News

As Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024 enters its final day, audiences are still buzzing about the unique and unsettling films that have premiered throughout the festival. One short film that is set to leave a lasting impression is Mlm, directed by the talented Brea Grant. Screening on Monday, August 26th, this short takes the concept of multi-level marketing and spins it into a dark and twisted horror tale. The film stars Jessika Van, Courtney Pauroso and horror fan favourite – Barbara Crampton.

We caught up with Brea Grant to discuss the inspiration behind Mlm, her journey into filmmaking, and her thoughts on the FrightFest experience.

Brea Grant, director 1. Tell us about your film

Brea Grant: Mlm is about a woman who gets involved in a pyramid scheme that goes horribly wrong when she can’t meet her quotas.

2. How did you get into making movies?

Brea Grant: I started as a supremely lucky...

Writers/directors Brea Grant (Torn Hearts) and Ed Dougherty (co-writer of Paint It Black) have wrapped production on their four-part horror anthology Grind, Deadline reports, adding that filming took place in the Los Angeles area. Grant got her start as an actress, working on such projects as Friday Night Lights, Midnight Movie, Heroes, Dexter, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, and Ice Road Terror. She made her feature directorial debut with the 2013 film Best Friends Forever, and has since directed Torn Hearts, 12 Hour Shift, and episodes of Pandora, among other things. Doughterty has previously directed multiple short films and music videos.

The cast of Grind includes genre icon Barbara Crampton, James Paxton (Twisters), Christopher Marquette (Freddy vs. Jason), James Urbaniak (Oppenheimer), Rob Huebel (Welcome to the Jungle), Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Aubrey Shea (Nashville), Courtney Pauroso (Reno 911!), Ify Nwadiwe (Grand Crew), Jessika Van (Seoul Searching), James A. Janisse (Scream 2022), Sharlene Cruz...

Brea Grant (Torn Hearts) and Ed Dougherty (Paint It Black) are the writers and directors of upcoming horror anthology Grind, and Deadline lets us know what to expect this week.

The site details, “Recently wrapping production in Los Angeles, Grind‘s stories center around the gig economy, hustle culture, and the evils of late-stage capitalism.”

The cast includes James Paxton (Twisters), Christopher Marquette, James Urbaniak (Oppenheimer), Rob Huebel (Transparent), Barbara Crampton (Suitable Flesh), Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Aubrey Shea (Nashville), Courtney Pauroso (Reno 911!), Ify Nwadiwe (Grand Crew), Jessika Van (Seoul Searching), James A. Janisse (Scream), Sharlene Cruz (In the Summers), Jon Gabrus (101 Places to Party Before You Die), Teri Gamble (Mrs. Davis), Hannah Alline (Doom Patrol) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock).

Producers include Chelsea Stardust.

Stay tuned for more on Grind as we learn it.

The post ‘Grind’ – New Horror Anthology from Brea Grant Tackles Late Stage Capitalism appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!

Exclusive: James Paxton (Twisters), Christopher Marquette (Barry), James Urbaniak (Oppenheimer) and Rob Huebel (Transparent) are among those set to star in Grind, a four-part horror anthology from writer-directors Brea Grant (Torn Hearts) and Ed Dougherty (Paint It Black).

Recently wrapping production in Los Angeles, Grind‘s stories center around the gig economy, hustle culture, and the evils of late-stage capitalism.

Others in the cast of the indie include Barbara Crampton (Suitable Flesh), Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Aubrey Shea (Nashville), Courtney Pauroso (Reno 911!), Ify Nwadiwe (Grand Crew), Jessika Van (Seoul Searching), James A. Janisse (Scream), Sharlene Cruz (In the Summers), Jon Gabrus (101 Places to Party Before You Die), Teri Gamble (Mrs. Davis), Hannah Alline (Doom Patrol) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock).

Grant and Dougherty produced alongside Chelsea Stardust.

Most recently directing Torn Hearts, an Epix/Blumhouse horror pic starring Katey Sagal, Grant has...

"I would do literally anything for them... I'll clean their dirtiest corners." There's nothing humanity could use more right now than a few good laughs at technology. Don't worry, all this tech doesn't really have any feelings anyway. Especially A.I. - all this dumb, idiotic, worthless Artificial Intelligence. This fun animated short film called I Am A Robot will keep you chuckling during its 7 minute runtime. It first debuted a few months ago, but I just caught it now. "I was just trying to sign up for an account, not be confronted with the fact that our fear of technology is actually based on a reflection of our own cruel, morally compromised, and violent behavior," explains writer & director Sean Buckelew. I Am A Robot is about a roomba with a foot fetish, a violent self-driving car, and a supercomputer that wants to kill us all (ha ha..?). Voices including Kevin Gregory Krieger,...

Dropout has set a new series of live recorded comedy specials titled “Dropout Presents.” The series will launch on June 12 with Hank Green’s “Pissing Out Cancer,” taped at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles

Green is a YouTuber best known for the “Vlogbrothers” channel he runs alongside his brother, John Green, with whom he also produces educational shows such as “Crash Course.” He is also the author of the novels “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” (2018) and “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” (2020). Green was diagnosed with cancer in May 2023 and has thoroughly documented his experiences with the illness on the internet.

“There are good parts of cancer,” Green jokes in a trailer for “Dropout Presents.” “I was thinking I was maybe gonna get that Jeremy Allen White situation going on. I got the Mark Zuckerberg situation instead.”

Six more specials will debut on Dropout as part of “Dropout Presents” throughout the year. All were recorded in L.

Exclusive: Brain Dead Studios announced on Monday that its debut feature Dogleg, directed by and starring Al Warren (Dream Scenario), will debut exclusively on Mubi in North America on May 1st, following special theatrical screenings at the Roxy Cinema in New York City on April 13th, and at Now Instant Image Hall in Los Angeles on April 25th and 27th.

Written by Michael Bible and Warren, Dogleg follows amateur director Alan, who loses his fiancé’s dog at a gender reveal party on the day of an important shoot. As he struggles to finish his latest project with the help of a New York critic, the pursuit of the lost dog and the chaos of his film begin to blend, and Alan grows desperate for the day to be over.

Produced by Babak Khoshnoud and Studio Yours Truly, pic’ cast also includes Dream Scenario filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, Nick Pinkerton (The...

Every year, SXSW seems to grow in size and breadth. The opportunities to glimpse the future and connect with its architects in an intersection of disciplines—music, technology, television, and cinema included—can be overwhelming. And in 2024 alone, there were more than 115 films and 80 short features at the fest.

It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.

Adrianne & the Castle

Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...

"She's kinda out on the town, but she's not lost." Yours Truly & Brain Dead have revealed an official trailer for an indie awkward comedy called Dogleg, from filmmaker Al Warren making his first feature film. The very meta comedy is made by Brain Dead in LA - which is where it will premiere. Dogleg follows amateur director Alan, played by Al Warren, after he loses his fiancé’s dog at a gender reveal party on the day of an important shoot. As he struggles to finish his latest project with the help of a New York critic, the pursuit of the lost dog and the chaos of his film begin to blend and Alan grows desperate for the day to be over. Told through a series of interlocking vignettes, Dogleg is an ode to indie filmmaking and the frustrations of the creative process. Shot over five years, this is a...

Death Cab for Cutie has released a new single, “Here to Forever,” along with a music video written and directed by filmmaker Lance Bangs.

The clip depicts frontman Ben Gibbard being forced to deal with packaging the band’s vinyl himself after having a conversation with two inept pressing plant employees, played by comedians Natalie Palamides and Courtney Pauroso. The scenes are cut between clips of the band performing the track and Gibbard’s interactions with the pair.

“It’s a song both about our impermanence and the anxiety of these times,...

It’s the start of a new decade and while our most-anticipated films of the year will be unveiled in the coming weeks, we’ll start with a look at January. As always when it comes to the beginning of a new year, a number of 2019 favorites will also be expanding this month, including Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, Karim Anouz’s Invisible Life, and Sam Mendes’s 1917, so check your local theater listings. A major part of the month will also feature extensive coverage from the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, so be sure to bookmark this link for all of our reviews, interviews, and more. Now, on to what is coming to theaters this month.

10. Underwater (William Eubank; Jan. 10)

Yes, an early January release doesn’t bode well for any film but there are enough enticing factors to this aquatic thriller that have our curiosity piqued. There’s director William Eubank behind the camera,...

Tony Sokol Dec 18, 2019

Shot entirely on VHS tape, VHYes trailer promises stranger things from the 80s.

Before the internet, strangely personal celluloid was created on video tapes. Videodrome from 1983 is a frighteningly prescient film if you replace the VHS aspect with the dark web. By the 90s whole films were being shot on Betamax and VHS camcorders. Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, VHYes is a retro comedy of this period which was shot entirely on VHS.

VHYes is a genre-spanning, anthology comedy like Groove Tube, Kentucky Fried Movie and Tunnel Vision. The largely ignored 1979 film Mr. Mike's Mondo Video, from National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live alumnus Michael O'Donoghue, opened with a warning that the film the audience was about to see was shocking and repugnant beyond belief. They advised older people with heart conditions be moved closer to the screen. The director also said children of an...

An official selection at Fantastic Fest and a Kickstarter success story, Oscilloscope Laboratories picked up VHYes, a charmingly sincere nostalgic ode to the 1980s VHS craze. Jack Henry Robbins’ film, which opens on January 12 at select Alamo Drafthouses then wider on January 17, is impressively shot entirely on VHS and Betacam and now the first trailer has landed.

The retro comedy follows the exploits of the young Ralph (Mason Mcnulty) who mistakenly records home videos and late-night shows over his parent’s wedding tape. Hilarity naturally ensues in this Charlie Kaufman-esqe comedy.

Virginia Yapp in her review from Crooked Marquee lauded the film, “I didn’t expect a film that derives so much humor from combative QVC presenters and Skinemax-style erotica to leave me so teary-eyed (and so thankful to have found a working Vcr a few months back),”

See the trailer and poster below for the film also starring Kerri Kenney,...

When comedians Beth Stelling and Courtney Pauroso came together to share their stories of sexual and physical abuse from another member of the L.A. comedy scene, they were part of a growing sisterhood: As BuzzFeed's Katie J.M. Baker reports, female comedians all over the scene have increasingly turned to private Facebook groups as a way to tell stories of — and sometimes expose — male abusers in their midst. Like much of the entertainment business, the comedy world in Los Angeles is dominated by men, and many women say the usual pressure for women to stay quiet about mistreatment from male teachers and collaborators is intensified by the improv philosophy "yes, and" — the need to be game, up for anything. And the comedy industry's tremendous growth over the last half-decade, paired with the blurring of the lines between fan, participant, and instructor, means that L.A.'s comedy theaters have...

FailArmy is ready to release a new clip series aimed at making mobile viewers laugh and wince at the same time. The comedy brand owned by video licensing company Jukin Media will launch the series FailFive on Verizon’s mobile-first, free go90 video service.

Each of FailFive’s 50 three-minute episodes will consist of five user-generated videos surrounding a specific theme and complemented with what a release calls “meme-style graphics.” Chris Powers and Courtney Pauroso, stars of FailArmy’s current Top Fails Breakdown, will host the new go90 mobile series. Jukin’s FailArmy will release a new episode of FailFive every week on go90, where it will be available exclusively for 48 hours before launching on the FailArmy Facebook page. go90 will also run FailArmy’s regular content slate alongside FailFive.

"FailFive is a new hosted format that we have been developing off of our hugely successful FailArmy brand," said Cameron Saless,...