The first Creed film was a big hit with both audiences and critics, so of course a sequel must be made. I was skeptical with the first film, but it blew me away and when it was announced that the sequel will be about Creed vs. Drago, I was pretty excited. I’m sure most fans of the Rocky franchise will tell people that Rocky 1 or 2 is their favorite because those films were considered more prestigious than the later sequels. But Rocky 4 is my favorite in the series. So, a rematch of Creed and Drago got me all pumped to see this film.
After becoming a world champ boxer, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is living the high life with his beautiful girlfriend Bianca (Tessa Thomson) and father figure Rocky (Sly Stallone). While in the Ukraine, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) trains his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) to take down Creed. With the help of a boxing promoter Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby), the Dragos challenges Creed to a match that the boxing world has been waiting to see for over three decades. Adonis is considering taking up the challenge because he believes this will be a revenge for his father’s death he always wanted. Rocky on the hand, fears that Adonis might not be able to beat Victor and don’t want to lose another person who is very close to him and basically the only family he has left.
The screenplay by Stallone and Juel Taylor were very well-written. Even though the storyline is pretty straightforward, they were able to focus more on the characters and it worked for me. The focus this time around is family and we see the struggle Adonis and Bianca is going through once they got married and became parents. Rocky and Adonis also have to deal with their sometime difficult father and son like relationship. I really appreciate that they gave the Dragos some backstory, so they’re not just one-dimensional villains. Fans of the franchise will probably recognize some of the elements from Rocky 3 and 4 were integrated into this one.
Stepped into the director’s chair this time is Steven Caple Jr. and I thought he did a pretty decent job. With the template set by the first film’s director Ryan Coogler, Caple just have to follow it. I thought he should’ve come up with a better way of filming the fight scenes though. The boxing scenes weren’t bad, I just wish they came up with something more creative.
I was most impressed with the performances by the lead actors. Jordan and Thomson have such an amazing chemistry that I really believe they’re real couple. Mid way through the film, they both shared a dialog free and heartbreaking scene that almost made me tear up with them. Stallone could play Rocky in his sleep. He’s more of side character this time around, but he’s always great when he’s on screen. I really enjoy his chemistry with Jordan. Both Lundgren and Munteanu didn’t get a lot of screen time but I thought they delivered a pretty decent performance.
I’ve seen this film twice now and I feel like it’s as good as the first one. I gave that film 4.5 stars but I’m giving this one half a star less mostly because there’s nothing new we haven’t seen before and it’s predictable. But it’s well made and I truly loved the performances by the three leads. If there’s another film, I’m pretty sure a third Creed film will get made, let’s hope they come up with a more refreshing storyline like the first one.
So have you seen CREED II? Well, what did you think?
Wreck-It Ralph AND Zootopia are two of my favorite recent Disney animated features, so when I got the chance to interview the filmmakers Phil Johnston and Rich Moore, I jumped at the chance!
Six years after the events of “Wreck-It Ralph”, Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
Ralph Breaks the Internet welcomes back to the big screen video-game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz. This time, they leave Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and fast-paced world of the internet—which can be both incredibly exciting and overwhelming, depending on who you ask.
What is it about the characters of Ralph and Vanellope that called for an encore? “Ralph and Vanellope are imperfect characters,” says Academy Award-winning director Rich Moore (Zootopia), who directed the original film.
“But we love them because of their flaws. Their friendship is so genuine—the chemistry between them so engaging—that I think we were all anxious to know more about these characters.” – Rich Moore
Phil Johnston (co-writer Wreck-It Ralph and Zootopia,” writer of Cedar Rapids) was one of the screenwriters on Wreck-It Ralph and is back as a writer and also a director. “Ralph and Vanellope had only known each other for a short time, yet they became best friends and we love them for that,” says Johnston. “But it didn’t feel like their story was over—there were more adventures to be had. And Vanellope, in particular, was starting to come into her own.”
Ruth Maramis’ review:
I had just seen the movie a couple of days prior and I enjoyed it immensely! Ralph and Vanellope (voiced by John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, respectively) are just as adorable and entertaining as ever, and they introduced a new key character Shank (Gal Gadot) a tough and talented driver in an intense online racing game called Slaughter Race. Setting their new adventure inside the crazy world of the Internet is absolutely brilliant. It makes for a surreal, dynamic and funny moments, but also gave the filmmakers opportunity for social commentary (even a satire) of the darker side of online activities and internet addiction, obsession of being the next viral star, and addiction to ‘likes’ on social media.
I love the character Yesss (voiced by Taraji P. Henson, the head algorithm of a trend-making website called BuzzzTube) which is obviously based on YouTube. The adventure really tested Ralph and Vanellope’s friendship, especially as Ralph’s insecurities gets out of control (literally). So yeah, I love that the movie doesn’t shy away from the bad side of the Internet, but still doing it in a non-preachy way. In the end, it’s still a fun family movie with a really good and relatable message about what friendship truly means. Visually it’s absolutely stunning, the colorful world of the Internet universe is mesmerizing, and the way the characters are ‘transported’ from one site to another is so fun and clever!
Oh and if you grew up watching Disney princess movies, you’ll definitely get a kick out of their scenes that turn the Mouse House’s legacy completely on its head! [see my last question about that very scene below] 😀
It was a ton of fun meeting both Phil Johnston and Rich Moore in person for a roundtable interview. They’re both really warm and cordial, and they’re so passionate about their work and the characters they’ve created.
So fun meeting Phil Johnston (left) and Rich Moore (right)
I’m including the Q&A from fellow interviewers Jared (from Man Versus Movie) and Chrysa (fromThrifty Jinxy). They’re clearly marked below as well as color-coded.
1. Jared: Aside from the established characters, there were new characters created specifically for this new universe Ralph and Vanellope are going into. Was there a concerted effort to go beyond the proven formula instead of falling into the trap of treading the same route of the original?
Taraji P. Henson voiced the character Yesss – the head algorithm of a trend-making website called BuzzzTube
2. Chrysa: I love the Internet as a physical place. How did you go about building that place?
3. Ruth: I’m curious about your background as voice actors – how did that experience affect you as writer and director of animated features? I know you worked together before in Zootopia, and I believe you also voiced some characters here in Ralph Breaks the Internet?
Rich: We do all the scratches
Phil: Yeah when we’re making the movie, we did it in storyboard form before things start getting animated so Rich and I do all the male voices and our co-writer Pamela Ribon and head of story Josie Trinidad did all the female voices. So when we showed things to our colleagues in the studio, it’d be just us.
Rich Moore elaborated further on his collaboration with Phil Johnston and why he should get directing credit in this sequel:
Inside the world of Buzzztube
5. Chrysa: I know you started writing this a while ago, after the first one (in 2014 was the first draft). Has there been a ton of changes and evolution to the story since then?
5B. Ruth: In relation to Chrysa’s question, I heard there was a version where Vanellope became a huge star on Buzztube?
6. Ruth: Ok here’s my actual question for you… You’re able to tackle something that dark and deep like racial prejudice, racism in Zootopia but packaging it in something entertaining. The same here with the world of the internet where it can be fun and lively but you also didn’t shy away from exposing the darker side of the internet like the dark web and all that. How did you work on those themes?
Rich elaborated about how that Comment Room scene inside Buzztube is so universally-understood.
The new characters of Slaughter Race
7. Jared: You’ve created these beloved characters in the previous film. What’s the thought process for you when you revisit them for the sequel. Are you nervous you’re going to be doing The Fox and the Hound 2 as opposed to Toy Story 2?
Phil: Rich always say there are more Jaws 2 than Godfather 2.
8. Chrysa: Besides the story being so good but visually it’s also really stunning. Seems that with every new Disney animation it goes up a step. Was there anything you wanted to do that wasn’t done before or was there anything you were inventing that was hard to actually get on to the screen?
9. Ruth: Given that I grew up watching Disney Princesses, I have to ask about that scene where the conventional themes are being turned in on their heads because now the princesses are the ones saving the big strong man. Did that storyline come up organically as you were developing this or did someone specifically say ‘we should comment on that?’
So congrats Phil and Rich! Ralph Breaks The Internet is definitely a great sequel that delivers an astute social commentary in a heartwarming, fun and delightful way!
Hope you enjoyed the interview! Have you seen RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET? If so, I’d love to hear what you think!
I just saw Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and once again, I have to separate my feelings as a die-hard 20-year-long Harry Potter fan from my thoughts as a movie critic. While I have a lot of gripes about how lazy J.K. Rowling‘s later additions and retcons to the Wizarding World canon have been, how parts of the timelines between the books and these movies don’t line up, and how casting an alleged domestic abuser as a lead in a movie whose source material has a main character who regularly suffers domestic abuse is messed up, I need to focus on this movie as just that–a movie. Fortunately, this second installment in the five-part series gives me plenty to work with on its own.
Waterston & Redmayne
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, directed by David Yates, picks up nearly a year after the end of the first film’s events. The sinister criminal wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes captivity and flees to Paris to rally more supporters and continue manipulating Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), the sensitive orphaned teen with a mysterious and dangerous background. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) recruits his former student and magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to find and help Credence before Grindelwald can get to him.
As with the first Fantastic Beasts movie, The Crimes of Grindelwald has a serious pacing problem. I had hoped that once they decided to expand the series from three to five movies it would improve, since they now have two more films to spread out the story, but it’s just worse. They try to fit in too many subplots and character backstories without enough time to develop them, so they feel forced and lazy.
The plots and subplots include: Newt’s continued research of magical creatures (you know, what you’d expect a film series titled FANTASTIC BEASTS to mostly focus on) and his mission to save Credence per Dumbledore’s request with the help of wizard cop and maybe more-than-friend Tina (Katherine Waterston), as well as their strained relationship over a misunderstanding; Grindelwald’s plotting to take over the wizarding world; non-wizard Jacob (Dan Fogler) regaining his memory after having it wiped in the first movie (which happens entirely off screen) and having a rocky relationship with mind-reading witch Queenie (Alison Sudol); Queenie’s wavering loyalty and growing attraction to Grindelwald’s side; Credence’s relationship with the cursed serpentine shapeshifter Nagini (Claudia Kim), their background at a sketchy wizard circus, and their search for Credence’s birth mother; the love triange between Newt, his brother Theseus (Callum Turner) and Theseus’s fiance/Newt’s former flame Leta Lestrange (Zöe Kravitz), and Leta’s dark family backstory, filled in by enigmatic wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam). There’s a good chance I forgot some smaller subplots. That’s a LOT to include in a two hour and thirteen minute-long movie, and because of that, it all feels underdeveloped and hastily explained.
Claudia Kim & Ezra Miller
Zöe Kravitz
While the writing is a major issue, there are still good parts of this movie. The acting is still mostly strong, especially the core four. Fogler is delightful as Jacob, Redmayne is charming as Newt, Waterston is excellent but underused as Tina, and Sudol does well with what she’s given as Queenie, considering her character feels dumber and more easily manipulated than she was set up to be in the first movie. Jude Law is a great new addition to the cast and is wonderful as a younger Dumbledore. Ezra Miller and Claudia Kim feel a little wooden in their performances, but that might be because of how little they’re given dialogue-wise. Zoe Kravitz gives an understated but emotional performance; while her backstory is poorly handled, she does a great job in the role. The weakest link acting-wise is absolutely Johnny Depp, whose performance feels so half-assed. Depp himself has admitted he’s had a sound engineer feed his lines to him through an earpiece for some movies (he claims it allows him to “act better with his eyes”), and it definitely feels like he did that here, and no amount of “eye acting” can save this performance. I’m still baffled at this casting decision; it feels like the filmmakers thought “Well, he was famous for playing exaggerated characters a decade or two ago, so let’s go with him.” I really wish they had kept Colin Farrell, who was much better as a disguised Grindelwald in the first movie; he’s just as menacing but much more subtle than Depp could ever be.
As with the first movie, this film’s biggest strength is the visuals. The CGI is gorgeous, and the design for the magical creatures is beautifully imaginative; I especially like the zouwu, an enormous lion-like beast Newt finds in Paris. We see some new creatures in Newt’s workspace at the beginning as well, and I really wish there had been more focus there, because there’s so much to look at. Some familiar creatures from the last film make appearances too, including the gold-sniffing niffler, and I don’t care how overused for cheap laughs he is, because he is SO CUTE and if you want to see me cry, just play the scene with an injured niffler dejectedly limping out of the wreckage of the fight toward the end of the film on a loop, and if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, Barnes and Noble sells niffler stuffed animals-ahem, sorry. In addition to the stunning CGI, the costumes, hair, and makeup in this film is mostly lovely too, with the exception of Grindelwald’s watered-down Tim Burton-style villain look. Overall, I love the late-30’s aesthetic, and it blends well with the wizarding fashion.
I really wish this series had stuck to what the title promised: Newt’s adventures searching for fantastic beasts. If the focus had been on that, with Grindelwald’s rise to power as a B-plot (with some eventual overlap with the A-plot), it would have been so much easier to pace and develop. Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling continues to forget that writing screenplays isn’t the same as writing a series of 300 to 800-page novels. I know I’ll end up seeing the rest of Fantastic Beasts movies out of a sense of fan obligation, but as pretty as they are, my expectations are low for the future films.
Have you seen the latest ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’? Well, what did you think?
November 15 is GIVE TO THE MAX day and so I feel that it’s only fitting that I post the highlights from the 2018 coverage of The Twin Cities Film Fest. This year is my ninth year covering this amazing organization and I’m thrilled and inspired to see how much this film fest has grown!
TCFF is SO much more than just a film fest! Yes it is by definition a film festival in the sense that it gives an organized, extended presentation of various films with live screenings in a single city… but festival director Jatin Setia and the outstanding TCFF team has created an organization that not only champion AND support indie filmmakers (MN-based and beyond) but also provide education to youth and emerging filmmakers through its FREE educational programs (Film Fellows, Free Day for Youth, and Filmmaker Academy)!
So click on the banner above and consider donating to this non-profit organization that give local film artists a national voice… by doing so, you’re supporting MN arts and championing indie filmmakers! Yay you!
FlixChatter and team have been busy with reviews and interviews since TCFF 2018 started in October 17. Special THANKS to our phenomenal blog contributors: Laura, Holly, Vitali and Andy, for all your tremendous work watching and reviewing movies! You just have to type TCFF2018 in the FlixChatter search box and voila! you’ll see all of our coverage.
Since the TCFF has wrapped two weeks ago, I think there’s no bad time to post highlights from the 2018 session… on the red carpet, around the fest and on the amazing TCFF Wonderlounge.
This year, FlixChatter also have not one but two great media correspondent interviewing talents on the red carpet!!
THANK YOU Holly Peterson (who’s also one of our talented reviewers!) for interviewing Jon Heder and Kendall Goldberg for When Jeff Tried to Save the World.
Also THANKS also to Nick Raja for interviewing the dynamic duo Tom Arnold and David Arquette for Saving Flora.
Nick also did a red carpet interview with Michael Driscoll, the filmmaker of the stunning b/w noir short TWO BLACK COFFEES. If you’ve missed it, I’ve interviewed Michael earlier this year that you can read here.
There’s some issues to the red carpet video, but you can take a listen to the audio interview below:
Pictures sometimes speak louder than words. So here are some pics from around the fest that give you an idea how much fun we had at the fest!
(click on gallery to see a larger version)
Team FlixChatter – me, Ivan & Holly
With the venerable TCFF managing director Bill Cooper
Nice to have Nick Raja as FC’s media correspondent!
The awesome media producers Ellie & Kirstie + TCFF’s handsome host Shawn Dunbar
On the red carpet w/ Nick & filmmaker Michael Driscoll
Awesome TCFF staff Jesse & Liz!
With TCFF brand ambassador Chari Ackman & producer Steve Elbert
That’s Ben Zuckert, the filmmaker of the indie drama Noah Wise
TCFF Education director Matt Cici at the Filmmakers Brunch
So fun meeting Sanaa Sayyed of SAG-AFTRA Chicago
TCFF hospitality coordinator Charlotte & PR manager Anahita
Always fun seeing this lovely lady & her adorable daughter Roya
Now, every year TCFF always get some awesome sponsors (thank you!) either for the red carpet or for the lounge where the nightly after-parties happen. This year we had the wonderful people at Can Can Wonderland as our lounge sponsors, hence we named it TCFF WonderLounge this year!
Who doesn’t love Elvis 🙂 Hanging out w/ hubby Ivan & TCFF volunteer + composer Jesse Richardson
My pal Julie T after the screening of ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’
Fun at Industry Night – Holy Batman!
Goofing around w/ Nick Raja
Glad to have my friend Dianne at Industry Night
Always enjoyed running into some of Hearts Want crew (Timmy & Jay) & new friend Justen Jones
Hanging out at the VIP lounge
Hey that’s actor Alex Galick & TCFF’s talented photographer Dallas Smith
W/ my darling hubby Ivan
More fun at TCFF Wonderlounge
Best Halloween costumes ever!!
Awards Night – great running into my friend Heidi (lookin’ bad ass as Black Widow) & her hubby
Congrats Barry Andersson for winning Best Audience Award for The Lumber Baron
One of my all time favorite features at the WonderLounge this year is this fun and addictive SimpleBooth (thanks UptopFilms!) where people can create photo experiences in GIF format with their unique iPad photo booths (can’t you tell I’m having way too much fun w/ it) 😛
Today the world lost a beloved legendary comic book writer who’s been entertaining and inspiring us for decades. Stan Lee died today, he was 95.
The co-creator of SO many iconic Marvel characters — Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, Thor, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four — Stan Lee was larger than life. There’s even a Wiki page dedicated to ALL of the fictional characters he created or co-created. Some even called him a real-life superhero, and rightly so. He was an inspiration to many, and was a pioneer in his field as a comic book artist… he broke down barrier between artists and audiences as THR pointed out in this article, and he condemned racism and bigotry through his heroes in his comics, as well as directly using his Marvel “Stan’s Soapbox” column in 1968…
“Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today.” “A story without a message… is like a man without a soul.”
I remember reading how Stan Lee often felt that what he did (as a comic writer, editor and publisher) wasn’t really important work… as many people in entertainment could relate to. But of course his work inspired millions, as many people would attest today as we all mourn him.
… I watched his documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story at Twin Cities Film Fest in 2011 and wrote a brief review of it here. His characters resonated with people as they too had real problems and real angst that people can relate to. X-Men for example, deal with a message for tolerance for outcasts, real-life themes that are still pertinent to this day that elevate the comic-book stories to be more than simply entertainment.
I greatly admire him and am one of those millions who are entertained as well as inspired by his creations. I read a bunch of articles about Stan Lee today, but one of them stood out to me because it came from a personal experience: What 20 Years of Lunches With the Comics Legend Taught Me. Apparently the ‘private’ Stan Lee wasn’t that different from ‘public’ Stan Lee and he’s just as eccentric (in a fun way) as I had imagined.
Naturally, tributes have been pouring in all day from various celebrities … this one from Captain America himself echoes my sentiment about Stan Lee… and clearly, not every superhero wore capes.
There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!
Let me end this small tribute with this video of every Stan Lee cameos from 1989. In fact, I had just seen his cameo (in cartoon form) in Ralph Breaks The Internet as one of the main characters was in the Oh My Disney fansite.
I always enjoy seeing Stan the Man in all his cameos, but some are more memorable than others. My top three favorite cameos are:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – “I am SO fired!”
Captain America: Civil War: “Are you Tony Stank?”
Thor Ragnarok: “My hands aren’t as steady as they used to be.”
You’ll be sorely missed, Stan Lee… but your legacy shall live on forever.
What’s your favorite Stan Lee’s comic book creation… or if that’s too tough to answer, what’s your fave Stan Lee cameo(s)?
Hello FlixChatter readers! Twin Cities Film Fest may have wrapped a couple of weeks ago, but today we’ve got another exciting indie spotlight!
Thank you director Rudi Womack for sharing his insights about his sophomore feature film. Apparently, this is the fifth collaboration between Womack and his lead actor Aleksander Ristic, set entirely in a single room.
Aaron, a petty criminal from the wrong side of the tracks teams with his girlfriend’s brother to rob a pawnshop. When the robbery goes south he barricades himself in a rest stop bathroom triggering a standoff with the police. As his reality slowly unstitches Aaron struggles to balance his unfaltering love for Laura with the inevitability of his situation. Featuring commanding performances from Aleksander Ristic, Angela Nordeng, and Marcus Johns, IN THIS GRAY PLACE is a memorable, beautiful story of a desperate man clashing with destiny.
Director: Rudi Womack (R.D. Womack II) Stars: Aleksander Ristic, Marcus Johns, Angela Nordeng
Interview with director Rudi Womack
Q&A questions courtesy of Andy Ellis
1. What made you want to tell this story? Was it inspired by any other similar movies such as Ryan Reynolds’ “Buried Alive”?
IN THIS GRAY PLACE evolved from a number of different places. I had just finished with my first feature film and was dying to get back onto set. I knew recourses and financing would be limited so from the start the story was going to be contained. I also wanted to explore deeper philosophical themes; fate vs. choice, destiny vs. consequence, and I wanted to push the envelope of what a person could do in order to protect the ones they love. Soon enough the story started to take shape! All the while I referenced several single location movies; as you mentioned, “Buried” was one of them. Also “Detour”, “Locke”, “Exam”, “Circle” (why do they all have single word titles?) I also explored others films like “The Thin Red Line”, “Apocalypse Now”, and what may be surprising to some, “Oldboy”. While all of these films had a deep influence on me I worked carefully to make IN THIS GRAY PLACE a unique experience for audiences.
2. What are the benefits and challenges filming primarily one room creates?
The obvious difficulty is keeping the film visually fresh. You have one man in one location, so you need to think of clever ways to keep it moving without boring the audience. By far the greatest benefit was also the greatest challenge. The majority of the film was made with only myself, the cinematographer, and the lead actor on set. That’s it; just three guys making a movie. Without an entire support team to worry about we could take our time. We’d frequently go for as many as 20 or 30 takes!
Once we did 42 takes. Most independent filmmakers don’t have that kind of luxury. It spoiled me for choice and assured the best moments made it to the screen. But as I said, there were only three of us. Juggling all of the jobs on set between just three people was an incredible challenge. It meant we all had to pitch in and help. I remember once I was applying Aleks’ (the lead actor) make up, then holding the boom pole, monitoring the sound levels, looking through the camera, and since it was a phone call scene, reading the other character’s lines for him! Truly I couldn’t have done it without the steadfast dedication of the team.
3. Ristic is the only actor in the movie for most of it. What was it that made him stand out from the rest of the actors who auditioned?
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Aleks on several other projects, so when the story started to shape up he was immediately at the top of my list. I pitched him the idea, he fell in love with it, and we started work-shopping the character. This is the real “audition” period, where you see what an actor can do with the material. You push them to every imaginable limit you can think of. Aleks has this natural ability to embody the character he’s playing; from appearance, to mannerisms, he really explores what makes a person think and act as they do. And he’s not afraid to really “go there”! For example in the tear gas scene, that’s not makeup! All that snot, sweat, tears – it’s gross, but that’s all him, and most actors wouldn’t be able to deliver. And while Aleks will obviously get most of the attention, I was just as lucky to have a rich supporting cast. Working with actors is one of the best parts of this job and it was my privilege to work alongside Angela Nordeng, Nick Moss, Phil LaMarr, and Marcus Johns. All great people who went above and beyond to round out the story.
4. Did you stick pretty close to the script when filming or were there some improv that made its way in there?
Every movie is different. Most the time I think of scripts as ideas and not gospel. IN THIS GRAY PLACE was no exception. Often times we’d get onto set, start working a scene and come up with a better idea on the spot. Sometimes we’d see an opportunity that you would have never predicted just looking at the script. Overall I think we kept most of the script in the final version of the film. The scenes that we did improvise kept the main idea intact, which is the most important thing. Watching a script evolve on set, and then again in the editing room is really a sight to see.
5. It’s broken into chapters. Could you expand at all on what the titles refer to?
This is my favorite question! As I mentioned before IN THIS GRAY PLACE plays on themes of fate vs. destiny but it also has themes of birth. The chapter titles (SPACE, LIGHT, AIR, WATER, EARTH, LIFE) follow a sort of “process of creation” of our universe; I.E. birth. (I also argue that the location itself is a womb, and Aaron’s journey from the start of the film to the end is also reflected in this theme) Within each chapter there is both a physical and metaphysical manifestation of each element. Since I already gave away the tear gas scene let’s talk about chapter three, AIR. In AIR Aaron is literally struggling for air throughout the entire chapter, which is one of many physical challenges he must overcome.
From a character perspective Aaron is realizing the gravity of the situation he is in and is looking for any way out… in essence, he’s looking for a pocket of air. From a thematic point of view we explore Laura’s influence on Aaron’s decisions, and if it was in fact his choices, and not hers, that brought them to this point; and visually we see her referenced with Air several times. Every chapter is loaded with moments like these so I felt it vital to construct the film with this kind of framing device.
6. What’s next for you?
I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire. My next directing project is a proof-of-concept short film about a man investigating the death of his cousin. We’re planning on shooting in March 2019. I’m also lucky to be producing a feature film titled “The Stalking Fields” directed by Ric Maddox, and starring Sean Crampton. It’s an awesome action thriller with a very interesting military twist. This one goes into production in January 2019. Aside from those two I have another half dozen projects in development right now.
As for IN THIS GRAY PLACE we hope to lock down a distribution deal by the end of the year.
Thanks so much Rudi Womack for talking to FlixChatter about your film!
