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Reelz is sticking with On Patrol: Live.

The network has renewed the show a third season, comprising of another 90 episodes. Last year, the network similarly handed the series a 90-episode order, increased from 60 episodes in its first season.

The show, which comes from Big Fish Entertainment’s crime and investigation label Half Moon Pictures, launched in July 2022.

On Patrol: Live follows live news-gathering protocols as its more than 50 cameras document in real time the everyday work of police officers on patrol.

It is hosted by Dan Abrams alongside and Deputy Sheriff Curtis.

Dan Cesareo, John Zito, Lucilla D’Agostino, Paul Gordon, Joe Venafro and Dan Abrams exec produce.

New episodes will air through January 2025.

It comes six months after the legal battle between Reelz, Big Fish Entertainment and A&e over the show looked to be heading to court. A judge denied Big Fish’s motion to dismiss a case brought by...

In a surprising turn of events, the three original Digimon movies that made up Digimon: The Movie are set to be rereleased separately with a new uncut English dub. Despite being marketed as a singular film, Digimon: The Movie was actually three separate movies—Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, and Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Landing!!—edited into a single film with a loose overarching plot. Fans and critics have speculated that this was done in a poor attempt at replicating the success of the Pokémon films, and the end result butchered the original.

Digimon: The Movie completely ruined its source material, but that mistake is soon to be corrected. At Otakon 2023, it was announced that Discotek would not only be rereleasing Digimon: The Movie, but the three original films that made it up with new uncut English dubs that would be more faithful to the original Japanese, with...

On Patrol: Live, the follow-up to reality hit series Live Pd, opened strongly on Friday night despite a technical glitch.

The police-action series, which airs on Reelz channel, having previously been a hit for A&e, was the number one show on cable on Friday in the 25-54 demo with 397,000 viewers between these ages.

This comes after the show had to push its start time by 73 minutes as a result of technical problems. Reelz was premiering the show, which is hosted by Dan Abrams, at 9pm Et/6pm Pt, but as a result of technical problems, it wasn’t able to launch until after 10pm on the east coast.

As a result, Reelz took the show commercial free across its three-hour premiere.

On Saturday, it scored an even larger audience between 9pm and midnight on the east coast, averaging 403,000 in the same demo, similarly making it the biggest show of the night for this crowd.

"How can you let her do this to me?! She's try to make me look bad!" An official trailer has debuted for the film Mr. Roosevelt, which won the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival this year. Written, directed by, and starring actress-turned-filmmaker Noël Wells, this indie romantic comedy is about a woman who returns to her hometown of Austin, TX and encounters her ex-boyfriend, who is now living with his new girlfriend in their old house. She has to comes to term with the situation and her own life, while dealing with her ex's new girlfriend who seems to be pretty much perfect. The cast includes Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland, Doug Benson, Sergio Cilli, and Paul Gordon. This looks funky and quirky and totally indie. Perhaps even too indie, but oh well. Looks like it's best to see at a film festival. Here's the...

We’re back with another Q&A feature, this time talking with Saturday Morning Mystery director Spencer Parsons, who tells us about growing up with Scooby-Doo, balancing horror and comedy, and his time on the set of the movie:

With this movie being Scooby-Doo influenced, can you tell me about your experience with Scooby-Doo as a child? What’s one of your favorite episodes?

Spencer Parsons: Oh yeah, when I was little, it was huge to me. My little brother and I would stay over at my grandmother’s house and wake up early to watch it with my older cousins while snarfing down sugary breakfast cereals my mom never let us have. By the time Jason of Star Command came on, I’d be flying high on Count Chocula, trying to get pony rides from the cocker spaniel. So I’d call it formative.

But Scooby and any...

Saturday Morning Mystery is now available on VOD and is starting to open in a number of theaters across the Us. If you’d like a better idea of what to expect from the movie, take a look at our exclusive clip and the official trailer.

“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”

Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th and its limited theatrical release started on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the upcoming locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:

Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:...

Theatrical release dates, locations, and showtimes have been announced for Saturday Morning Mystery, coming out in August from XLrator Media, and we have all the info you need right here.

The film is directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling. You can find it on VOD now and in the following theatres beginning August 10, 2013.

* Brooklyn - Videology on Saturday, 8/10, at 9:30 pm

* Los Angeles - Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:30 pm

* Seattle - Tin Room on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 10:00 pm

* Chicago - Music Box on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 12:00 midnight

Related Story: Guest Blog: Director Spencer Parsons on Saturday Morning Mystery; Exclusive New Stills!

Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.

Synopsis:

Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they...

Saturday Morning Mystery is now available on VOD and will be given a limited theatrical release early next month. If you’re interested in checking out the movie in theaters, we have details on where and when it will be screening.

“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”

Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th, with a limited theatrical release starting on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:

Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho is confirmed for Thu 8/15 at 7:30pm. Brooklyn – Videology on 8/10 at 9:30pm.

Along with some exclusive and really bloody new stills, we have a special guest blog on tap for you guys from director Spencer Parsons about his new film, Saturday Morning Mystery; old cartoons; and much, much more! Dig it!

Truth be known, I’m more of a Buford Files guy than a Scooby-Doo guy, probably because that one ripped off Smokey and the Bandit, and every episode took place in a swamp, with way more opportunity for moss monsters. But man alive, ‘70s TV barfed up a ton of these Scooby wanna bes about ghost-chasers-with-dogs. And all of them got repeated endlessly through the ‘80s in syndication, even the ones that didn’t last a whole season. Shows like Clue Club, Butch Cassidy and Goober and the Ghost Chasers, plus less dog-centric mystery team cartoons like Fangface, Speed Buggy, or The New Shmoo. There were more, and I could go on,...

Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?) get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past. We have an exclusive clip from the horror comedy Saturday Morning Mystery, in theaters August 9 from XLrator Media. Watch as the gang finally gets their chance to see a real 'live' ghost!

Saturday Morning Mystery comes to theaters August 9th, 2013 and stars Jory Balsimo, Sonny Carl Davis, Josephine Decker, Chris Doubek, Paul Gordon, Heather Kafka, Jonny Mars, Wyeth Miller. The film is directed by Spencer Parsons.

XLrator Media acquired Saturday Morning Mystery and will be giving the movie a VOD, DVD, and theatrical release. If you’re interested in learning more about this horror comedy, we have the official trailer, cover art, and release dates.

“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”

Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie will first be released to VOD on July 17th, with a limited theatrical release following on August 9th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th.

The post Release Details for Saturday Morning Mystery appeared first on Daily Dead.

A whole bunch of new stills from Spencer Parsons' Saturday Morning Mystery have arrived, but they would have gone unnoticed if not for the annoyance of those damned meddling kids. Check 'em out or no Scooby Snacks for you!

The film is directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling. You can find it on VOD beginning July 17th and in theatres on August 9, 2013.

Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.

Synopsis:

Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.

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Massacre mysteries every morning in the comments section below.

The cartoon "Scooby Doo" might be making its way into cinema, again. The latest thriller from XLrator Media, Saturday Morning Mystery, hosts several characters similar to this classic cartoon. Dealing with the occult, the first trailer for Saturday Morning Mystery is here. The story for the film involves a haunted house and several nosy investigators. These pseudo-detectives might be over their heads when the mystery of this house unravels. Saturday Morning Mystery will release July 17th and horror fans can preview the film below. Release Date: July 17, 2013. Director: Spencer Parsons. Cast: Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate. A trailer for Saturday Morning Mystery is here: Source: Saturday Morning Mystery at XLrator Media  |  |  Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28Dla Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis Email Subscription

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We haven't heard much about Spencer Parsons' Saturday Morning Massacre lately, but we've learned it has a new title, revised trailer, DVD box art, and release info via XLrator Media. Now that's an update worth waiting for!

The film, directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling, is now called Saturday Morning Mystery. A possible reaction to all the negative feelings toward violence these days? Who knows, but in any event you can find it on VOD beginning July 17th and in theatres on August 9, 2013.

Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.

Synopsis:

Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

Stateside Independent will screen The Happy Poet -- which premiered at SXSW 2010 -- Monday, May 6 at 7 pm [ticket info]. Cast members Jonny Mars, Chris Doubek and Liz Fisher, and producer David Hartstein, will be there for a Q&A following the movie.

In The Happy Poet, a comedy filmed in Austin, unemployed writer Bill (writer-director Paul Gordon) dreams of running a cart that sells local/organic vegetarian snacks: eggless egg-salad sandwiches, basil pesto pitas and the like. There's just a slight hitch in his plans: He's practically broke and has to insinuate to the man selling him the food cart that he will be selling hot dogs instead. He makes the snacks at his apartment in the morning (my baker friend would be distressed to see his lack of plastic gloves) and stakes out a spot to sell his wares.

Bill, bespectacled and hesitant, is aided in this venture by friends who...

Here's the latest Austin film news.

Locally shot film The Happy Poet will return to Austin next Monday at the Stateside Theater, with some of the cast and crew in attendance for a post-screening Q&A (Jordan's interview). Paul Gordon's comedy will be released on DVD and online streaming June 25. The Happy Poet, which premiered at SXSW 2010 (our review), tells the story of Bill (Gordon), an out-of-work poet who uses the last of his money (and a loan) to buy an all-organic, mostly vegetarian food stand. The cast also includes Chris Doubek and Jonny Mars.Austin videogame label Devolver Digital has created a new division for film distribution. They've acquired their first film for theatrical and VOD release: Cancerpants. Don saw it at aGLIFF in 2011 and said it's "a terrific documentary about Austinite Rochelle Poulson's fight against breast cancer." He added: "Shot in Austin and astutely directed by Nevie Owens,...

Catch these 5 clips from The Happy Poet comedy, and favorite at SXSW, starring, directed and written by Paul Gordon. The film premieres in Los Angeles on Friday, March 22nd at Laemmle's Monica 4 - Plex via Cinema Libre Studio. The Happy Poet tells of a guy who starts a vegetarian food stand—but it could be about anyone who wants to do anything, and throws him or herself into making it happen. It’s also about survival versus kindness/generosity/idealism—and how life is often a balancing act between these things. Bill, the main character, is a somewhat impractical, idealistic dreamer, and Donnie, his new friend, is a survivor,” says director Gordon, who plays the lead character, Bill.

Catch these 5 clips from The Happy Poet comedy, and favorite at SXSW, starring, directed and written by Paul Gordon. The film premieres in Los Angeles on Friday, March 22nd at Laemmle's Monica 4 - Plex via Cinema Libre Studio. The Happy Poet tells of a guy who starts a vegetarian food stand—but it could be about anyone who wants to do anything, and throws him or herself into making it happen. It’s also about survival versus kindness/generosity/idealism—and how life is often a balancing act between these things. Bill, the main character, is a somewhat impractical, idealistic dreamer, and Donnie, his new friend, is a survivor,” says director Gordon, who plays the lead character, Bill.

Directed by: Spencer Parsons

Written by: Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling

Featuring: Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate, Jonny Mars, Paul Gordon

Drawing inspiration from Scooby-Doo, Ghost Hunters and scary movies of the '70s and '80s, Saturday Morning Massacre is a horror parody that's equal parts frightening and funny. Made with affection and a knowing eye, this sly film is for anyone who ever wanted to see how the meddling members of Mystery Inc. would fare if they, say, walked onto the set of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

In this entertaining flick, which screened last night as part of the Austin Film Festival, the Scooby gang is reimagined as real-world paranormal investigators struggling to make ends meet in the grungy mid-1990s. Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, the team stumbles into a paying gig involving a deserted mansion with a sordid Satanic history.

This...

Director Spencer Parsons (I’ll Come Running) introduced Saturday Morning Massacre to a packed crowd of horror film enthusiasts late Tuesday night as something you would see if you stayed up all night watching B-horror films (while possibly indulging in some “Scooby snacks”) and now the sun is coming up, cartoons are on, you are eating a massive bowl of sugar (i.e. Count Chocula), and you find yourself starting to doze off. Massacre follows four paranormal activity detectives (plus their dog Hamlet) as they try and solve mysteries that seem to be due to ghosts or other mysterious activity, but (much like the Saturday morning cartoon they seem to emulate) these amateur detectives uncover more misdeeds than ghosts on their missions. A promising job (meaning they will actually get paid) comes in, and group leader Nancy (Ashley Spillers) has the crew pile into Frankie’s (Sean Ryan) van (which has yet to prove to be mysterious...

Director: Spencer Parsons Writers: Jory Balsimo (screenplay), Aaron Leggett (screenplay), Spencer Parsons (story), Jonny Mars (story), Jason Wehling (story) Starring: Ashley Rae Spillers, Paul Gordon, Josephine Decker, Jonny Mars, Heather Mars, Sean Ryan, Chris Doubek, Sonny Carl Davis, Wyeth Miller A group of friends run a floundering ghost-hunting business, modeled loosely after a certain Hanna Barbera cartoon. (Yes, they even have a dog. No, the dog does not speak.) The group's founder is Nancy (Ashley Rae Spillers), the Velma of the gang. Equal parts cute, sexy, smart and empowered, Nancy has found herself in a bit of an existential quagmire, not knowing what to do if ghost hunting does not begin turning a profit. The future of the gang hinges upon their newest client, Mike Ryan (Chris Doubek), a banker who is trying to rid a spooky old mansion of its murderous ghosts. Nancy, Gwen (Josephine Decker), Chad (Adam Tate...

I wasn't at the Los Angeles Film Festival this weekend, sadly for me. However, former Austinite Spencer Parsons screened his locally shot horror-comedy Saturday Morning Massacre here in Austin last week, and I was lucky enough to be there. It's just the kind of horror movie I like -- lots of humor but not enough to dilute genuine scariness, and no prolonged graphic violence. Seeing it accomplished with familiar local talent was a happy bonus.

Saturday Morning Massacre is set in 1994, which seems random until you realize that's right before cell phones became commonplace, thus keeping them out of the picture. Four twentysomething slackers have formed a small business that videotapes and debunks paranormal activities, although it's not especially profitable. It's led by Nancy (Ashley Spillers), the short perky gal in the big pink sweater, and includes the attractive and clean-cut couple Gwen (Josephine Decker) and Chad (Adam Tate) as...

I know, I know. A modern day, live action reinterpretation of Scooby Doo sounds like a really horrible Hollywood pitch. But, c’mon just hear me out… Because if any film community would be able to spin this particular pitch into gold, it would be Austin. The idea was originally hatched by Jonny Mars and Jason Wheling. They eventually brought Spencer Parsons (I’ll Come Running) on board as the director. Next, Aaron Leggett and Jory Balsimo were hired to flesh out the idea into a fully realized script. Then, the true moment of genius came — the casting. The slightly-skewed Scooby gang became embodied by Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Jonny Mars and Adam Tate, with masterful supporting turns by Chris Doubek, Paul Gordon, and Heather Kafka. The end result is Saturday Morning Massacre, a film that plays in dutiful homage to 1980s horror films with gory practical effects and boatloads of blood. Though...

Time to add a bit of a massacre to your afternoon as we've gotten our claws into the first stills and artwork for Saturday Morning Massacre, which will be playing as part of this year's Los Angeles Film Festival.

Saturday Morning Massacre – (Director Spencer Parsons Writers Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling Producers Jonny Mars, Jason Wehling Cast Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Adam Tate) – Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they take on a rambling mansion with a mysterious past. ★ World Premiere

This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list of films showing.

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Throw your own fest in the comments section below.

The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will run June 14-24, 2012, and included in the schedule are more than a few movies with ties to Austin or Texas. As Matthew Odam points out in his Tuesday post on Austin Movie Blog, the feature films Saturday Morning Massacre and Magic Mike are both in the lineup. Magic Mike is a Steven Soderbergh film starring Austin actor Matthew McConaughey.

Saturday Morning Massacre was directed by former Austinite Spencer Parsons and was shot locally. Cast members include Jonny Mars and Paul Gordon from The Happy Poet, Heather Kafka and Chris Doubek from Lovers of Hate and veteran character actor Sonny Carl Davis (The Whole Shootin' Match, Bernie). It's a horror movie that references a popular 70s cartoon about crime-fighting teens in a van with a dog.

Here are some more films with Austin/Texas connections scheduled to show during this year's fest:

Big Easy Express,...

The lineup of the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival was announced today, and while there are a lot of impressive entries heading to the West Coast, not many of them are horror films. But there are a few that caught our eye so read on for the details.

This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Below are the horror and horror-ish sounding films on the fest's slate; visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list.

Vampira and Me – (Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. ★ World Premiere

P-047 – Thailand (Director/Writer Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Producers Soros Sukhum, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Cast Parinya Kwamwongwan, Aphichai Trakulphadejkrai) – Part meditation,...

Texas State University-San Marcos has film and screenwriting classes. I know. I'm just as surprised as you are. Texas State may not be Ut and the film and TV-related theatre classes and media studies minor may not be a full radio-television-film program, but with the arrival of former Texas Film Commission Director Tom Copeland in 2005, and recently, Austin Film Society Artist Services Director Bryan Poyser, college life is looking a little bit more film-y in the 78666.

The San Marcos premiere in September of Echotone, a documentary about Austin music culture, marked the burgeoning presence of the Texas Independent Film Network (Tifn) at Texas State University.

Tifn co-founder Ryan Long and Austin actor Chris Doubek attended the Sept. 28 screening of The Happy Poet at the Texas Music Theater in San Marcos during their statewide promotional tour for the movie. I had the opportunity to speak with Long, who's also the Afs programs and operations manager,...

"…and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!. Just how many episodes of "Scooby Doo" ended with that line? And did anyone ever wonder why the criminals were able to bamboozle the entire town and police squad with their schemes only to be foiled by a dog and four stoner kids who rolled into town two days earlier in a van that had to smell like malted hops, bong resin and dog farts? We’ve got some info on a new movie where the meddling kids don't necessarily fare so well.

Directed by Spencer Parsons and starring Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker and Jonny Mars, Saturday Morning Massacrefollows some meddling paranormal investigators trying to make a buck. From the information we've managed to glean thus far, there is no talking dog in this film.

The film is currently in post-production and the official website titsandaxe.

Filming has wrapped and director Spencer Parsons is presently in post-production on Saturday Morning Massacre . The team behind the film describe Saturday Morning Massacre as "a bloody parody of mystery cartoons and the consequences of meddling with the supernatural." Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker, Jonny Mars, Adam Tate, Paul Gordon, Heather Kafka, Sean Ryan and Wyeth Miller. Parsons previously helmed Slacker 2011 . In the film, a team of amateur paranormal investigators struggle to make ends meet by debunking reports of supernatural incidents. With the group on the verge of bankruptcy, Nancy takes on a case involving rumors of suspicious disappearances and violent deaths linked with the abandoned Kyser schoolhouse. Discounting rumors of satanic practices the...

I'm really excited to see that The Happy Poet is playing again in town tonight at Austin Film Society. Presented in part by Texas Independent Film Network and Screen Door Cinema, Paul Gordon's comedic tale brings us a man with a dream, a hot dog stand, and a desire to provide near-vegetarian fare to the world. Heartfelt and funny and filled with local talent, The Happy Poet is one of my favorite movies of recent years, and with the explosion of the food-truck phenomenon, a must-see film. And if you miss the Afs screening, it'll play in San Marcos on Sept. 28.

On Sunday, Cine Las Americas has a free screening of Un Mundo Maravilloso (A Wonderful World) at Takoba. This 2006 satire from Mexico juxtaposes poverty and political ambition -- the Minister of Economy declares the end of poverty just as a homeless drunkard stumbles on the scene. 

Geoff Marslett...

Directors: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Writers: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Starring: Bob Ray, Chris Doubek, Maggie Lea, Hilah Johnson, Robert Lambert, Leslie Naugle, John Wesley Coleman, Kelli Bland, Justin Meeks, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Jen Tracy Duplass, Jay Duplass, Chris Trew, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Luke Savisky,...

In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (Tfpf). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.

Today's interview is with Paul Gordon, whom you can see partially on the right edge of the above photo. Gordon is a local filmmaker whose features include Motorcycle (2006) and SXSW 2010 selection The Happy Poet (Jenn's review), in which he also starred. Gordon has also appeared in Mars and An Ordinary Family.

Slackerwood: Which scene from the film did you reshoot?

Paul Gordon: I did Scene 8, in which a reclusive guy and his girlfriend discuss whether or not to go outside and do something fun --...

Here's the latest Austin film news, as well as some other bits of news you might have missed earlier.

Rolling Roadshow has added one last Texas movie to its summer tour: Bottle Rocket. The Wes Anderson movie will be shown on Saturday night at the hotel in which it was partially filmed: the Days Inn in Hillsboro. It's part of an event to save the hotel from being closed down. Road trip, anyone?For an excellent and thorough summary of many upcoming Austin films, check out Matthew Odam's write-up for the Austin American-Statesman ... as well as his follow-up on Paul Stekler's latest project.The latest local filmmaker running a fundraising campaign for his film project is Paul Gordon, whose film The Happy Poet premiered at SXSW last year and has been making the festival rounds. Gordon is looking for pre-production research funding for Mexico Carpenter, a feature film he...

The Los Angeles Film Festival has a heavy dose of Austin in its lineup this year. Not only that, but I've counted at least three films involving local actor John Merriman (pictured above with Kerri Lendo at Aff 2010). Is there some sort of conspiracy afoot? Is he becoming the Austin version of Dick Miller? Along with the films playing at Laff, I've been on set visits this year for two upcoming movies with Merriman in them, and he was in one of the SXSW bumpers this year. I think someone needs to look into this before something tragic -- or very funny -- happens.

Merriman aside, here are the Austin-connected features and shorts popping up all over Laff in June:

In the narrative competition, the latest feature from Mike Akel (Chalk), An Ordinary Family, is premiering. The locally shot movie is set at a family reunion where one man shows up with his new boyfriend.

While you might not recognize his name, Chris Doubek has turned into one of the most visible local actors in Austin, and this year he's owned the Austin indie scene with no less than four films featuring his diverse talent. He may be hamming it up in the picture above from SXSW 2010, but Slackerwood has declared 2010 the Year of Doubek for good reason.

If there was an Austin Film Actor of the Year award, Doubek would have annihilated the competition. At SXSW 2010, it was impossible to turn around without bumping into Doubek as he was running around between premieres of his movies including Clay Liford's Earthling, Paul Gordon's The Happy Poet, and Brian Poyser's Lovers of Hate. He's so good, he has had at least one role written just for him.  

read more...

Cologne, Germany – "Picco," a hard-hitting prison drama from debut director Philip Koch, has won the German Independence Award at the 17th Oldenburg Film Festival.

The drama is based on a real-life event in a German youth prison where inmates tortured and killed a cellmate.

"A portrait of a true hell on earth," is how the Oldenburg International Jury, headed by actress Deborah Kara Unger, described "Picco," calling the film "clear and heartbreaking in any language."

Oldenburg's regular film fans preferred the lighter fare of Paul Gordon's "The Happy Poet." The comedy about a man trying to set up an organic heath food stand won Oldenburg's audience award.

Germany's leading indie film fest wrapped Sunday night with the world premiere of "Pound of Flesh," a drama directed by Tamar Simon Hoffs and starring Timothy Bottoms, Whitney Able and Malcolm McDowell.

Rome -- Bertand Blier's comedy "Le bruit des glacons" (The Clink of the Ice) will open the seventh edition of the Venice Days sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, organizers said Tuesday, unveiling what may be the event's most international lineup ever.

 

The non-competitive sidebar will screen 12 films that are produced or co-produced in a total of 14 countries. Among the highlights: "La Vida de los peces" (The Life of Fish), a drama from Chilean director Matias Bize; "L'Amore Buio" (Dark Love), from Italy's Antonio Capuano; Paul Gordon's "The Happy Poet," about the protagonists' efforts to open a health food restaurant dring an economic crisis; and "Cirkus Columbia," a comedy from Danis Tanovic set in the period before the first war in the Balkans.

 

Though the event is not competitive, its selections are eligible for the Venice Film Festival's collateral prizes, and organizers earlier announced plans for a new Venice Days Award,...

One of my favorite films of SXSW 2010 – The Happy Poet – will be screening on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 7:30pm at the Marchesa Hall & Theatre (located in the Lincoln Village Shopping Center – facing Middle Fiskville Road). This screening is a fundraiser to help The Happy Poet cast and crew kick-start their travel for an upcoming festival run commencing with New York City's Rooftop Films Summer Series (www.rooftopfilms.com) on Friday, June 25th. Director Paul Gordon and other members of the cast and crew will be in attendance for a Q&A. A cash bar and food will be available at the venue. So please help The Happy Poet travel to New York City and beyond…Tickets ($10.00 each) can be purchased here: http://marchesa.inticketing.com/events The Happy Poet Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 7:30pm The Marchesa Hall & Theatre (map) 6406 N. Ih-35, Suite 3100 Austin, TX 78752 This screening is co-sponsored by the Austin Film Society,...

Date/Time:  Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 7:30pm - 9:30pm Location:  The Marchesa Hall and Theatre More info:  Visit external web page.

Jenn Brown and I caught the premiere of locally made film The Happy Poet at SXSW this year, and had a great time. It's a charming low-key comedy about a guy who decides to open a food cart at Auditorium Shores that will sell vegetarian and organic sandwiches and treats. He's battling a limited budget, a hot-dog-loving clientele and a delivery man with occasional shady habits. Writer-director Paul Gordon also plays the lead character, and the cast includes Chris Doubek, Liz Fisher and Jonny Mars. Read Jenn's review for more details.

The Happy Poet is scheduled to play in New York in late June, and Gordon and his producers are in need of some travel funds so they can attend their own NYC premiere (at Rooftop Films Summer Series,...

After first watching The Happy Poet at SXSW, I immediately knew that it was going to end up being one of my favorite films of the festival. To be honest, this was the interview that I looked forward to the most during SXSW. I was really excited about meeting writer-director-actor Paul Gordon and having the other lead actors (Jonny Mars, Chris Doubek and Liz Fisher) along for the proverbial ride made it all that much better. The five of us met up at the Austin Hilton to chat about The Happy Poet, which screened as part of SXSW 2010’s “Emerging Visions” series. The interview goes off on some odd comedic tangents – but what would you expect from the hilarious team behind The Happy Poet? DS: The Happy Poet appears to function as a metaphor on several levels for many things. I’m curious what your intentions were? PG: Well, I...

South by So What, you say? On one hand, cheap beer and thick queso and Barton Springs are soooo last month—but then again, with programming so rich, it takes a couple weeks to catch up with screeners and post-fest screenings. Here are a trio of Austin-based gems from this year's festival that, better late than never, you should watch out for:

The Happy Poet

dir. Paul Gordon

If Slacker defined the shaggy eccentricities of Austin life circa the early '90s, then Gordon's similarly low-key comedy is a delightful, deadpan reappraisal of the town's prototypical charm some two decades later. The writer-director-editor is hilariously dry as the titular bard Bill, a reserved young man who chases an underdog dream of running a healthy, organic food stand. With tons of heart but very little business savvy, Bill sinks what little money he has into his cart, ingredients and menu, ridiculously overwrapping his veggie sandwiches,...

Quickcard Review

The Happy Poet

Director: Paul Gordon

World Premiere

Emerging Visions

Complete Coverage of SXSW 2010

Synopsis

Bill, an out-of-work poet, puts his heart, soul, and last few dollars into starting an all-organic, mostly-vegetarian food stand. New friend Donnie promotes the business and helps Bill pursue Agnes, a poetry-lover who frequents the stand. Curtis, an enigmatic life-philosopher, buoys Bill’s spirits with his positive attitude and love of vegetarian food. Complications with the business jeopardize these budding friendships and threaten Bill’s dreams for a hot dog-free future.

Director Bio

Paul’s debut feature film, Motorcycle, made in three parts during film school, premiered in competition at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival, and went on to play at film festivals around the world, including Thessaloniki, SXSW, and Rooftop Films.

In addition to writing, directing and starring in The Happy Poet, Paul also acted in Gretchen, and Mars, which is also premiering...

Director: Paul Gordon Writer: Paul Gordon Starring: Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Chris Doubek, Liz Fisher, Amy Myers Martin, Amy Myers Martin, Ricardo Lerma, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Carlos Trevino Bill (Paul Gordon) is looking for a job. He has the bright idea to borrow the very small amount of cash that his bank is willing to loan to him in order to buy a hot dog cart and convert it into a health food cart. At least in the beginning, Bill plans on this being a one-man operation. He will prepare the organic and mostly vegetarian sandwiches himself as well as man the food cart. After finding a prime location – beside a hike and bike trail (at what some may recognize as Austin’s Lady Bird Lake) – crowded with people enjoying the outdoors, doing healthy things like walking, running and biking; Bill quickly discovers that most people, no matter how healthy purport to be,...

Director: Geoff Marslett Writer: Geoff Marslett Starring: Mark Duplass, Zoe Simpson, Paul Gordon, Howe Gelb, Liza Weil, James Kochalka, Cynthia Watros, Michael Dolan, and Don Hertzfeldt Damn Russians with their sneezing and their snot and their general lack of hygiene! Pierre (Garry Peters) sneezes fluorescent green snot all over a robot named Beagle II while he and his bossy cohort Andrei (Jeremy Pollet) load it into a Mars-bound rocket. Upon landing on Mars, Beagle II breaks down – all thanks to Pierre’s sticky green snot – and loses contact with Earth rendering it unable to fulfill its mission to locate life on Mars. Art is the next robot to be sent to Mars. However, this robot seems to have a mind (and heart) of its own as it decides to alter its landing site in an attempt to locate Beagle II. The altered flight path exposes Art to damaging elements,...

Mars, the first feature of Austinite Geoff Marslet, is an ambitious visual feat that wanders aimlessly in an amorphous, unsatisfying plot.

Indie favorite Mark Duplass stars as Charlie Brownsville, a world famous astronaut with a bedazzled jumpsuit and an ever-changing hipster hairstyle. As the disposable member of a three-man crew, Brownsville’s simple task is updating a smarmy television twosome with any developments on their historic voyage to the red planet.

The remainder of the dragging time Brownsville exchanges sarcastic banter with Casey Cook (Zoe Simpson) and Hank Morrison (Paul Gordon) as they float sleepily in a seemingly improvised sci-fi story. Other than a few homegrown inside jokes, like Kinky Friedman as the President, the characters and their interactions are unremarkable.

The candy-coated rotoscope technique is engaging at first, but the novelty wears quickly with the realization that there’s not much happening underneath the unique animation style. For an...

Somewhere between Red Planet and Adult Swim's Tom Goes to the Mayor lies Mars, the animated sci-fi love story from writer-director Geoff Marslett. Sometimes you can only judge a film by its own ambitions, and Mars is strangely unambitious. I say "strangely" because its unique visual style (like colorful rotoscoped photocopies) seems to promise something more than it delivers. The truth is that Marslett just wants to tell a funny, funky love story on a small scale.

Three astronauts are sent on a haphazard manned mission to Mars, in a photo-op attempt to beat a rival space program's robot to the surface. Brownsville (indie darling Mark Duplass), Cook (Zoe Simpson), and Morrison (Paul Gordon) are unlikely post-Generation X astronauts, biding their time on their trek to Mars by yakking away with a detached sarcasm that borders on precious. It's mumblecore in space, and If that sounds like your thing, then...

The animated feature debut of Austin filmmaker Geoff Marslett, Mars, is a refreshing antidote to the dark and provocative films that usually crowd out the less dramatic films.

Mars is the story of has-been astronaut Charlie Brownsville (Mark Duplass), whose fame is in decline but still valuable enough to be included in the crew of the first manned mission to the red planet.  Literally there as a backup and PR frontman, Brownsville is merely a talking head while Casey Cook (Zoe Simpson) and Captain Hank Morrison (Paul Gordon) do the real work, trying to beat the second unmanned mission to Mars to find out the fate of the first.

On the surface, Mars looks like science fiction, but in reality, it's a lighthearted love story. Brownsville may be a showman with his bedazzled and Western-yoked suit, but despite his bravado, he actually does have a valuable speciality. Cook, like any intelligent woman,...

It's a good thing for films to tell people to follow their dreams, but it can't hurt if they also learn that their dreams will more readily become a reality if they can come up with some sort of business plan. It's this second part of the "follow your dream" paradigm that's key to the success of The Happy Poet, a film about a young, optimistic poet who aspires to open a health-food restaurant. Although its deadpan humor may have the same appeal to some as the main character's organic lunchmeat alternatives, writer-director-star Paul Gordon crafts a simple, well-told story that manages to entertain and even inspire simply because it functions practically and realistically rather than subscribing to the empty wish-fulfillment of so many other movies.

Filed under: Comedy, Independent, SXSW, Theatrical Reviews, Festival Reports, Cinematical Indie

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It's over, and I've got the post-fest funk. I'm tired, I'm cranky, and missing out-of-town friends already. I just counted; I only made it to 23 films, plus another five I saw in advance. This is my lowest number of films seen at SXSW by far. I do have three more screeners by the DVD player, so I'll break 30 eventually.

Most Memorable Moments? Besides the beer in the lap, I'd have to say it's a tie between making the Thunder Soul guys tear up with the standing ovation at screening #3, and the crazy ranting woman at Red White & Blue screening #2.

Unexpected Favorite? Thunder Soul was a surprise because I had no idea that this high school band had not only left such an impression on the musical history of the U.S., but that the double-disc reissue of their music is a perpetual strong seller for Waterloo Records. As it happens,...

I am pretty much running on empty by this point in the festival. I have viewed about 45 feature films and for the first time in my life I think I am reaching a temporary movie burnout. Nonetheless, I hopped the bus down to the Alamo South Lamar for Pelada. I didn't expect many people to be at this screening, so finding out that it was sold-out upon my arrival was a bit of a downer. I think the theater manager saw the disappointment and frustration on my face, and she very kindly pull up a folding chair for me! The co-directors of Pelada (Luke Boughen and Gwendolyn Oxenham) were once collegiate soccer stars with dreams of going professional. When they realize that their dreams are not going to be recognized, they decide to travel the world looking for pick-up soccer matches – known in Brazil (the first country they visit) as...