News

“Screamin’ Scott” Simon, who played piano in the early-rock revival group Sha Na Na for more than a half-century and co-wrote the song “Sandy” that John Travolta crooned in Grease, died September 5 of sinus cancer in Ojai, CA. He was 75.

His daughter Nina Simon announced the news.

“Screamin’ Scott” Simon in an undated family photo

The elder Simon joined Sha Na Na in 1970, the year after its founding as a 1950s/early-’60s rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop revivalist act and its appearance at Woodstock. He remained with the group, along with original members Donny York and Jocko Marcellino, until it disbanded in 2022. He played piano — banging out energetic covers of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “At the Hop” and others — and was known for his signature shirt whose sleeves bore piano keys, which he often pretended to play.

The group basked in the ’50s and early-’60s nostalgia craze...

Miyu Distribution has acquired Dominican director Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat’s animated feature ‘Olivia & The Clouds’ ahead of its world premiere in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at the Locarno Film Festival later this month. Following its debut in Switzerland, the film will screen in the feature competition at the prestigious Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Miyu is renowned as one of the top animated short distributors in the world and regularly represents films that make significant festival and awards season impacts. Recent Oscar-nominated films in the Miyu Distribution catalog include “Garden Party,” “Negative Space,” “Bestia,” “Pachyderme” and “Letter to a Pig.”

“Olivia & The Clouds” is the company’s third feature pickup and is indicative of Miyu’s desire to push further into feature animation distribution. Miyu’s other catalog features are Annecy Contrachamp award-winner “Dozens of North” by Koji Yamamura and Contrechamp Jury award-winner “Archipelago” by Félix Dufour-Lapperiere.

According to Miyu...

George R.R. Martin is known around the world for being one of the most notorious writers who kills people’s favorite characters for fun. Slaying heroes like popping pills, R.R. Martin has surely made a name for himself and his sick sense of humor.

George R. R. Martin | Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Well, his sick sense of humor is indeed an appreciable aspect of the author since he uses it wisely. Using it on some special occasions when needed, the author had such a deep respect for this one Game of Thrones actor that he sent him a personal note while filming the HBO series!

When George R.R. Martin Used His Sense of Humor!

Jack Gleeson is known around the world for portraying the role of the scared little kid in the 2005 film Batman Begins. We’re kidding, the actor became infamous for portraying the role of...

Game of Thrones went from being one of the most celebrated shows in recent memory to the poster child of how not to end a show and waste a decade’s worth of character development. While the initial part of the show is still considered some of the best that television had to offer in the 2010s, the ending of the show, five years on, still remains a sore topic for fans and audiences.

Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones || HBO

The conflicts and the environment that the show set up in its initial seasons were not congruent with the resolutions and solutions that were put forward in the finale of the series. Westeros was a country plagued by vassals having more power than they needed, which put the crown at risk. The solution would have been a stronger regime rather than an autocratic system of power.

It will be in cinemas and available to stream on May 13 2022.

UK production and distribution company Bohemia Media has picked up Venice 2020 title Listen for UK and Ireland distribution in cinemas and on Bohemia Media’s new streaming platform, Bohemia Euphoria.

The first feature from actress-turned-director Ana Rocha de Sousa, Listen is a UK-Portugal co-production drama that premiered in Venice’s Orizzonti section in 2020, winning five awards at the festival. It tells the story of a Portuguese family living in the outskirts of London, grappling to keep the family together after the social services try to separate them. Love Actually’s Lucia Moniz stars.

Neil Young has never hidden his contempt for Donald Trump, but now that he’s officially an American citizen, he’s raising his voice even louder.

“You are a disgrace to my country,” Young writes in a long, scathing open letter to Trump on his Neil Young Archives website. “Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment, and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgivable.… Our first black president was a better man than you are.”

He’s particularly irked by Trump’s usage of his...

Happy Friday, dear readers! Today, we have a new batch of short films on tap for you to enjoy as you head into the weekend, and it seems that fear and instincts are the working themes of this trio of shorts.

For this installment of Daily Dead’s Salutes Your Shorts column, we have the latest collaboration from Todd Spence and Zak White, Fear Wish, as well as Neil Stevens’ The Monster and the beautifully animated award-winning Garden Party.

Happy viewing, everyone!

Fear Wish (Directed by Todd Spence & Zak White)

Synopsis: To wish for something you need, you have to wish for something you fear.

The Monster (Directed by Neil Stevens)

Synopsis: A young boy terrified of monsters enlists his Dad for help getting over his fear.

Garden Party

Synopsis: In a deserted villa, a couple of amphibians explore their surroundings and follow their primal instincts.

To watch this short film,...

In today’s film news roundup, Neil Young’s “Mountaintop” is coming, AMC replaces its CFO, Bob Weinstein is starting anew, and Ed Begley, Jr. and David Koechner join “Reboot Camp.”

Music Documentary

Abramorama is partnering with Shakey Pictures and Reprise / Warner Records to release the Neil Young documentary “Mountaintop.”

The movie, which chronicles the making of Young and Crazy Horse’s studio album “Colorado,” will open in North America on Oct. 22 and in Europe and South American on Nov. 8. Young produced using his pseudonym Bernard Shakey, marking his 13th collaboration with Abramorama dating back to “Greendale,” and Jonathan Demme’s trilogy.

Abramorama CEO Richard Abramowitz said, ”The only thing better than working on a Bernard Shakey film is working on another Bernard Shakey film. Providing fans around the world with the opportunity to see how Neil and the band put it all together is a particularly rare and exciting experience.

Exclusive: In his first move back into the movie business since the implosion of The Weinstein Company, former TWC co-chairman Bob Weinstein has launched Watch This Entertainment. The shingle is a boutique development and production company that will develop to produce two to three films per year, with a primary focus on family films, comedies and upscale adult thrillers.

His goal is to create IP ownership, and the first project is Endangered, an animated family adventure film that Weinstein will produce with Tea Leoni. She will lend her voice to one of the lead characters. The film will be directed by the French animation collective known as Illogic, a team nominated for an Academy Award in 2018 for their animated short Garden Party. The collective, which will write the script, is made up of Florian Babikian, Victor Caire, Théophile Dufresne, Gabriel Grapperon and Lucas Navarro.

Endangered is inspired by the book written by Tim Flach,...

If you thought you were happy that Game of Thrones's HBO run was over, George R.R. Martin may have you beat. The A Song of Ice and Fire writer revealed to The Guardian that the end of the series was "freeing" for him because it allowed him the peace to finish writing the remaining novels at his own pace.

"There were a couple of years where, if I could have finished the book, I could have stayed ahead of the show for another couple of years, and the stress was enormous," he said. "I don't think it was very good for me, because the very thing that should have speeded me up actually slowed me down. Every day I sat down to write and even if I had a good day - and a good day for me is three or four pages - I'd feel terrible because I'd be thinking: 'My God,...

Neil Young has once again told President Trump to stop playing his 1989 classic “Rockin’ In The Free World” at campaign events, even though he acknowledges he has no legal means to stop him. “Dt does not have my permission to use the song ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ at his appearances,” Young wrote on his website. “Legally, he has the right to, however it goes against my wishes.”

This issue first flared up when Trump played the song in June of 2015 when he announced his campaign for the presidency. “I asked him then,...

The 2018 Academy Awards took place on March 4 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The 90th annual ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The full list of winners is below.

Supporting Actor:

Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”

Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”

Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”

Makeup and Hair:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick

“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran

“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran

“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira

“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Best Documentary Feature:

“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman

“Faces Places,” Jr, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda

“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen

“Strong Island,...

Kobe Bryant became the first person to win both a sporting championship and an Oscar on Sunday with his victory in the Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball.” The five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers beat out “Garden Party,” “Lou,” “Negative Space” and “Revolting Rhymes” in the short category for his collaboration with animator Glen Keane. In his acceptance speech as he took the stage with Keane, Bryant aimed a swift jab Fox News host Laura Ingraham, by saying basketball stars shouldn’t just “shut up and dribble.” Also Read: Kobe Bryant, Diversity Talk Dominate Oscar Nominees Luncheon Ingraham came under heavy fire...

The Oscars were held Sunday evening at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and The Shape of Water led the pack with four total wins, including for Best Picture and director Guillermo del Toro.

The World War II drama Dunkirk followed with three wins, while Darkest Hour, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Coco and Blade Runner 2049 each grabbed gold twice.

Winners of note include first-timers del Toro, Three Billboards‘ Sam Rockwell and Get Out‘s Jordan Peele, the latter of which became the first black writer to win for Best Original Screenplay.

All winners are denoted below:

Best Picture

Call...

Update: The Shape of Water wins Best Picture. See the full list of winners below.

Kicking off at 8:00pm Est tonight is the 90th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Leading the pack of nominations is Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water with 13, while Call Me by Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Get Out, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, The Post, and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri are also vying for Best Picture. We’ll be updating the winners live below (in red) throughout the night and follow us on Twitter for more coverage.

Best Picture

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actress

Sally Hawkins for The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand for Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie for I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan for Lady Bird...

The Shape of Water and all of the winners at the 2018 Academy AwardsThe Shape of Water and all of the winners at the 2018 Academy AwardsAdriana Floridia3/4/2018 4:41:00 Pm

Another awards season has come and gone, but we'll all be talking about the Oscars for the next little while.

Tonight, The Shape of Water was crowned the Best Picture of the year, and lots of talented people just became Oscar winners. 

Check out the full list of winners from the Academy Awards below!

Best Production Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Best Cinematography:

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

Best Costume Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria and Abdul

Best Sound Editing:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Sound Mixing:

Baby...

The winners of the 2018 Academy AwardsThe winners of the 2018 Academy AwardsAdriana Floridia3/4/2018 4:41:00 Pm

Another awards season has come and gone, but we'll all be talking about the Oscars for the next little while.

Tonight, a The Shape of Water was crowned the Best Picture of the year, and lots of talented people just became Oscar winners. 

Check out the full list of winners from the Academy Awards below!

Best Production Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Best Cinematography:

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

Best Costume Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria and Abdul

Best Sound Editing:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Sound Mixing:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi...

MaryAnn’s quick take… My pick: I suspect that this year’s winner will be “Garden Party” [pictured], a spectacular debut from new French animation studio Illogic that I am sure we will be seeing a lot more stunning work from. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Death, despair, and decay. Some very black humor. These motifs run through most of this year’s Oscar-nominated animated short films. Oh, and childhood. In one case, the despair of childhood. Fun times.

I suspect that this year’s winner will be “Garden Party” [IMDb|official site], from a new French animation studio called Illogic — consisting of filmmakers Florian Babikian, Vincent Bayoux, Victor Caire, Théophile Dufresne, Gabriel Grapperon, and Lucas Navarro — that I am sure we will be seeing a lot more stunning work from. The adventures of frogs and toads and...

If you ever wondered what it would look like to have a bunch of frogs partying in a suspiciously abandoned home, then “Garden Party” gives you that answer. Academy members in the short film branch took quite a shine to it as it became one of this year’s five nominees for Best Animated Short Film. It marks the first career nominations for Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon, two of the film’s six credited directors.

The film is set in a lavish mansion. Outside the mansion we see a frog hopping around the pool in the backyard and being followed by a slightly bigger frog. We start to see more of the house and notice that while there’s items all over the place, no one is actually there and the security cameras set up around it are shot. Another smaller frog is outside trying to catch a butterfly.

There are few brighter stars in Hollywood than Jennifer Lawrence. Ever since she broke through with her Academy Award nominated performance in Winter’s Bone, and especially once she starred in The Hunger Games, the A-list was a foregone conclusion for her. Lawrence is young, ambitious, talented, and a refreshingly honest presence in the industry. With a new starring role in Red Sparrow hitting this week, now is the perfect time to remind ourselves of just how good she really is. Below you’ll find her best performances, at least in my humble opinion, with a little bit about how she became the toast of tinseltown. Suffice to say, Lawrence is an icon, plain and simple. We can jump right off with her ten best performances to date: 10. House at the End of the Street 9. Red Sparrow 8. Passengers 7. Like Crazy 6. Joy 5. The Beaver 4. American Hustle 3. Winter’s Bone 2. mother! 1. Silver...

This year’s Oscar Week Shorts Program showcased a diverse group of talented filmmakers delivering crowd-pleasing and thoughtful short films. The evening kicked off with an extended, hilarious riff by the host Taika Waititi, director of Thor: Ragnarok and director/co-star of What We Do In the Shadows. Waititi was so annoyed by latecomers entering the Samuel Goldwyn Theater he yelled at them, “Where have you been?!” and recalled the pressure of being a short film nominee in 2004 while carrying the expectations of his native New Zealand on his shoulders.

His irreverence toward an Academy that let’s people wander around during his presentation and denies him Oscar gold kept the audience howling throughout his hosting duties.

Host Taika Waititi prior to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Oscar Week: Shorts” event.

The animated films were all worthy of a statuette in terms of quality and originality. Kobe Bryant...

The animated shorts race is defined by memorable characters: A dance between young and adult Kobe Bryant in “Dear Basketball,” a father and son bonding over ritual packing in “Negative Space,” a collection of lost and found schoolyard objects thwarting a bully in Pixar’s “Lou,” a mysterious wolf recounting the unusual bonding between Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White in “Revolting Rhymes,” and a wacky amphibian takeover of a mansion in “Garden Party.”

Despite the backlash against Bryant for his sexual assault charge back in 2003 and the limited scope of his short, “Dear Basketball” remains the favorite to win the Oscar. That’s due to the irresistible pairing of the former Lakers legend with former Disney legend Glen Keane, who directed the short. However, “Negative Space” could pull an upset for its inventive animation and resonating theme.

Read more about these nominees, ranked in order of their likelihood...

Three of the most difficult categories to call every year at the Oscars are those of the short films. They lack precursor prizes and, in many cases, visibility. If you are not able to see these films before the Academy Awards on March 4, don’t worry: we’ve got you covered. Below is our take on the five nominees for Best Animated Short.

A screening committee drawn from the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members winnowed a field of 63 entries for Best Animated Short down to 10 semi-finalists using an averaged scoring system.. All members of the branch could cast preferential ballots for the five nominees and the entire academy can vote on the winner.

See 2018 Oscars: Best Live Action Short Film nominees by rising stars of world cinema

“Dear Basketball” (USA)

Director: Glen Keane; Writer: Kobe Bryant

Running Time: 6 minutes

In this heartfelt ode to basketball, Bryant narrates his...

While this year’s batch of Oscar-nominated live-action and documentary shorts remain mainly fixed on political and social justice issues, the animated group offers a bit of a respite, leaning towards personal stories and unexpected narratives bolstered by inventive animated techniques. From a stop-motion film about suitcases to a photorealistic look at the lives of some very naughty frogs, there’s nary a shared theme or experience to be found here.

Of course, when it comes to animation, looking good or providing a compelling story isn’t enough — both pieces need to fit together seamlessly. That’s exactly what the category’s two best picks do, and then some.

Ahead, we review each of the Oscar-nominated animated short films, including two very clear frontrunners, a pair of worthy competitors, and at least one damningly weak offering that never should have been included in an otherwise first-rate lineup. “Negative Space,” France...

Best Picture favorite “The Shape of Water” dominated the Oscar craft categories with seven nominations — Cinematography, Production and Costume Design, Editing, Original Score, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Guillermo del Toro’s period-fantasy romance only failed to snag a Visual Effects nomination.

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan’s experimental Best Picture nominee, captured six craft noms (Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Score, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing); Denis Villeneuve’s brutalistic “Blade Runner 20149” scored five (Cinematography, Production Design, Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing); and Joe Wright’s surprise Best Picture nominee, “Darkest Hour,” grabbed four (Cinematography, Production and Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling).

Making History

But the biggest crafts story was Rachel Morrison making Oscar history as the first female cinematographer to secure a nomination for her poetic work on “Mudbound.” She was joined by frontrunner Roger Deakins, who grabbed his 14th nomination for “Blade Runner 2049″ in search of his elusive win; Bruno Delbonnel,...

Nominations for the 90th annual Academy Awards were announced bright and early Tuesday morning, and Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy drama The Shape of Water led the pack with 13 nods, just one short of tying the record for most nominations.

Relatedsag Awards: This Is Us, Big Little Lies, Veep, The Crown Among 2018 Winners

Jimmy Kimmel will return as Oscars host on Sunday, March 4, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air live on ABC at 7/6c.

Scroll down to review the complete nominations list.

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady...

The Shape of Water and all of the 2018 Oscar nominationsThe Shape of Water and all of the 2018 Oscar nominationsAdriana Floridia1/23/2018 8:18:00 Am

It's the moment we've been waiting for all season.

This morning Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish announced the 2018 Oscar nominations, honouring the very best in film from last year. As expected, The Shape of Water is leading the race with 13 nominations. We'll be making predictions from now until March 4th when the Oscars take place.

Check out the full list of nominees below!

Best Production Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Best Cinematography:

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

Best Costume Design:

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria and Abdul

Best Sound Editing:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are set to reveal the nominations for the 90th Academy Awards in all 24 categories this morning. Films such as “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” are expected to earn multiple nominations this year following big wins at the Golden Globes and Critic Choice Awards.

Click here to watch the nominations announcement live. Nominations will be updated live below as they are announced.

Best Picture

“Call Me by Your Name”

“Darkest Hour”

“Dunkirk”

“Get Out”

“Lady Bird”

“Phantom Thread”

“The Post”

“The Shape of Water”

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Director

Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water

Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”

Paul Thomas Anderson, “Phantom Thread”

Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”

Jordan Peele, “Get Out”

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet “Call Me by Your Name”

Daniel Day-Lewis “Phantom Thread”

Daniel Kaluuya “Get Out”

Gary Oldman “Darkest Hour”

Denzel Washington “Roman J.

Den Of Geek Mar 5, 2018

Guillermo del Toro and The Shape Of Water lead the big winners at the 2018 Oscars...

Overnight, the annual Academy Awards were handed out, and it proved to be a big night for genre cinema, thanks to the success of Guillermo del Toro's superb The Shape Of Water. Here's the full list of winners from Oscar night....

Best Film

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape Of Water (Winner)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Director

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Paul Thomas ANderson, Phantom Thread

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape Of Water (Winner)

Best Actress

Sally Hawkins

Frances McDormand (Winner)

Margot Robbie

Saoirse Ronan

Meryl Streep

Best Actor

Timothy Chalamet

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Kaluuya

Gary Oldman (Winner)

Denzel Washington

Original Screenplay

The Big Sick

Get Out (Winner)

Ladybird

The...

Britain's Prince Charles met a host of celebrities at a garden party Tuesday. The future king and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, held a reception for his charity the Prince's Trust at their Highgrove estate.

Guests included soccer legend Gary Lineker and his new wife Danielle Bux, singers Alesha Dixon and Joss Stone and TV presenters Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton.

Gary and Danielle - who married in Italy six days ago - cut short their honeymoon to attend the bash.

Gary said: "I rushed back from honeymoon as it's not every day you go to Highgrove to meet Prince Charles. Charles and Camilla congratulated us on our wedding. He then said that he loved Italy where we honeymooned."...

"Come With A Dream, Leave With a Story" or a copy of this on DVD? If you missed this indie gem while it was in theatres due to being a limited release, here's your opportunity to snag a copy for your collection. The film stars Vinessa Shaw, Willa Holland, Erik Scott Smith, Richard Gunn, Patrick Fischler, Tierra Abbott, Lisa Arturo, Erik Bragg amd Candice A. Buenrostro. Writer and director Jason Freeland makes this his sophomore time at the helm after a ten year absense when first directing "Brown's Requiem" back in 1998. Talented Vinessa Shaw was also seen in previous memorable releases including the popular "3:10 to Yuma" opposite Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as well as "The Hills Have Eyes" remake of 2006.

"Come With A Dream, Leave With a Story" or a copy of this on DVD? If you missed this indie gem while it was in theatres due to being a limited release, here's your opportunity to snag a copy for your collection. The film stars Vinessa Shaw, Willa Holland, Erik Scott Smith, Richard Gunn, Patrick Fischler, Tierra Abbott, Lisa Arturo, Erik Bragg amd Candice A. Buenrostro. Writer and director Jason Freeland makes this his sophomore time at the helm after a ten year absense when first directing "Brown's Requiem" back in 1998. Talented Vinessa Shaw was also seen in previous memorable releases including the popular "3:10 to Yuma" opposite Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as well as "The Hills Have Eyes" remake of 2006.

"Come With A Dream, Leave With a Story" or a copy of this on DVD? If you missed this indie gem while it was in theatres due to being a limited release, here's your opportunity to snag a copy for your collection. The film stars Vinessa Shaw, Willa Holland, Erik Scott Smith, Richard Gunn, Patrick Fischler, Tierra Abbott, Lisa Arturo, Erik Bragg amd Candice A. Buenrostro. Writer and director Jason Freeland makes this his sophomore time at the helm after a ten year absense when first directing "Brown's Requiem" back in 1998. Talented Vinessa Shaw was also seen in previous memorable releases including the popular "3:10 to Yuma" opposite Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as well as "The Hills Have Eyes" remake of 2006.

NEW YORK -- Roadside Attractions has acquired all U.S. rights to Jason Freeland's feature Garden Party.

Vinessa Shaw (3:10 to Yuma), Willa Holland and Erik Scott Smith star in the tale of aspiring young people trying to succeed in the Los Angeles entertainment business.

Freeland, who wrote the screenplay based on a series of his short stories, last teamed with Lookout Films producer Tim Youd for the James Ellroy adaptation Brown's Requiem. Roadside will release Party in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, Ore., on July 11.

Roadside's Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff negotiated the deal with Youd.