Author Archive: Jessica Machen
Centre Place
Centre Place, directed by Ben Shackleford, is an Australian romantic comedy with an emphasis on the comedy side of things. The romance is really lacking in the story. Lizzie, the protagonist, is having a hard time with her life. Her boyfriend, whom she had plans to move to Paris with, dumps her, her brother unintentionally [...]
Imagine It! (2011)
Rudy Poe and Richard Tavener have crafted a great new documentary called Imagine It! aimed at encouraging children and teens to utilize their creativity to better the world. It urges the youth that what they do matters and will affect the world they grow up in. Experts and thought leaders such as Sally Ride (first [...]
The Beaver
The Beaver, written by Kyle Killen, was ranked at the top of the Hollywood Black List in 2008 as the best unproduced script in Hollywood. Upon watching the film, you can easily see why. Filled with raw emotion, smart dialogue, and unique situations, The Beaver brings you to tears and laughter as it unfolds. Walter [...]
Make Believe by J. Clay Tweel
The documentary, Make Believe, directed by J. Clay Tweel, will make you believe in the power of magic. The film follows six teens competing in the World Magic Seminar’s Teen Competition in Las Vegas. This prestigious competition is extremely tough to be accepted into, but once young magicians are in, they know they have talent. [...]
CROPSEY
Filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio both grew up knowing the urban legend of Cropsey, an escaped mental patient living in the abandoned Willowbrook Mental Institution who kidnaps and murders children on the streets. As teenagers, they believed the stories to be just that: stories. However, when one particular young girl in their town went [...]
You Again (2010)
You Again is a film that most people will be able to relate to. Starring Kristen Bell, Odette Yustman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White, this is a story about rivalry, arch nemeses and grudges. Bell plays Marnie, a successful woman who falls apart upon learning that her older brother is marrying her [...]
Valerie Cruz discusses ABC’s new show Off The Map
FilmMonthly: What did you want to be when you were a young kid? Valerie Cruz: Gosh, I don’t know. It wasn’t an actor early on. I didn’t want to be an actor until the end of high school and that’s when I went off on that path. Growing up, I think there was a point [...]
Screenwriter Angus MacLachlan on Stone
FilmMonthly: Where did the idea for Stone originate? Angus MacLachlan: Stone actually came from a play that I wrote in 2000 and it came in a strange way. A lot of times my plays come from a specific thing that I’ve read or something that happened to me or something someone’s told me or something [...]
Richard Jenkins “Let Me In” Interview
In Let Me In, a bullied, young boy named Owen (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) gets a new neighbor and a new friend in Abby (played by Chloe Moretz) who underneath her girlish exterior secretly is a vampire. She is able to keep her secret so well because of the help of her guardian or “Father.” [...]
Death Race 2 (2010)
Death Race 2. Sounds like it should be a sequel, but instead, it’s a prequel. If you were a fan of the first Death Race (2008) starring Jason Statham, this would be a good addition to your collection. The prequel has the action. It has the cars. It has the girls. It has the violence. [...]
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