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The U.S. Coast Guard’s film liaison office remains open for business even though its three-man staff in Los Angeles isn’t getting paid because of the ongoing government shutdown. “Obviously, it’s impacting our pay, but our office is operational,” chief warrant officer Mike Lutz said.

The Coast Guard, which is the only service branch affected by the shutdown, has provided assistance to dozens of films in recent years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, Dunkirk, Baywatch, Deepwater Horizon and The Finest Hours. Lutz told Deadline that the liaison office is working on several film and TV projects but noted that none currently is in production.

Members of the Coast Guard haven’t been paid since Tuesday, as President Donald Trump wrangles with Democrats over his demand for a border wall with Mexico. “Today, you will not be receiving your regularly scheduled mid-month paycheck,” Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard,...

Eric Rohmer’s La Collectionneuse (1967) serves as a purposeful point of reference for writer-director Will James Moore’s Satellite of Love — not only does Moore cast the lead actor of La Collectionneuse (Patrick Bauchau) as an eccentric friend, but Moore even mimics the tranquil Mediterranean atmosphere of La Collectionneuse by setting Satellite of Love in the vineyards of the Texas Hill Country. Satellite of Love maintains the visually vibrancy of the French New Wave, particularly with its impeccably crafted mise-en-scène. Satellite of Love is absolutely gorgeous, from the oh-so-beautiful cast to Steve Acevedo’s masterful cinematography. Rohmer would probably be very proud that he inspired Moore’s film. Moore and I have been in correspondence ever since the film’s world premiere at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival; but it was not until the 2012 Austin Film Festival that I finally had a chance to sit down with him and Jonathan Case (co-writer and music supervisor) to talk...

Director: Will James Moore Writer: Will James Moore, Jonathan Case Starring: Nathan Phillips, Zachary Knighton, Shannon Lucio, Janina Gavankar, Patrick Bauchau, Turk Pipkin, Chad Mathews, Mike Lutz, Meaghan Cooper Satellite of Love begins at a carnival as Blake (Zachary Knighton), Samuel (Nathan Phillips) and Catherine (Shannon Lucio) trip the lights fantastic. This turns out to be sometime in the past, presumably while the characters were best friends in college. We flash-forward to a period of time after graduation. Samuel has become a musician and bohemian of the world; Catherine and Blake got married, now they run a restaurant (which Austinites will recognize as Justine's) together. The threesome might have been BFFs in college, but Catherine and Blake have taken a decidedly different path in life than Samuel. Catherine and Blake are initially stand-offish when Samuel returns home, obviously still sore from Samuel not attending their wedding. As an apology for his absence at their wedding,...

Deadland Movie PosterDeadland is an independent film from Deadeye films, which has won at least sixteen awards. Award highlights include Best Feature at several film festivals, Best Director, Best Actor (Gary Weeks), and many more. The film has received praise in reviews as well and now the film will move from the film festival circuit to DVD and video-on-demand November 23rd. Lightning Entertainment will host the distribution, with DVD extras below.

The film begins with a nuclear strike and the beginning of World War III. Sometimes, with film, it is fun to contemplate the origins of a story, when answers are not obviously apparent. So who would attack the Us? Would it be China, who the Us is in debt to for trillions of dollars? Would it be Russia, who is now twenty-five years behind the Us in technology and science, or a nuclear emerging Iran? China makes the most sense,...

Once again we got word from our favorite reader Wendy Shepherd. Cowboy Smoke is a new film starring Matt Johnson, Chad Mathews, and Mike Lutz. The film is directed by Will Moore. It was inspired by the Victorian immigrant tragedy, in which 19 Mexicans suffocated in a truck after being smuggled across the border. The movie was subsequently filmed on location at the Fagan Ranch, which is 10 miles from where the tragedy occurred. The film is going to be a real life account and will be less sensationalized account of the story.

Joe’s a suburban convenience store clerk with big dreams of becoming a cowboy so he packs his boots and relocates to South Texas to learn from the real deal. His idea of the mythic cowboy...

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