Tonight on the Graveyard Shift - 10/4/19

Tonight, Friday the 4th, we've got two different selections on deck.

At 8:30PM, we have the new film DRIVEN from director Glenn Payne, starring periodic lifelong Nashvillian Richard Speight Jr.  It's got ancient evil, a decent amount of humor, demonslaying (which should come as no surprise to fans of RSJ), and the emotional stress of trying to make ends meet doing a rideshare.

It will be showing with Dieter Spears's short film THE TRAVELER, which is a ghoulish little short story with a masterful last shot. There will be folks from both films in attendance. DRIVEN and THE TRAVELER are also both showing on Sunday the 6th at 8:30 PM.

In addition, at 9:00PM we have the FRAYED SHORTS block, which is the (slightly) more accessible shorts block on this year's Graveyard Shift. The films featured in this block are Montana Mann's ESTHER (an EC Comics Western with a delicious surprise), Mac Cushing's FULL MOON (a mystery with unspeakable comic undertones), Ryan Worsley's GOOD GIRL (absurdly cute and grotesquely violent), Katie Kapuza's HUNKS (a special kind of animation), Aidan Moretti's I SEE YOU (lovingly Lynchian both in terms of unease and absurdist humor), Dan Hass' MAGIC H8 BALL (a queer Fantasy about childhood magic colliding with adult sexuality), Alec Cohen's MOUNTAIN (a dramedy that pushes all the envelopes), Will Bakke's THE STUDY (a SciFi/Horror setup that's just irresistible), RJ Blake's TIKTOK (SciFi romantic comedy for this modern age), and Dan O'Brien's TRICK OR TREATMENT (horror icons in amazing puppet form).

There will be filmmakers in attendance. The FRAYED SHORTS block will also play at 8pm on Tuesday, October 8th.

Tickets are available here.

Coming up tomorrow, Saturday the 5th, we have two Graveyard offerings, both of which are showing at 9pm. 

Maria Winther Olsen's NINA (also showing at 4pm on Monday the 7th)

and

Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen's SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (also showing at 6pm on Tuesday the 8th)

Tonight on The Graveyard Shift - 10/3/19

It's opening night at the Nashville Film Festival, now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Tonight, at 7pm, we are ecstatic to be presenting Rob Grant's film HARPOON.

It is a vicious and hysterical film that gets at the absolute worst aspects of human behavior, and it delivers the same kind of sick joy you get from The War of The Roses, The Last of Sheila, Blood Simple, or The Champagne Club. 

HARPOON is showing with the short film TAYLOR IS MISSING, from director Mia Sorenson. It's a beautiful and brutal short about memory, trauma, and regret.

I'll be presenting the Graveyard section with trailers or more info on a daily basis, and I hope to see y'all there.

Tickets are available here.

Tomorrow, Friday the 4th of October, we've got the following on the Graveyard Shift:

DRIVEN (with special guests) at 8:30 (also shows on the 6th at 8:30PM)

The FRAYED SHORTS Program (with special guests) at 9:00PM (also shows on the 8th at 8PM)

At the movies: La Flor.

La Flor is like nothing else out there. You should check it out, for real.

At the movies: In Fabric.

A sensual riot from Peter Strickland, and one of my favorite films this year.

At the movies: One Cut of The Dead.

An utter delight for fans of horror, comedy, the theatre, Japanese cinema, Noises Off, or families working together in weird situations. I would genuinely recommend this to my Mom. Also, shame on what Fear The The Walking Dead did to Kim Dickens (the actress, not the character). And you should read This Book Is Full Of Spiders.

Friday the 13th: Parts III (3-D) and IV (The Final Chapter)

A fun opportunity here in Nashville for a Friday the 13th weekend. And I had to get a little shady regarding the Screen Drafts kerfuffle on their Elm Street/Friday Superdraft, because shame on me if I didn't. I maintain 4 is the best Friday the 13th film, and that III is one of the lesser offerings, unless you're actually watching it in 3D, in which case it is way better than it has any right to be.

Catching up with Jason Shawhan

So I'm gearing up for this year's New York Film Festival and then following it up with this year's Nashville Film Festival right after, so I'm getting myself in order, and I realize that it has been way too long since I've updated this website. The shame is profound, and I feel it. Here's what I've been up to, in addition to programming the Graveyard Shift and VR sections of the upcoming Nashville Film Festival.


INTERVIEWS:

Joe. Bob. Briggs.

I interviewed Gaspar Noe, and he and A24 sought me out, which will probably go on my business card and is definitely on my resume right next to having been Crispin Glover's photo elf on a few occasions.

Daniel Sloss is just the best.

I got to talk to Nicole Byer, and she was much cooler than I am and you can barely tell how awkward the interview was from this. Editors are our friends.

Patton Oswalt endures and endears.



REVIEWS:

All-time classic 9 TO 5 - one of the greatest films ever made about the American workplace.

MIDSOMMAR. An addendum after the fact: the director's cut is interesting, but the original theatrical cut is superior pretty much across the board.

NIGHT KILLER/NON APRITE QUELLA PORTA 3, or THE NIGHT PORTER ON ELM STREET.

Sensual SciFi nightmares for your soul in Claire Denis' HIGH LIFE.

Why wait for heaven to experience glamour and beauty? DIAMANTINO.

The politically relevant and strangely exciting HAIL, SATAN?

Bad doll, fun movie. ANNABELLE COMES HOME.

Gaspar Noe's CLIMAX, which works as a liminal carbonation of the brain.

KNIFE + HEART, a queer phantasy of murder and texture.

Neil Jordan's GRETA, which I liked a lot.

ANGEL HAS FALLEN. It's hard to try and make a reactionary action film these days.



PODCAST APPEARANCES:

Here's me on NASHVILLE DEMYSTIFIED, talking about Altman's NASHVILLE and my ten favorite Nashville related films.



OTHER STUFF:

A profile on national treasure and musical theatre/horror legend BETTY BUCKLEY.

Central Cinema in Knoxville, the Stardust Drive-In in Watertown, and Chelsea Stardust's SATANIC PANIC.

In which I go on about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 35mm and the new 4K restoration of Alien.

A roundtable discussion about issues in the Nashville LGBTQIA+ community.