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Suzanne Fletcher and Ann Magnuson in Sara Driver’s Sleepwalk Photo: Nan Goldin

Sara Driver’s spellbinding Sleepwalk, co-written with Kathleen Brennan and Lorenzo Mans, shot by Jim Jarmusch and Frank Prinzi, with a score by Phil Kline, and starring Suzanne Fletcher with Ann Magnuson, Steve Buscemi (coming to the Tribeca Film Festival to present Ethan Coen and Joel Coen’s Fargo), Linda Yablonski, Sally Venue (aka Sally Berg), Richard Boes, Ako, Stephen Chen, Tony Todd, Dexter Lee, Harvey Perr, Barbara Klar, Cheryl Dyer, Rebecca Wright, and William Rice (aka Bill Rice) was a New Directors/New Films at 50: A Retrospective pick. Sara also participated in an HBO sponsored live virtual Free Talk, moderated by Wendy Keys. Ed Bahlman (99 Records founder and producer) and I sent in greetings to Sara. The exchange is below our conversation.

Sara Driver on New York City in the Eighties: “When I was making Sleepwalk,...

A long-awaited toxicology report shows Austin Harrouff was not, as authorities openly speculated at the time, on flakka or bath salts when he allegedly killed a Florida couple at their home and tried to eat one of the victim’s faces, People confirms.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder initially told reporters Harrouff could “absolutely” have been on the synthetic drug flakka when he allegedly killed John Stevens and Michelle Mischon in the garage of their Tequesta, Florida, home on Aug. 15.

“It absolutely could be a flakka case,” Snyder said soon after the killings, fueling widespread media attention.

However, toxicology results...

A Florida grand jury has indicted Austin Harrouff, the 19-year-old who allegedly killed a Jupiter couple and tried to eat one victim’s face, on first-degree murder charges, reports say.

The jury made the decision on Tuesday, increasing the man’s charges from second- to first-degree murder, the Sun Sentinel reports.

Harrouff is accused of killing John Stevens, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mischon in the garage and driveway of their Tequesta, Florida, home on Aug. 15.

When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they allegedly found Harrouff trying to bite off chunks of Stevens’ face.

The Martin County grand jury...

Newly released police documents from the night Austin Harrouff allegedly killed a Florida couple and tried to eat one victim’s face shed more light on the gruesome and apparently random attack. Among the revelations is the teen’s plea with responding deputies to kill him and, according to multiple reports, his alleged confession that he’d eaten “humans.”

“F—— kill me, f—— kill me! Shoot me now! I deserve to die!” the 19-year-old told Martin County sheriff’s deputies after they pulled him off of John Stevens’ lifeless body on Aug. 15, according to documents obtained by People.

Harrouff is accused of killing Stevens,...

The distraught dad of ‘cannibal killer’ suspect Austin Harrouff broke down on the Dr. Phil show and apologized to the victim’s families. In an exclusive, Dr. Phil has booked the father, a dentist, of the double murder suspect to speak about his son’s heinous crimes. “This is the biggest nightmare…I’m deeply sorry for what my son did to those people,” sobs the father of murder suspect Harrouff. This bizarre and gruesome case has everyone baffled. On August 17, a 19-year-old Florida State University student who had no criminal record was found by police eating a dead man’s face. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told the local...read more...

It's a case that has horrified the nation: Austin Harrouff, a 19-year-old Florida State University sophomore, allegedly fatally stabbed a married couple to death last week in the garage of their Tequestra, Florida, home. Authorities said they found Harrouff soon after, allegedly trying to bite chunks off the man's face. Investigators say they are still trying to determine what drove Harrouff to allegedly kill John Stevens III, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mishcon. Neighbor Jeff Fisher, 47, came to the couple's aid and was injured in a scuffle with their alleged attacker, police have said. Here are five things to know about the case.

It's a case that has horrified the nation: Austin Harrouff, a 19-year-old Florida State University sophomore, allegedly fatally stabbed a married couple to death last week in the garage of their Tequestra, Florida, home. Authorities said they found Harrouff soon after, allegedly trying to bite chunks off the man's face. Investigators say they are still trying to determine what drove Harrouff to allegedly kill John Stevens III, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mishcon. Neighbor Jeff Fisher, 47, came to the couple's aid and was injured in a scuffle with their alleged attacker, police have said. Here are five things to know about the case.

A pair of YouTube channels appearing to belong to the 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of fatally stabbing a couple and trying to eat one victim's face display the teen's online persona, in which he says he has a "psycho side." As investigators work to determine what led Austin Harrouff to allegedly kill 59-year-old John Stevens III and his wife Michelle Mishcon, 53, on Monday, the teen's online persona includes statements on steroid use and and mental instability. "I've got a psycho side and a normal side," reads the description of a YouTube channel called "A. Frost." "I've lost my mind help me find it.

A pair of YouTube channels appearing to belong to the 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of fatally stabbing a couple and trying to eat one victim's face display the teen's online persona, in which he says he has a "psycho side." As investigators work to determine what led Austin Harrouff to allegedly kill 59-year-old John Stevens III and his wife Michelle Mishcon, 53, on Monday, the teen's online persona includes statements on steroid use and and mental instability. "I've got a psycho side and a normal side," reads the description of a YouTube channel called "A. Frost." "I've lost my mind help me find it.

The family of John Joseph Stevens III, the man who was allegedly fatally stabbed by a Florida State University student Monday night, is having a hard time coming to terms with the loss of their loved one. John Stevens IV, the victim's son, tells People he and his family had big plans of introducing their 3-month old daughter to her grandfather in two weeks. "He was just so excited," Stevens says, adding there was going to be a baptism. "When I told him he was going to have a granddaughter he was just super excited." However, Stevens's daughter will never...

The family of John Joseph Stevens IV, the man who was allegedly fatally stabbed by a Florida State University student Monday night, is having a hard time coming to terms with the loss of their loved one. John Stevens III, the victim's son, tells People he and his family had big plans of introducing their 3-month old daughter to her grandfather in two weeks. "He was just so excited," Stevens says, adding there was going to be a baptism. "When I told him he was going to have a granddaughter he was just super excited." However, Stevens's daughter will never...

The very garage that a Florida couple transformed into a neighborhood hangout for friends and family became the place they'd spend their last moments. John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle Mishcon, 53, often spent warm nights in the garage of their Tequesta, Florida, home with the door open. That's what they were doing when 19-year-old Austin Harrouff allegedly approached them on Monday and fatally stabbed then before trying to eat Steven's face what the local sheriff called a "random" and "unprovoked" attack on two people he'd never met before. "They were the couple that everybody went to at the end of the day.

The very garage that a Florida couple transformed into a neighborhood hangout for friends and family became the place they'd spend their last moments. John Stevens, 59, and his wife Michelle Mishcon, 53, often spent warm nights in the garage of their Tequesta, Florida, home with the door open. That's what they were doing when 19-year-old Austin Harrouff allegedly approached them on Monday and fatally stabbed then before trying to eat Steven's face what the local sheriff called a "random" and "unprovoked" attack on two people he'd never met before. "They were the couple that everybody went to at the end of the day.

Police say the 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of fatally stabbing a couple and trying to eat one victim's face remains "heavily sedated" in a hospital and officials don't know whether he will live, People confirms. Austin Harrouff is in "stable condition" at a Palm Beach County hospital but police do not know whether he will recover from injuries sustained when he allegedly fatally stabbed John Joseph, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53, before fighting up to four officers and a police dog, a Martin County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells People. "He's having hand surgery … due to an injury he sustained during his attack,...

Police say the 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of fatally stabbing a couple and trying to eat one victim's face remains "heavily sedated" in a hospital and officials don't know whether he will live, People confirms. Austin Harrouff is in "stable condition" at a Palm Beach County hospital but police do not know whether he will recover from injuries sustained when he allegedly fatally stabbed John Joseph, 59, and Michelle Mishcon, 53, before fighting up to four officers and a police dog, a Martin County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells People. "He's having hand surgery … due to an injury he sustained during his attack,...

Authorities have speculated the drug "flakka" could be connected to the gruesome case of a Florida couple who were fatally stabbed Monday before the 19-year-old suspect allegedly tried to eat one of their faces. Austin Harrouff, a Florida State University fraternity brother, was found allegedly attempting to bite off chunks of John Joseph Stevens III's face in a Tequesta neighborhood, law enforcement officials confirmed to People. Stevens, 59, and his 53-year-old wife Michelle Karen Mishcon had been allegedly stabbed multiple times by Harrouff, authorities said. Harrouff was "abnormally strong" during the alleged attack, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said during a news conference.

Authorities have speculated the drug "flakka" could be connected to the gruesome case of a Florida couple who were fatally stabbed Monday before the 19-year-old suspect allegedly tried to eat one of their faces. Austin Harrouff, a Florida State University fraternity brother, was found allegedly attempting to bite off chunks of John Joseph Stevens III's face in a Tequesta neighborhood, law enforcement officials confirmed to People. Stevens, 59, and his 53-year-old wife Michelle Karen Mishcon had been allegedly stabbed multiple times by Harrouff, authorities said. Harrouff was "abnormally strong" during the alleged attack, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said during a news conference.

The 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of stabbing a couple to death and trying to eat one victim's face was once a "kind-hearted" kid but isn't himself now, a friend of the teen tells People. A man who says he went to high school with Austin Harrouff, the teen arrested in the gruesome attack, tells People that Harrouff lost his way after graduating and began to "play with some things he shouldn't have." "Austin is a good kid. People always make mistakes in college and have fun," the man, who asked to remain anonymous, tells People. "Whatever happened isn't Austin.

The 19-year-old Florida State University student accused of stabbing a couple to death and trying to eat one victim's face was once a "kind-hearted" kid but isn't himself now, a friend of the teen tells People. A man who says he went to high school with Austin Harrouff, the teen arrested in the gruesome attack, tells People that Harrouff lost his way after graduating and began to "play with some things he shouldn't have." "Austin is a good kid. People always make mistakes in college and have fun," the man, who asked to remain anonymous, tells People. "Whatever happened isn't Austin.

A 19-year-old Florida State University fraternity brother allegedly stabbed a couple to death then tried to eat part of one victim's face - possibly after taking the synthetic drug Flakka, People confirms. Austin Harrouff, who initially gave police a fake name, allegedly stabbed a married couple to death on Monday and was found trying to bite off chunks of the man's face, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder tells People. "What pushed our Florida State student into this? We do not know," Snyder said at a Tuesday press conference after identifying the man. Snyder tells People that the first deputy arrived...

A 19-year-old Florida State University fraternity brother allegedly stabbed a couple to death then tried to eat part of one victim's face - possibly after taking the synthetic drug Flakka, People confirms. Austin Harrouff, who initially gave police a fake name, allegedly stabbed a married couple to death on Monday and was found trying to bite off chunks of the man's face, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder tells People. "What pushed our Florida State student into this? We do not know," Snyder said at a Tuesday press conference after identifying the man. Snyder tells People that the first deputy arrived...

When Air Force veteran Tricia Todd vanished on April 26, her friends and family tried to be optimistic that the 30-year-old mom would come home safely. That optimism turned to horror a month later when Todd's ex-husband, Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Williams, was arrested and charged with her murder last month. Williams agreed to plead no contest to second-degree murder charges. According to Sheriff William Snyder, Williams admitted to being involved in Todd's death and led investigators to her remains. As part of the plea deal, he will serve 35 years in prison. The couple had a two-year-old daughter, Faith, who is now living with relatives.

When Air Force veteran Tricia Todd vanished on April 26, her friends and family tried to be optimistic that the 30-year-old mom would come home safely. That optimism turned to horror a month later when Todd's ex-husband, Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Williams, was arrested and charged with her murder last month. Williams agreed to plead no contest to second-degree murder charges. According to Sheriff William Snyder, Williams admitted to being involved in Todd's death and led investigators to her remains. As part of the plea deal, he will serve 35 years in prison. The couple had a two-year-old daughter, Faith, who is now living with relatives.

The ex-husband of a 30-year-old Air Force veteran who went missing last month has been arrested and charged with the woman's murder, People confirms. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Williams is charged with second-degree murder and child neglect in the death of his former wife Tricia Todd, a mother and nurse who was last seen at a Publix supermarket in Hobe Sound, Florida, on April 26, a spokesperson with the Martin County Attorney's Office tells People. Williams, who was arrested Wednesday and agreed to plead no contest to the second-degree murder charges, admitted to being involved in Todd's death and led investigators to her remains.

The ex-husband of a 30-year-old Air Force veteran who went missing last month has been arrested and charged with the woman's murder, People confirms. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Williams is charged with second-degree murder and child neglect in the death of his former wife Tricia Todd, a mother and nurse who was last seen at a Publix supermarket in Hobe Sound, Florida, on April 26, a spokesperson with the Martin County Attorney's Office tells People. Williams, who was arrested Wednesday and agreed to plead no contest to the second-degree murder charges, admitted to being involved in Todd's death and led investigators to her remains.

Tom Dicillo's satire about the pitfalls of low budget filmmaking is less farce than it is a loving valentine to the difficult task of getting something relevant on film. Steve Buscemi is the frustrated director, Catherine Keener the insecure actress, and Peter Dinklage the little person not pleased that he's been hired to play a phantom in a dream sequence. Hilariously clever, the show also has a big heart. Living in Oblivion Blu-ray + DVD Shout! Factory 1995 / Color & B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date November 17, 2015 / $29.99 Starring Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, Danielle von Zerneck, James LeGros, Rica Martens. Cinematography Frank Prinzi Production Designer Stephanie Carroll, Thérèse DePrez Art Direction Janine Michelle, Scott Pask Film Editor Dana Congdon, Camilla Toniolo Original Music Jim Farmer Produced by Hilary Gilford, Michael Griffiths, Robert M. Sertner, Marcus Viscidi, Frank von Zerneck Written and Directed by Tom Dicillo

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

A charming,...

By the time that you read this, Twilight Time's limited edition Blu-ray of Tom Savini's 1990 version of Night of the Living dead has long been sold out. Unless you're looking to spend some serious cash on Amazon or eBay, you're just not going to be able to buy it. With that in mind...

I'm not going to write a review for the Blu-ray as it's pointless. Simply put, if you didn't nab one of the 3,000 Blu-rays from Twilight Time's website for $29.99, you're shit out of luck. Believe me, though, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm writing this editorial only to exorcise some demons. To get this out of my system. The truth is that I've never been more annoyed with the transfer of a film in my entire life.

Note: The darker images to follow are from the new Blu-ray and have not been altered in any way.

Stage and film director who helped launch Dustin Hoffman's acting career

It could be argued, with some justification, that the greatest achievement of the film and stage director Ulu Grosbard, who has died aged 83, was to have helped launch the acting careers of Dustin Hoffman, Robert Duvall and Jon Voight. It was Grosbard who had the prescience to see a special talent in them that had escaped others, and who gave them the chance to exploit it.

All three future stars were involved in Grosbard's production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge at the Sheridan Square Playhouse in New York in January 1965, for which both Duvall and Grosbard won Obie awards. Duvall played the lead as longshoreman Eddie Carbone, the part which he described as "the catalyst of my career", while Voight was Rodolpho. Hoffman, then a struggling actor, was stage manager.

One day, during rehearsals,...

Artist and filmmaker Gene Deitch — whose work you'll probably remember from Saturday morning cartoons and the Tom and Jerry series — created a beautiful, animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. One of the most impressive parts of the project is that Deitch created the work in only 30 days. That sound you just heard was Peter Jackson's head exploding. In 1967, filmmaker William Snyder managed to secure the rights to Tolkien's story and set out to make a feature length adaptation with his collaborator, Deitch. The duo worked diligently, but were unable to secure financial backing. As Deitch laments on his blog, "I had a fat script, but no other film companies were then interested. It was crushing. Even today, when...

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Now this is an awesome find- the very first adaptation of "The Hobbit"! Made by animator Gene Deitch and Czech illustrator Adolf Born who cranked it out in a mere 30 days in order to secure the rights for producer William Snyder, it's a unique piece of film history, for sure. Deitch has some words on his website about the production. In 1964, before anyone but some obscure Brit kids ever heard of it, Bill handed me a faded little 1937 children’s book...