Behind The Lens

It's all about animation and Tribeca Film Festival this week on BEHIND THE LENS! And not just any animation, but world premiere animation shorts – DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS and ROAR, both animated gems led by filmmakers with a Pixar pedigree – animation editor SARAH AFFLECK and writer/director JESSE WEGLEIN, respectively.

First up, we're gonna roar with writer/director/editor/dp/and songwriter JESSE WEGLEIN and his beautiful short ROAR!

ROAR follows a neurodivergent young girl with selective mutism who, after being uprooted from Tokyo to San Francisco, must navigate a chaotic new culture and an isolating silence by transforming her internal K-Pop soundtrack into a vibrant visual language to find her place—and her new roar.

Then, more animation goodness for you from animation editor SARAH AFFLECK and DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS.

DEAR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS is the fantastical and all-too-relatable story of one woman's epic battle against her noisy neighbors for a good night's sleep. As I told Sarah Affleck, this short from director Connie He could directly pertain to my condo neighbors, and I'm betting some of your neighbors, too! This is one high-energy, FUN, short film!

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

Welcome back to a new week and a new month of BEHIND THE LENS! I've got a terrific show for you today, thanks to actor and producer KATIE CASSIDY and director JON KEEYES talking all things SPEED DEMON! And what a film it is!

A runaway train. A demon named Asmodeus. A nun called upon to perform an exorcism.

On paper, it sounds like the kind of high-concept supernatural action-horror mash-up that could easily veer into camp. Instead, director Jon Keeyes and star/producer Katie Cassidy deliver something far more compelling. Beneath the demonic possession, biblical imagery, and escalating terror lies a deeply human story about grief, addiction, faith, and self-discovery. And at the center of the story is Sister Lu.

The official synopsis of SPEED DEMON is: When Father Novak and Sister Lu board a train from Montreal to New York City, they aren't prepared for the danger and evil that would pursue them. After the train is taken over by the demon Asmodeus, Father Novak and Sister Lu must battle possessed passengers on a runaway train, with Sister Lu forced to overcome her faltering faith and perform the first exorcism done by a nun.

SPEED DEMON is directed by JON KEEYES, written by Domenico Salvaggio, and stars Katie Cassidy, William H. Macy, Allen McCullough, Sari Arambulo, Jeremy Matthew Feight, Sky Vaux Fuller (scene stealer!!), Noriko Sato, Michael John Importa, and John Patrick Jordan.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, we turn our attention to the Miami art world and first-time feature director JING AI NG with her film FORGE. I thoroughly enjoyed this film from a story perspective and from a directorial and production perspective. As I've been seeing in quite a few films of late from first-time feature directors, once again, production values are high, but story and character are at the center of it all. On seeing FORGE, I would never believe that this was Jing's first feature directorial effort. And she is the screenwriter, as well!

FORGE is written and directed by JING AI NG and stars Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, and Edmund Donovan, among others. Some fabulous artisans showcasing their talents on FORGE, including cinematographer Leo Purman, editor Briana Chmielewski, production designer Arielle Ness-Cohn, and composers Marco Carrion & Ian Chang.

BUT I'm not only talking about FORGE today, how about some DUTTON RANCH?? And yes, I did watch the first two episodes four times on Friday, starting at midnight on Paramount+ when it released, and then on linear television at 8pm Friday night on Paramount Network. This is THE series to watch. This is everything you love about "Yellowstone" and more. Fingers crossed for a Season Two announcement sooner rather than later.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

What a terrific show I've got for you this week on BEHIND THE LENS as I get to introduce you to a wonderful British filmmaker, writer/director JOHN MICHAEL KENNEDY, who makes his narrative feature directorial debut with the mystery thriller, AN ENEMY WITHIN. Not only is this John's narrative feature directorial debut, but as I found out, this interview that you are about to hear was his very first interview, something I found surprising given the excellence of his short films. So this is a real treat for all of you – and for me.

There is something deliciously venomous pulsing through AN ENEMY WITHIN, writer-director John Michael Kennedy's tightly coiled debut narrative feature. Part Gothic chamber thriller, part psychological standoff, part family bloodsport, Kennedy constructs a sharply staged mystery where inherited privilege, buried resentment, emotional insecurity, and self-delusion become loaded weapons aimed squarely at everyone trapped inside a sprawling English estate. And the beauty of Kennedy's film lies in the fact that virtually nobody inside that house deserves our trust.

Written & Directed By John Michael Kennedy, AN ENEMY WITHIN stars William Moseley, Patrick Baladi, Kim Spearman, Alexander Lincoln, Tristan Gemmill, Kate Isset, Toyin Omari-Kinch, Frances Wilding, Mollie Dorman, and Harrison Daniels. The film's cinematographer is Lorenzo Levrini, the editor is Gustav Lindquist, and the composer is Caleb Blood.

A couple of other films I briefly want to mention to you today that are absolute "Must See" films. First is THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, which is a tale that follows George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd who loves to read murder mysteries to his sheep, never suspecting that they can understand him. When George is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep decide to solve the crime themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn't as simple as it appears in books. The other film you must see, also based on a novel, is REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES on Netflix, starring Sally Field as an older widow named Tova, whose life is changed by a friendship with a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus, and Cameron, a new-in-town employee looking for his father, played by Lewis Pullman.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

I'm very excited about this week's BEHIND THE LENS because I get to talk about RENNY HARLIN and his new film DEEP WATER!

After 33 years of chatting with Renny and talking about his films, he truly is not only one of my favorite filmmakers, but one of my favorite people. His intelligence, his skill, his dedication to the craft of moviemaking and storytelling, his directorial vision, and his kindness. I adore him. Chatting with Renny is always a joy, and no matter how long we talk, it's never long enough. And that's what happened last week when we sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss DEEP WATER. Renny wanted an hour. Publicists said no and offered 4 minutes. I begged and got 15 minutes. BUT, undeterred, when the formal interview (which ran 20 minutes) ended, Renny and I spent another 30 minutes together on our own, talking about the film, filmmaking, and other things.

For those who aren't familiar with the film as yet, DEEP WATER is the story of an airline flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai that goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they're not alone, and they must survive the shark-infested waters. Simple right? Not the way Renny Harlin tells it.

DEEP WATER is directed by Renny Harlin, written by Pete Bridges and John Kim, and stars, among others, Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, Elijah Tamati, and Kate Fitzpatrick. Cinematographer is D.J. Stipsen, with editing by Geoff Lamb, with Fernando Velázquez providing the score.

I also give you some pearls and fun takeaways from this weekend's TCM Classic Film Festival.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

As promised, this week on BEHIND THE LENS is all about director DAVID MACKENZIE and his new explosive film, FUZE.

Directed by David Mackenzie and written by Ben Hopkins, FUZE boasts an amazing cast – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Saffron Hocking, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elham Ehsas, and Sam Worthington.

Executed with razor-sharp precision, FUZE is a tightly coiled, high-wire heist thriller that unfolds like a cinematic shell game—constantly shifting perspective, redirecting attention, and daring audiences to keep up. Built around the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb in London, the film uses its premise not just as a ticking clock, but as the perfect cover for a meticulously orchestrated crime. As authorities race against time to contain the crisis, alliances blur and moral boundaries are crossed, the film deftly propels audiences through a series of calculated twists, delivering a wildly entertaining ride.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This week on BEHIND THE LENS, it's all about tension and terror, blood and brutality with writer/director ANTON SIGURDSSON's psychological thriller/mystery, REFUGE.

Four estranged friends reunite on a fishing trip, but a missing child and a desperate father's accusation turn the reunion into a deadly reckoning. Brutal, bloody…..lots of duct tape involved. Terror-filled. A twisted ending that will probably surprise most.

Written and directed by Icelandic filmmaker ANTON SIGURDSSON, REFUGE boasts a wonderful cast of Adam Sinclair (Sam), Adam Dorsey (Mike), Donald Paul (Barry), and Christopher Dietrick (Jay). Behind the lens, we have high storytelling production values thanks to cinematographer Gunnar Audum Johansson and editor Sharif M.Es. Ali, amazing production designer Jarrett Staaf, and a score by Yu Miyashita.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This week on BEHIND THE LENS it's all about "To See or Not To See", and after hearing today's exclusive interviews with BEN WHEATLEY discussing NORMAL and ANEIL KARIA talking all things HAMLET, I think you'll agree that the answer will easily be – Must See. Both of these films are fresh and fantastic, from story to performances to production values.

First up today is director ANEIL KARIA talking about HAMLET starring Riz Ahmed.

It takes guts to handle Shakespeare and adapt and reimagine, but director Aneil Karia did an amazing job with HAMLET. One of the most interesting aspects of the film comes courtesy of Michael Lesslie's screenplay. Michael did a wonderful job adapting "Macbeth" for director Justin Kurzel, and once again delivers a Shakespearean adaptation that is relatable and attainable for today's audience with HAMLET.

Switching gears and genres, we head to the small town of NORMAL with director BEN WHEATLEY. I love Ben Wheatley's work, be it High Rise, Free Fire, Rebecca, Meg 2, or now, NORMAL. Ben can tackle any genre and always delivers first-rate films with high production values, excellent performances, and, in many cases, go-for-broke action and intensity. I have to put NORMAL in the latter category.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by the brilliant Derek Kolstad, and starring Bob Odenkirk, NORMAL is the latest collaboration from this powerhouse team. Described as a kinetic neo-Western action film with Odenkirk as an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a quaint Midwestern town, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.

NORMAL is weird, wacky, and wonderful, brimming with originality, spurting blood, fantastic action, great deadpan humor, and first-rate performances. It is an absolute blast. When was the last time you watched folks covering up dead bodies and bright red blood with snow, and be thankful for having had a blizzard??

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

As promised, this week on BEHIND THE LENS we're talking about the religious-themed, historical drama A GREAT AWAKENING. Brought to us by director/co-writer Joshua Enck and those terrific folks at Sight & Sound, A GREAT AWAKENING tells the true story of an unlikely friendship between Reverend George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin that resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history – the American Revolution.

The film is enlightening, eye-opening, engrossing, and entertaining. It is visually and emotionally immersive.

With the colonies on the brink of collapse in 1739, the Reverend George Whitefield sparked the first Great Awakening, uniting an entire generation with his thundering proclamation of liberty in Christ. In a miraculous turn of events, one of Whitefield's closest friends and greatest promoters becomes none other than Benjamin Franklin. With the nation's freedom hanging in the balance, Franklin discovers true liberty cannot only be written into law – it must be awakened in the hearts of the people.

Directed by Joshua Enck and co-written by Enck, Jeff Bender, and Jonathan Blair, A GREAT AWAKENING stars Jonathan Blair as George Whitefield and John Paul Sneed as Benjamin Franklin.

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

Sorry that I missed all of you last week with BEHIND THE LENS, but I had no voice. And you all know how catastrophic that is when I cannot talk and sound worse than a Budweiser bullfrog. So my apologies. But it's a new week, and I've got a working voice and working internet, so let's take a look at a film and filmmaker that just blew me away – OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR and co-writer/director OSCAR BOYSON.

OUR HERO BALTHAZAR marks Oscar's feature directorial debut, but it is certainly not his first time in the cinematic rodeo given his prior directing experience with some episodics and shorts, but also serving as a producer on films like UNCUT GEMS and FRANCES HA, as well as working his way through the various components of filmmaking, including sound recording, editing, production design, and more, giving him a nice grounding for a feature directorial experience.

OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR is a brilliant directorial calling card for Oscar. Co-written by Oscar with Ricky Camilleri, OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR stars Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterworth, along with Chris Bauer, Jennifer Ehle, Pippa Knowles, Avan Jogia, and more. The film rises and falls on the performances of Jaeden and Asa, both of whom will knock your socks off.

This is a fascinating and insightful interview with co-director/writer OSCAR BOYSON! Enjoy!

http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com