close to what has really happened to us since 9/11, right up to the current presidential election campaign.”

Also appearing in the film are: Broadway, television and film star Kevin Geer (American Gangster); Blake Robbins, from the HBO series Oz; Scott Allegrucci, (Chicago Hope, The Feud), singer / songwriter Kelley Hunt; Ranjit Arab; and Christopher Wheatley. Kelley Hunt co-wrote the film’s musical score with Nathan Towns and performs the original song “Mountain To Move.” The soundtrack also includes music by Pat Metheny.

After returning to Kansas from NYU Film School, Kevin Willmott began writing, first for the stage, and then for television and film. His film CSA: Confederate States Of America premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Presented by Spike Lee and IFC Films, the movie generated critical acclaim during its theatrical runs in the US and Europe. Willmott’s screenplays have been commissioned by Oliver Stone, 20th Century Fox and others. He co-wrote the NBC mini-series The 70’s with Mitch Brian. Ninth Street, a feature film starring Martin Sheen and Isaac Hayes, co-starred and was written, produced and co-directed by Willmott. He is currently in post production on a new feature, The Only Good Indian, written by Thomas L. Carmody and starring Wes Studi (Avatar, Last of the Mohicans).

Willmott directed Bunker Hill from a script he wrote with Greg Hurd. Matt Jacobson (CSA, Bukowski: Born To This) is the Director of Photography. Willmott also produced the film, along with Matt Cullen, Greg Hurd and Scott Richardson. Thomas L. Carmody is the Executive Producer.

For information on the screening:
http://www.aclu-nca.org/boxSub.asp?id=163

Free admission, but seating is limited. To confirm a ticket:
Johnny.Barnes@ACLU-NCA.org or Beverly@ACLU-NCA.org
202-457-0800

For information about the film:
ScottRichardson@Sunflower.com
785-865-3439

or GregHurd@Sunflower.com
785-550-3605


www.BunkerHillTheFilm.com


SUPSENSION should be in stores now and is available online.
Some recent press:

EVibe.com

KCUR interview with actor Scott Cordes

Suite101.com

FilmGecko.com

Hartford Courant

Fox 4 'Screening Room' segment


AIR will screen in Lawrence, KS on Monday, June 16
Recent press:

Rogue Cinema

the Newton Kansan

Wichita Eagle

BUNKER HILL returns to Lawrence, May 9.



Just got this in - for those who may have missed the BUNKER HILL screening in March, it will open in a limited engagement at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS starting on May 9.

This is the opening salvo in BH's release, which the filmmakers are handling themselves -
as reported by Jon Niccum of the Lawrence Journal-World:

Filmmakers forge distribution network

Lawrence filmmaker Kevin Willmott came to this realization: “Nobody cares about your film more than you do.”

And Willmott learned it the hard way after his second feature, “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America,” was bought by a major distributor ... and the company didn’t quite know what to do with it.

“Filmmakers have this romanticized reality with distributors. ‘If I could just sell my movie to so and so, I will have finally arrived. I will have made it.’ That’s just not true,” he says

So Willmott decided to launch his own company in order to distribute independent, socially relevant and specialty films.

Micheaux Motion Pictures — named after pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) — intends on using a hybrid model of placing its films in a network of theaters throughout the country, in addition to in-house DVD sales and barnstorming appearances by cast and crew.

The company will launch its first project today, when Willmott’s own “Bunker Hill” begins an engagement at Liberty Hall, 644 Mass.

“This is not a new idea for me,” he says, admitting he was inspired by the recording industry after established musical acts began to take personal control of their recordings.

He says, “It’s the hole in the independent film chain. You get the money on your own, you do all these things on your own, then in the end when it’s done, you sit around and go, ‘Well boss, are you gonna call?’”

Willmott is joined in Micheaux Motion Pictures by local writer/producers Tom Carmody, Greg Hurd and Scott Richardson. They settled on the Micheaux name (which is in the public domain) after working with the family of the legendary artist.

“It’s in honor of Michaeux obviously, and this is what he did at a time far more difficult than now,” Willmott says.

Next month the company will screen “Bunker Hill” at the ACLU headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“The independent filmmaker has to be proactive,” he says. “You can’t become this passive person waiting for someone to get it. Your job is to get it to the audience.”

So, it appears that BUNKER will make its way through the country for the rest of the year...
will keep up to date with it as information becomes available.

Premiere Night



Liberty Hall marquee 3/29/08

Well, I think that it was successful... there was an excellent turnout; the 7:30 screening sold out, which prompted a second screening at 10pm... and judging from audience reaction, they seemed to get the film. So it was a very gratifying experience -- as it always is, to see the finished product after so much hard work, and to see that it WORKS, and as well as you pictured it... and I'm just a cog in the wheel. The guys below should be feeling the same, x 1000.


Kevin Willmott and Greg Hurd, BUNKER HILL co-writers

Of course, now comes the other part - selling the movie and getting it out there for the public to see, which if the public does in droves, will make EVERYBODY happy - especially potential investors for the next film.

BUNKER HILL plays out as a solid piece of entertainment, which has a bit more to offer the audience to think about, well after the lights come up and everyone heads up the aisles... It's a contemporary take on The Western, with The Outsider coming into the community, everyone confronting a situation larger than themselves, allies and enemies forming, and rough justice being dispensed before the credits roll. Kevin and Greg's take on that genre archetype was to slyly subvert it in some ways, while still paying homage; and to do a social commentary on events in the country since 9/11 .

There will be a LOT of comparisons with JERICHO -- I guess if one thinks of it in terms of great minds thinking alike (DEEP IMPACT/ARMAGEDDON, INDEPENDENCE DAY/MARS ATTACKS, 1984/BRAZIL, etc.), rather than the uninformed and knee-jerk reaction of "ripoff", one will be able to appreciate different approaches to the same premise -- two big differences in the two is the riff on the Western that BH does, and that the events that are the catalyst for the story are much more ambiguous than in JERICHO -- mainly due that ambiguity is more accepted in a two hour movie than in a television show. Unless you happen to be J. J. Abrams; but that's another post - not necessarily this one, but...

Actually I think that fans of JERICHO will appreciate BUNKER HILL, if they're open to it and can get past the taste of the bitter pill, Cancellation.

I won't get too detailed in reviewing, since I'm obviously not a neutral party... but I think that people will enjoy the film once it's available. It's another step up the ladder for Willmott - and after BH gets out, then people should be ready for the next step up when THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN is finished. More about that later in the year... maybe.

It's Coming... BUNKER HILL


James McDaniel and Scott Allegrucchi


About 24 hours from now, I'll be getting ready to sit down in anticipation of my first look at BUNKER HILL, over at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS.

I'll be bursting to share my thoughts afterwards (biased as they will be, as being part of the production crew)... until that time, you might want to check out some recent items:

The Lawrence JOURNAL-WORLD has an article by Jon Niccum in anticipation of tomorrow's premiere.

An audio interview with singer Kelly Hunt (who has a small role) and Kevin Willmott - you also can hear Kelly perform the song she wrote for the film.

Until tomorrow...

Bunker Hill/ Suspension News

Just in from Ethan Shaftel co-director of SUSPENSION:

Our movie is finally ready for the public!  This May, Warner Brothers
Home Video will release SUSPENSION on DVD, packed with special
features including a "Making of the Visual Effects" featurette,
commentary tracks, and deleted scenes.  The DVD will be widely
available for rental and retail, but we've also retained the right to
sell it directly off our website.

Sounds like it'll be a packed disc...

Also, news about BUNKER HILL - the film will have its premiere in Lawrence, KS on March 29, 2008 at Liberty Hall at 7:30pm. Following is the press release by Charla Jenkins:

LAWRENCE---An advance screening of the newest Kevin Willmott feature film,
“Bunker Hill,” will launch a new support organization for the University of Kansas Film
Program. The first public showing of the film will follow a gala reception for Friends of
Film (KUFF) Saturday, March 29.

The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Big Six Room of the Eldridge Hotel, 701
Massachusetts, in downtown Lawrence. The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in Liberty Hall,
642 Massachusetts, across the street from the hotel.

Formation of KU Friends of Film, a companion organization to Friends of the
Theatre (FROTH), has been in the organizational stages for several months.

“The film area of the department felt that having an organization to support
students in their future film endeavors made sense,” explained Tamara Falicov,
associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Theatre and Film. “We are
growing in leaps and bounds—film now has 10 faculty members and film majors
abound. We hope that forming this new organization in partnership with community
members will provide future film studies and film production opportunities for KU
students in the forms of improved facilities and future scholarships for our
undergraduate and graduate students. We feel that raising awareness of the need for a
larger facility is necessary.”

Falicov added that premiering Willmott’s latest work as a KUFF event is
especially exciting.

“Willmott's previous work has put KU Film on the map. He is a fantastic colleague
and one who is always working to support the aspirations of our film students. For this
reason it makes sense that he would offer to show his latest feature film in a special
advanced screening so the local community will have an opportunity to preview the
movie.”

Willmott, associate professor of theatre and film at KU, finished filming “Bunker
Hill” late in 2007. Production began in May 2006 with footage of the wheat harvest shot
between Russell and Hays. Principal photography was shot over a five-week period in
several Kansas locations, including Lawrence, West Mineral, Sedan, Nortonville,
Topeka, and the actual Bunker Hill.

The independent film stars the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning actor James
McDaniel, who portrayed Lt. Arthur Fancy on the NBC-TV series, “NYPD Blue,” as well
as Saeed Jaffrey, a legendary Indian actor, who starred in more than 150 films,
including “Gandhi,” “Passage to India,” and “The Man Who Would Be King”; Laura Kirk,
a KU alumna, who co-wrote and starred in the feature film “Lisa Picard is Famous”;
Broadway, TV and film star Kevin Geer, whose credits include “American Gangster” and
“The Contender”; Blake Robbins, from the HBO series “Oz” and FOX-TV‘s “24”; Scott
Allegrucci, who appeared on “Chicago Hope” and “The Feud”; and local
singer/songwriter Kelley Hunt.

“Bunker Hill” is the story of a former Wall Street executive who leaves prison and
heads for the small town of Bunker Hill in Kansas, where his ex-wife and their children
have started a new life. Soon after he arrives, an apparent massive terrorist attack
against America darkens the town. Cut off from the world, the town’s militant past is
reawakened and forces coalesce to protect citizens from an unseen enemy. The town’s
fear leads to the creation of a posse of gunmen, resulting in torture, illegal searches,
and eventually, murder.

Filmmaker Willmott, a native of Junction City, attended Marymount College in
Salina and New York University Film School, and then began writing, first for the stage,
and then for TV and film. Willmott’s screenplays have been commissioned by Oliver Stone, 20th Century Fox and others, and he co-wrote the NBC mini-series, “The 70’s”
with Mitch Brian. “Ninth Street,” a feature film starring Martin Sheen and Isaac Hayes,
was written, produced, and co-directed by Willmott. “CSA: Confederate States Of
America,” written and directed by Willmott, premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film
Festival. He is currently in postproduction on a new feature, “The Only Good Indian,”
written by Thomas L. Carmody and starring Wes Studi.

Willmott directed “Bunker Hill” from a script he wrote with Greg Hurd. Matt
Jacobson, KU associate professor of theatre and film, whose credits include “CSA,”
Bukowski,” and “Born To This,” is the Director of Photography. Robert Hurst, assistant
professor of theatre and film, was responsible for the postproduction sound for the film.

Reservations for the reception, which has a $15 admission charge, can be made
through the KU Film Program at Oldfather Studios, 1621 W 9th Street, W. Ninth, Lawrence, KS 66044, or by calling 785-864-1340. General admission tickets for “Bunker Hill” are
available through the Liberty Hall Box Office for $15 for the public and $10 for students.

In other exciting news, more of my reviews have been posted over on the Micro-Film blog - hit the link on the right to check them out. Currently working on more, and on a couple of articles for the next issue coming up.

BUNKER HILL website

Just got the word that the official site is now up... and it's pretty good!

The promotional trailer is up, to give you a taste of what to expect; as well as stills and information about the film, cast & crew.

www.bunkerhillthefilm.com - put it in your bookmarks.

Bunker Hill News

Before I left for the weekend's adventure in Chicago, I got to attend the wrap party for BUNKER HILL, held in Lawrence. Normally, these things are held at the end of the principal shoot, but anymore (or at least the recent projects I've worked on), schedules are so tight and everyone is so fried from the experience, people scatter like the wind as soon as shooting is done.

Denise Low, 'Poet Laurete of Kansas', gives a pretty good description of the goings on (except that I don't think Saeed Jaffrey was there) - these poor photos I snapped off are a small visual record.



The main thing - besides seeing people again - was screening a short promotional trailer that had been cut together for the occasion. It looked pretty damn good... it gave a pretty good feel for the film without giving away any surprises. Hopefully, they'll use it, or some variation when the web site goes up next year. The first promotional artwork is also out, also impressive:



(a better representation can be seen at the IMdB listing).

So, I'm pretty stoked - and probably will be more so as they work through post-production.

Stay tuned...

Bunker Hill blogs

If you're wanting to know more about the film, here are two perspectives:

Nortonville Sun - a blog for the community of Nortonville, KS - there's quite a bit about the film.

Making the Movie - a blog by Jon, one of the camera assistants on the day to day making of the film - lots of stuff there for burgeoning filmmakers.

Bunker Hill wrapped

Principal photography on BUNKER HILL wrapped on the 16 of September.
A big shout-out to all of the cast and crew - it was an ass-kicker, but we made it through...









There remains some pickup shooting to be done back in Nortonville and in the actual Bunker Hill, KS, but the bulk of it is 'in the can'. Check back for more news over the next few months.

I did have time to grab the SHOCK TREATMENT DVD before heading down to SE KS... and am glad to be tremendously satisfied with ST's presentation on disc, although there are a couple of criticisms.
If you've never seen the film before - or even heard of it - now's a good time to check it out.

Halloween is around the corner... I might actually get to write about some scary movies this time around.
REAL movies, not this crap they have the nerve to call 'horror' nowadays.

More BUNKER HILL pix

The days just go on and on....




Inevitably... on every shoot that I've been on at least - that familiar feeling of deja vu comes back all over again. Doesn't matter if things are going well or not -- it could be too many night shoots, too much sugar & caffiene from craft services, too many cigarettes.... but eventually, every script supervisor gets this familiar face - esp. on lo-budget features:




They usually don't have the artist Christy Brown directly next to them, however.

Fortunately, there are things that make up for such extreme behavior.

Things such as this ...



and this on the following night.



More to come...

Bunker Hill

No, I didn't throw in the blogging towel - frankly, I got lazy, what with going through DVD sets and catching up on my reading... I was about to get fired up again, when something else came down the pike.

That something else is BUNKER HILL, Kevin Willmott's (of C.S.A.) new project, currently shooting in KS - actually, we started just as C.S.A. started to hit the store shelves. The cast includes James McDaniel, Saeed Jaffery, Scott Allegrucci, Laura Kirk, Kevin Geer, and Blake Robbins. There'll be more about it in the next few months - but if you'd like an early peek:



So it looks like I'll be busy into September - I will try to post the odd photo every so often, but don't expect meaty commentary until well into September.