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Nala hasn’t been awarded a medal for her bravery, but she has received plenty of healing hugs.

On Sunday, the family dog risked her life to save 10-year-old owner Cole Lewis and his mom. The trio were on a walk in their Lancaster, California, neighborhood when an agitated rattlesnake appeared in their path. Nala immediately leapt in front of Cole and his mom to protect them from the reptile.

The snake shot forward to bite and struck the boxer dog on the nose before slinking off.

“She waited until we were safe. She stood her ground. She didn’t...

This month on VOD: Ben Wheatley's surprisingly hilarious follow-up to "Kill List," the latest from the prolific Olivier Assayas, Shane Carruth's long-in-the-works indie mind f*ck, a festival favorite from the Zellner Brothers, and much more. Below are the 10 indies to watch on VOD this May, in alphabetical order. "Aftershock" (May 10) Co-penned by and starring "Hostel" horror maestro Eli Roth, "Aftershock" doesn't skimp on the blood and guts to tell a harrowing story about a hapless group of tourists who find themselves in a living hell after a powerful earthquake rips through the coastal town of Valparaiso in Chile. Where to Watch: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Playstation, Xbox, Vudu, Time Warner "Happy New Year" (May 14) "Happy New Year" is a gut wrenching look into the lives of veterans dealing with Pts/Ptsd. Centering on Staff Sgt. Cole Lewis, the film tracks his powerful journey from his difficult...

In the closing moments of "Happy New Year," writer-director K. Lorrel Manning's somber portrait of a despondent Iraq war veteran stuck in a ward for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder, fiction gives way to an unsettling truth: After nearly two hours of a close-up look at the burgeoning death wish afflicting Staff Sgt. Cole Lewis (Michael Cuomo), an end credit notes that approximately 18 U.S. veterans commit suicide each day -- and that, between 2010 and 2011, suicide was the leading cause of death among U.S. troops. Almost exclusively unfolding in hospital rooms, with nary a battle in sight, "Happy New Year" provides a rare glimpse into the darker ramifications of war that rarely take center stage in the national dialogue. This struggle has nothing to do with political motives or tactical movements, but rather the battle to retain sanity against impossible odds. While Manning adapted the material from his play,...

It’s just about that time of year to pay tribute to our veterans and Shockya.com is honored to do so by debuting the poster for K. Lorrel Manning’s one-act play turned short film turned full feature, “Happy New Year.” The film stars Michael Cuomo as Sgt. Cole Lewis, a solider who returns home from Iraq and Afghanistan wounded, both physically and mentally. Lewis is forced to bunk down in the psych ward of a Veterans Hospital where his struggle to recover turns into a redefinition of self, a self that winds up providing an immense amount of hope to those around him – that is until Lewis comes face to [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Brand New Poster For K. Lorrel Manning’s Happy New Year appeared first on Shockya.com.

I first met writer/director K. Lorrel Manning and actor/producer Michael Cuomo at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, where we found ourselves the fish-out-of-water New Yorkers in a sea full of Southwest cinephiles. Their SXSW 2011 (sold out) hit Happy New Year is grounded in star Cuomo’s nuanced portrayal of a fictional outsider named Cole Lewis, a sergeant who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and now finds himself battling demons both mental and physical in the psych ward of a veterans hospital. I spoke with the two about their veterans outreach effort, Indiegogo versus Kickstarter, and the best places to start a revolution over breakfast.

Filmmaker: Over the past couple years, there’ve been a slew of nonfiction flicks – such as Danfung Dennis’s Hell and Back Again and Heather Courtney’s Where Soldiers Come From – that address the difficulties encountered by Iraq and Afghanistan war vets returning home.

Sgt. Cole Lewis, mentally and physically scarred by his time served in Iraq and Afghanistan, finds humanity, compassion and friendship in a group of similarly injured veterans in the psychiatric ward at a remote Veterans Hospital. Through humor and pathos, Lewis becomes a ray of hope in the ward, as the men find a way to combat their post-war grief. However, just as their luck starts to change, Lewis soon ...

Sgt. Cole Lewis, mentally and physically scarred by his time served in Iraq and Afghanistan, finds humanity, compassion and friendship in a group of similarly injured veterans in the psychiatric ward at a remote Veterans Hospital. Through humor and pathos, Lewis becomes a ray of hope in the ward, as the men find a way to combat their post-war grief. However, just as their luck starts to change, Lewis soon ...

Sgt. Cole Lewis, mentally and physically scarred by his time served in Iraq and Afghanistan, finds humanity, compassion and friendship in a group of similarly injured veterans in the psychiatric ward at a remote Veterans Hospital. Through humor and pathos, Lewis becomes a ray of hope in the ward, as the men find a way to combat their post-war grief. However, just as their luck starts to change, Lewis soon ...

Would have missed this, if Aaron Wolfolk (The Harimaya Bridge) hadn’t alerted me to it. It’s titled Happy new Year, and the writer/director, K. Lorrel Manning (pictured left) is a 2008 Sundance Lab Finalist. He’s also a playwright, and his works have been developed at theatres throughout New York City, one of which was awarded the New York Foundation for the Arts (Nyfa) fellowship. He holds an Mfa in Film from Columbia University, and is the lead singer of the rock band La Res (www.vivelares.com).

Happy New Year’s synopsis reads: “... the gripping story of Sgt. Cole Lewis who, mentally and physically scarred by his time served in Iraq and Afghanistan, finds humanity, compassion and friendship in a group of similarly injured veterans in the psychiatric ward at a remote Veterans Hospital… with them, he will attempt to redefine his sense of self, and find...