Chicago – The new film “Eye in the Sky” is as contemporary a war film that currently could be made. The overview of drone warfare includes the distant “pilots” on the computer screen, the leaders in their paneled offices, and the target on the ground – which includes the enemy, but also several innocents.
The film features Helen Mirren as a no-nonsense (naturally) military operative who is commanding the mission, which includes Alan Rickman in his last role as her military representative with the British and American leadership. The film has the tension of great battle movies, combined with the morality lessons that must be learned through distant bombing. It is a reminder of an earlier and similar film, “Fail-Safe” (1964) about the impracticalities of nuclear engagement.
Director Gavin Hood and Helen Mirren Set Up a Scene in ‘Eye in the Sky’
Photo credit: Bleecker Street Media
Gavin Hood is a veteran actor and director.
The film features Helen Mirren as a no-nonsense (naturally) military operative who is commanding the mission, which includes Alan Rickman in his last role as her military representative with the British and American leadership. The film has the tension of great battle movies, combined with the morality lessons that must be learned through distant bombing. It is a reminder of an earlier and similar film, “Fail-Safe” (1964) about the impracticalities of nuclear engagement.
Director Gavin Hood and Helen Mirren Set Up a Scene in ‘Eye in the Sky’
Photo credit: Bleecker Street Media
Gavin Hood is a veteran actor and director.
- 3/20/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Brian L. Frye says:
Brian L. Frye (Our Nixon & obscure art films) is a filmmaker & law professor. The T.J. Hooper was a 28th birthday present from filmmaker Marie Losier. Hooper is named after the case in which Judge Learned Hand defined the standard for negligence. Her moustache echoes Justice Holmes’s.
Underground Film Journal says:
Having a background in the law, Brian L. Frye really brings a unique perspective that stands out in the underground film world. We particularly enjoy his short found footage film A Reasonable Man, which stirs up all kinds of uncomfortable connections between reality and filmed “entertainment” in a very simple, but direct way.
Our Nixon, which Frye produced and was directed by Penny Lane, was a huge hit on the festival circuit last year, then aired on CNN and is currently streaming online.
Plus, in addition to making films, for many years Frye ran...
Brian L. Frye (Our Nixon & obscure art films) is a filmmaker & law professor. The T.J. Hooper was a 28th birthday present from filmmaker Marie Losier. Hooper is named after the case in which Judge Learned Hand defined the standard for negligence. Her moustache echoes Justice Holmes’s.
Underground Film Journal says:
Having a background in the law, Brian L. Frye really brings a unique perspective that stands out in the underground film world. We particularly enjoy his short found footage film A Reasonable Man, which stirs up all kinds of uncomfortable connections between reality and filmed “entertainment” in a very simple, but direct way.
Our Nixon, which Frye produced and was directed by Penny Lane, was a huge hit on the festival circuit last year, then aired on CNN and is currently streaming online.
Plus, in addition to making films, for many years Frye ran...
- 4/23/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 7th annual Experiments in Cinema, or v7.9 if you prefer, will feature 7 days of fantastic experimental films from all over the world on April 16-22 at various locations across Albuquerque, New Mexico, including the Guild Cinema, the Southwest Film Center and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
This year’s festival is jam-packed with a gaggle of short films, one feature and several workshops. It all kicks off on the 16th with an event devoted to films made with the Pxl 2000 video camera that was briefly produced as a kids toy, but has been adopted by visual artists. Pixel visionary Gerry Fialka will present films and a history of the camera’s use.
Some of the other special programs include a Cinegram Workshop taught by Kerry Laitala, another workshop taught by David Finkelstein on how to work with improvisational actors, a special screening of botanical-themed 16mm films curated by Caryn Cline and more.
This year’s festival is jam-packed with a gaggle of short films, one feature and several workshops. It all kicks off on the 16th with an event devoted to films made with the Pxl 2000 video camera that was briefly produced as a kids toy, but has been adopted by visual artists. Pixel visionary Gerry Fialka will present films and a history of the camera’s use.
Some of the other special programs include a Cinegram Workshop taught by Kerry Laitala, another workshop taught by David Finkelstein on how to work with improvisational actors, a special screening of botanical-themed 16mm films curated by Caryn Cline and more.
- 4/11/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Sometimes a happy, smiling face can inspire joy and encouragement. Other times, it can instill a murderous rage. The second option is the case in the episode “Judy’s Smile” from Rob Parrish’s Next to Heaven web series. Parrish re-edits video found on Archive.org and composes new, surreal — and usually very funny if you have a dark sense of humor — voice over. “Judy’s Smile” is one of his darkest efforts yet, taking an innocuous film of a brother and sister and layering a disturbing subtext over it.
Episodes of Next to Heaven are hosted by Blip.tv andhe series is very atypical of the mainstream fare hosted on that video sharing site, where one normally finds vlogs, chat shows, comedies, dramas, etc. The site doesn’t even offer ‘experimental,’ ‘avant-garde’ or ‘cult’ categories probably under the correct assumption that those categories would be poorly trafficked. (Parrish lists...
Episodes of Next to Heaven are hosted by Blip.tv andhe series is very atypical of the mainstream fare hosted on that video sharing site, where one normally finds vlogs, chat shows, comedies, dramas, etc. The site doesn’t even offer ‘experimental,’ ‘avant-garde’ or ‘cult’ categories probably under the correct assumption that those categories would be poorly trafficked. (Parrish lists...
- 9/1/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
“This is the scariest chase I ever saw since The French Connection.” That’s what a U.S. Supreme Court justice says in reference to videotaped evidence of a high speed police pursuit along George back roads, which has been appropriated by filmmaker Brian L. Frye for his gripping short film A Reasonable Man, embedded above. Another justice — or maybe the same, it’s hard for me to tell — later invokes a Chico Marx joke regarding the evidence: “Who are you going to believe? Me or your own eyes?” How about you watch the evidence yourself and decide the answer to that question?
Frye doesn’t give any background information in the film about the case that’s being argued, but it’s easy to figure it all out from the Supreme Court audio. (Or check the film’s Vimeo page as a cheat sheet.)
A teenage kid gets spooked...
Frye doesn’t give any background information in the film about the case that’s being argued, but it’s easy to figure it all out from the Supreme Court audio. (Or check the film’s Vimeo page as a cheat sheet.)
A teenage kid gets spooked...
- 6/18/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 23rd annual Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival presents four nights of international avant-garde and experimental media from all over the world. The fest runs June 23-26 with the Opening Night festivities taking place at the Gene Siskel Film Center and the rest of the screenings held at the venerable Chicago Filmmakers, which has been behind the event for the past 11 years.
The Opening Night presentation begins with the new short film from the Brothers Quay, Maska, which was produced in Poland and based on a short story by Polish author Stanislaw Lem (Solaris). Also included in the opening screening are films by Thom Anderson, Mati Diop, Christopher Becks, Milena Gierke and more.
The Closing Night film is the much anticipated new feature by former Chicagoan James Fotopoulos. He will be screening Alice in Wonderland, an adaptation of an 1886 musical based on the classic children’s book. The film features hundreds of drawings,...
The Opening Night presentation begins with the new short film from the Brothers Quay, Maska, which was produced in Poland and based on a short story by Polish author Stanislaw Lem (Solaris). Also included in the opening screening are films by Thom Anderson, Mati Diop, Christopher Becks, Milena Gierke and more.
The Closing Night film is the much anticipated new feature by former Chicagoan James Fotopoulos. He will be screening Alice in Wonderland, an adaptation of an 1886 musical based on the classic children’s book. The film features hundreds of drawings,...
- 6/10/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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