Short of the DayEver laughed and cried at the same time?
Breaking up is hard to do. Everybody knows that, there’s a billion songs about it, including one I stole that first sentence from. But some break ups are much, much, much harder than others, and those typically result from one of the two involved parties’ vehement resistance to the dissolution of love. You might not think one such of these situations would be fodder for comedy, but in the case of Break Down, you’d be wrong.
To be sure, Break Down is a dark comedy, but in its darkness there’s a sense of mockery that balances sadness with absurdity, resulting in a short that’s far more laughs than tears. For the audience, at least.
Charlie just wants out of her relationship with David. She has her reasons, she’s even written them down, two full pages, and...
Breaking up is hard to do. Everybody knows that, there’s a billion songs about it, including one I stole that first sentence from. But some break ups are much, much, much harder than others, and those typically result from one of the two involved parties’ vehement resistance to the dissolution of love. You might not think one such of these situations would be fodder for comedy, but in the case of Break Down, you’d be wrong.
To be sure, Break Down is a dark comedy, but in its darkness there’s a sense of mockery that balances sadness with absurdity, resulting in a short that’s far more laughs than tears. For the audience, at least.
Charlie just wants out of her relationship with David. She has her reasons, she’s even written them down, two full pages, and...
- 3/17/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Control, and lack thereof, is at the black heart of Faults, the twisted and terrific directorial debut of Riley Stearns (some may recognize him for short film The Cub). Who claims to have control, who says they want it and who actually wields it are distinct questions the film raises and, over the course of a taut 89 minutes, suggests answers to that are both appalling and somewhat amusing.
Arriving at the heels of some other great cult films – including Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, which featured a stunning debut performance by Elizabeth Olsen – Faults sets itself apart by crafting two arrestingly good leads.
In one corner, there’s Ansel Roth (Leland Orser), a once-acclaimed expert on cults and mind control who is a step away from living out of his car, having lost his TV show, marriage and financial security in quick succession.
Arriving at the heels of some other great cult films – including Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, which featured a stunning debut performance by Elizabeth Olsen – Faults sets itself apart by crafting two arrestingly good leads.
In one corner, there’s Ansel Roth (Leland Orser), a once-acclaimed expert on cults and mind control who is a step away from living out of his car, having lost his TV show, marriage and financial security in quick succession.
- 3/9/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Ansel Roth (Leland Orser) already has plenty of faults — a once-renowned expert on cults, he’s now lost a TV show, a marriage, and the rights to his latest book — but he’s looking for one more. To be specific, two worried parents (Beth Grant and Chris Ellis) hope that he can rescue 28-year-old Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from the grip of a group known simply as “Faults.” Being significantly indebted to his manager (Jon Gries) and all-but living out of his car, Ansel agrees to kidnap their daughter and subject her to a week-long “deprogramming” session (even though his only other attempt backfired quite publicly). Anyone familiar with writer/director Riley Stearns’ short films (his most recent, “The Cub,” being a personal favorite) will be happy to hear that his first feature, “Faults,” maintains his droll sense of humor and unnerving use of framing while telling a rather different...
- 3/4/2015
- by William Goss
- The Playlist
Ansel Roth (Leland Orser) already has plenty of faults—a once-renowned expert on cults, he’s now lost a TV show, a marriage and the rights to his latest book—but he’s looking for one more. To be specific, two worried parents (Beth Grant and Chris Ellis) hope that he can rescue 28-year-old Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from the grip of a group known simply as “Faults.” Being significantly indebted to his manager (Jon Gries) and all-but living out of his car, Ansel agrees to kidnap their daughter and subject her to a week-long “deprogramming” session (even though his only other attempt backfired quite publicly). Anyone familiar with writer/director Riley Stearns’ short films (his most recent, “The Cub,” being a personal favorite) will be happy to hear that his first feature, “Faults,” maintains his droll sense of humor and unnerving use of framing while telling a rather different...
- 3/10/2014
- by William Goss
- The Playlist
Austin-based director Riley Stearns' short film "The Cub," which preceded his feature-length debut "Faults," revolved around the comically bizarre scenario of a straight-faced couple who send their daughter off to live with wolves, and concluded with a surprise finale. "Faults" also involves a strange relationship between a daughter and her parents with more going on than initially meets the eye, and unfolds with a similar mixture of comedy and creepiness. The longer format gives Stearns more room to play with tone, and the strongest aspects of "Faults" stem from its completely unpredictable atmosphere. You might anticipate the twists before they arrive, but not the way they feel. Much of the odd comedic formula emerges from a pair of carefully orchestrated lead performances: Character actor Leland Orser delivers a fascinatingly offbeat turn as downtrodden author Ansel Roth, an expert in deprogramming brainwashed cult members, while Stearns' wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the.
- 3/10/2014
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Director Riley Stearns now lives in L.A. but was raised in the Austin area (Pflugerville, if you're being picky). His short film The Cub premiered at Sundance last year (and screened locally at the Hill Country Film Festival), and his feature film debut, Faults, will premiere at SXSW this March. This drama, which Stearns also wrote, stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) as a young woman whose family hires deprogrammer Ansel (Leland Orser, Taken) to remove her from a cult.
The cast also includes Lance Reddick (from the recently-ended sci-fi series Fringe) and Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite) along with Slackerwood favorite and prolific character actress Beth Grant (here's a podcast interview she did with us a while ago).
Before SXSW starts Friday, Stearns paused to talk to us via email about his new movie, working with his wife, and filming in hotel rooms.
read more...
The cast also includes Lance Reddick (from the recently-ended sci-fi series Fringe) and Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite) along with Slackerwood favorite and prolific character actress Beth Grant (here's a podcast interview she did with us a while ago).
Before SXSW starts Friday, Stearns paused to talk to us via email about his new movie, working with his wife, and filming in hotel rooms.
read more...
- 3/4/2014
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
The Cub Short Film. Riley Stearns‘ The Cub (2013) short film stars Savannah Lathem, Davey Johnson, Alexis McGraw, and Mandy Olsen. The Cub’s plot synopsis: “It’s the story of a five-year-old girl who reads at an eight-year-old’s level being turned over by her middle-class parents to a pack of wolves to learn [...]
Continue reading: The Cub (2013) Short Film: Riley Stearns + Savannah Lathem get Primal...
Continue reading: The Cub (2013) Short Film: Riley Stearns + Savannah Lathem get Primal...
- 8/15/2013
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Here's a great comedy short called The Cub that I think some of you will enjoy. The short was directed by Riley Stearns, and I loved it. The first time I saw it was up at the Sundance Film Festival.
It's the story of a five-year-old whose parents take her out into the woods where they turn her over to a pack of wolves where she will learn “strength, self-reliance, and cunning behavior." Ten years later her parents will return for her.
The short is very simple, but it's done extremely well. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Vice!
It's the story of a five-year-old whose parents take her out into the woods where they turn her over to a pack of wolves where she will learn “strength, self-reliance, and cunning behavior." Ten years later her parents will return for her.
The short is very simple, but it's done extremely well. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Vice!
- 8/15/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Director and television scribe Riley Stearns has created several potent shorts, some starring his wife, and one of our favorite actresses, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. His latest, The Cub, showcases a few of his strengths: quirky humor and economic storytelling. The five-minute movie nabbed a Short Film Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance, and it's easy to see why. The camera stays fixed on a spot in the woods where two parents bring their daughter to greet a pack of wolves. They want the beasts to raise her for the next 10 years, earnestly hoping she'll have "an upbringing no other child will have." An oddball and hilariously horrific experience follows. Enjoy Stearns' peculiar short, and keep an eye out for his next directorial effort &mdash...
Read More...
Read More...
- 8/15/2013
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
While we normally don't pay too much attention to the short films at the Sundance Film Festival, some of the selected films end up playing before our feature film presentations, and a gem or two really sticks with us through the rest of the festival. In 2012, I found Meaning of Robots to be truly fascinating and weird, and this past year, it was writer and director Riley Stearns who delivered the simple, but memorable and unique, short film The Cub. When the film was presented in Park City, it played with the comedy Hell Baby, and it certainly has a similarly twisted sense of humor, but with subtle style. The logline simply says, "Wolves make the best parents." And we'll let the short film take care of the rest. Watch below! ›››
Continue reading Watch: Riley Stearns' Spectacular Sundance Selected Short 'The Cub'...
Continue reading Watch: Riley Stearns' Spectacular Sundance Selected Short 'The Cub'...
- 8/14/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Here is a complete listing of the films that were shown/covered by the Ioncinema.com team comprised of Nicholas Bell (Nb), Jordan M. Smith (Js) and Eric Lavallee (El). We’ll be populating this page up until March.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Afternoon Delight – Jill Soloway: Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Ain’T Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery: El (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review // Interview
Austenland- Jerusha Hess: Nb (★): Review
C.O.G.- Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Js (★★ 1/2), Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Concussion – Stacie Passon: El (★★★), Js (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★): Review // Interview
Emanuel And The Truth About Fishes – Francesca Gregorini: Js (★★★), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review
Fruitvale – Ryan Coogler: El (★★★), Js (★★★★★), Nb (★★★★): Review // Interview // Video
In A World… – Lake Bell: El (★★★): Review
Kill Your Darlings – John Krokidas: El (★★★), Nb (★★★): Review
The Lifeguard – Liz W. Garcia: El (★★ 1/2): Review
May In The Summer...
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Afternoon Delight – Jill Soloway: Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Ain’T Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery: El (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review // Interview
Austenland- Jerusha Hess: Nb (★): Review
C.O.G.- Kyle Patrick Alvarez: Js (★★ 1/2), Nb (★★ 1/2): Review
Concussion – Stacie Passon: El (★★★), Js (★★★ 1/2), Nb (★★★): Review // Interview
Emanuel And The Truth About Fishes – Francesca Gregorini: Js (★★★), Nb (★★★ 1/2): Review
Fruitvale – Ryan Coogler: El (★★★), Js (★★★★★), Nb (★★★★): Review // Interview // Video
In A World… – Lake Bell: El (★★★): Review
Kill Your Darlings – John Krokidas: El (★★★), Nb (★★★): Review
The Lifeguard – Liz W. Garcia: El (★★ 1/2): Review
May In The Summer...
- 1/29/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Even more! Every new year brings us another Sundance Film Festival and with 44 days left until Sundance 2013 kicks off on January 17th, Sundance has officially announced their line-up of short films accepted to the festival. This compliments the complete feature line-up announced over the last week: In-Competition Dramas & Docs, Midnight & Spotlight Films and Premieres + Docs yesterday. The short selection this year includes more from Nash Edgerton (Crossbow, Spider, Bear) plus Kat Candler's film Black Metal and Riley Stearns' film The Cub, among roughly 62 other films of various length. Full 2013 shorts lists below. U.S. Narrative Short Films: The Apocalypse (Director & Screenwriter: Andrew Zuchero) — Four uninspired friends try to come up with a terrific idea for how to spend their Saturday afternoon. Black Metal (Director & Screenwriter: Kat Candler) — After a career spent mining his music from the shadows, one fan creates a chain reaction ...
- 12/4/2012
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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