“Best Worst Movie” is the documentary about the phenomenon of “Troll 2,” widely regarded as the worst movie ever made. Eric caught up with director Michael Paul Stephenson, star George Hardy, and Zack Carlson from Austin, Texas’ Alamo Drafthouse at the world premiere of “Best Worst Movie” at SXSW 2009. This in-depth interview was recorded directly after the premiere, just as George Hardy and Zack Carlson had seen the film for the first time. “Best Worst Movie” is currently making the rounds at film festivals across the country, and there are plenty of clips from both “Best Worst Movie” and the cult classic that spawned it, “Troll 2,” in this video. Learn more about “Troll 2” director Claudio Fragasso and his feelings about how “Troll 2” has been received and hear about a trip to mysterious “Troll 2” star Margo Prey’s house in this interview as well. Nilbog fanatics unite! “Best Worst Movie” is currently playing at film festivals everywhere.

Read Eric’s original journal entry about “Best Worst Movie” from SXSW 2009 here.

Tags: 2, 2009, Alamo, austin, best, Best Worst Movie, clips, documentary, drafthouse, george, hardy, interview, Michael, movie, paul, premiere, Stephenson, SXSW, Texas, troll, Troll 2, Worst

Eric interviews Seth Rogen the morning after the red carpet premiere of Rogen’s new movie “Observe and Report” in Austin, Texas. At SXSW 2009, Eric picks Rogen’s brain about the new Jody Hill-directed film, “Freaks and Geeks,” Scorsese, and lots more. We also have exclusive interview footage with some details on Rogen’s new project “The Green Hornet.” With Michel Gondry behind the lens, it will be exciting to see how this unfolds.

Tags: 2009, austin, Freaks and Geeks, green hornet, interview, Jody Hill, Michel Gondry, Observe and Report, scorsese, SXSW, Texas, The Green Hornet.

On the first day of SXSW 2009 at the Lake Creek Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX, Eric Melin interviews Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger from The Whitest Kids U’ Know on a live sketch comedy tour to promote the Fox Searchlight comedy “Miss March.” Is there a Whitest Kids U’ Know movie on the horizon? Will IFC renew the absurdist comedy troupe for a fourth season? Trevor and Zach answer these questions and talk about writing and directing “Miss March,” getting bottles thrown at them on The Whitest Kids U’ Know tour, and how cool it is that kids have to sneak into theaters to see their rated-R teen sex comedy.

Tags: 2009, alamo drafthouse, interview, miss march, SXSW, Trevor Moore, video, Whitest Kids U' Know, Zach Cregger

This is the fifth and last in a series of reports from the SXSW Film/Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. Scene-Stealers hosted the Bacon-Flavored Interactive Afterparty, the Harpoon Happy Hour, and the free SenoReality screening, all of which were held at the coolest bar in town, Red 7. While we were down there, Dustin (our executive producer) and I attended several screenings and did lots of cool interviews with the directors and stars as we could. Enjoy!

Monday, March 16

I felt very bad for Bacon Shoe. Their flight left at six in the morning or something like that, so when we got back to the hotel room we were sharing (sleeping on the floor just like touring in the old days), they were bleary-eyed and saggy tailed, ready to catch a cab to the airport. We went to sleep after they left and didn’t wake up ’til late. We had just enough time to return the rented PA gear, grab some Don Juan tacos at the famous Juan in a Million restaurant, and head back to the Convention Center.

The panel I was there to see was called Robert Rodriguez and Henry Selick: A Conversation From the Third Dimension, and featured the groundbreaking filmmakers discussing past experiments with and the future of 3D in cinema. It’s pretty obvious that the advancements in technology and the growing home market that 3D will continue to be a good way to get people’s asses into theaters. It’s not going anywhere. That said, Selick’s “Coraline” is the perfect example of a 3D movie that uses the stereoscopic imagery in service of the story. (See our video review here.)

On the panel, Rodriguez said his original idea was to use 3D on the second half of his vampire-nightmare flick “From Dusk Till Dawn.” He said that once Clooney, Tarantino, Keitel and family enter the lair of vampires, the audience would then put their 3D glasses on and watch the rest of the film that way. Ironically, even though he didn’t use it, he shot the movie as if it were 3D anyway. I suppose they could always go back and re-format the film later if it was shot with that in mind. (Suggestion: It should start just before Salma Hayek shows up.)

Rodriguez’s experience with 3D comes mainly from “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over” and “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D.” He commented that shooting a film in 3D these days will guarantee its longevity in the marketplace, and that the format will be around a lot longer these days than it was in its golden era in the mid-1950s and revival in the early 1980.

Selick explained how “Coraline” did more than make objects jump out of the screen at its audience, using the technology to “transform space” in his stop-motion world, arranging some perspectives of Coraline’s nightmare world for maximum uncomfortability.The goal was to envelop the audience, not merely trick them. Selick is also assured of the eventual death of the film projector, noting that doors will open for 3D, since that makes it an easy “add-on.” To shoot in 3D, Selick says, adds only $5 million to a film’s budget.

In other Rodriguez news, when asked about the date “Sin City 2″ will finally go into production, he says: “It’s right around the corner. But it could be a very long corner.” About “Machete,” the trailer that played before his half of “Grindhouse,” he says: “We are making ‘Machete.’ The script is done, and [Danny] Trejo is ready to go.” He’s also wrapped on “Shorts,” a kid’s movie due later this year starring Kat Dennings, William H. Macy, Leslie Mann, and James Spader. The next Rodriguez movie to go in production, however, is called “Nerveracker,” and it starts filming in June. He sold the name to the Weinsteins 10 years ago, and has finally finished writing the screenplay. About “Nerveracker”: “It’s kind of like ‘Blade Runner,’ but that was ‘Blade Walker.’ This is ‘Blade Runner.’”"Nerveracker” is set in a perfect future where a man must fight crime, so the set-up is similar, but if Rodriguez just does a straight action take on the philosophical sci-fi classic, it could end up more like “Total Recall.”

I also caught the tail end of a discussion with IMDb founder Col Needham where he reiterated the long term goal of the hugely popular website: “A play button on every page.”

Wow. He certainly thinks big. The site is already on its way with a small collection of movies and more TV shows, but that is scary … and probably also the very near future. Short term goals? To help new feature NewsDesk grow, and international expansion.

Lastly, Dustin and I sped off to the red carpet premiere of “Observe and Report,” Jody Hill’s second movie, following “The Foot Fist Way.” Standing on the red carpet, we got a couple really quick interviews with  writer/director Hill, stars Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Michael Peña, and the Yuan brothers. I can’t talk about the movie until it opens on April 10, but let’s just say this: If you are expecting a funny-ha-ha cute mall cop movie, you are in for a surprise. If you’ve seen”Foot Fist,” you’ll know more to expect. When I interviewed Rogen the next afternoon, he said he and Hill watched Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy”to get in the right frame of mind. Heavy. And I’m not just talking about his Rogen’s weight in the film (which he has shed most of to get ready for the “Green Hornet”)!

All those interviews will be coming up soon. Stay tuned!

Tags: film, Henry Selick, Observe and Report, panel, Robert Rodriguez, screening, SXSW, SXSW 2009

This is the fourth in a series of reports from the SXSW Film/Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. Scene-Stealers hosted the Bacon-Flavored Interactive Afterparty, the Harpoon Happy Hour, and the free SenoReality screening, all of which were held at the coolest bar in town, Red 7. While we were down there, Dustin (our executive producer) and I attended several screenings and did lots of cool interviews with the directors and stars as we could. Enjoy!

Sunday, March 15

Another late night, another early morning. Most of the day was spent putting out fires for everything surrounding the Bacon-Flavored Interactive Afterparty, the Harpoon Happy Hour, and the free SenoReality screening, all held at Red 7. Bacon Shoe was hitting it hard again, performing the last of their “street attacks” to build up hype for the show, which started at 9pm. During the day, I was in and out of the Red 7, which was showing a loop of award-winning short films from Lawrence, KS-based production house SenoReality Pictures. (Here’s a link to a coverstory I wrote about SenoReality, MK12, and the burgeoning Lawrence/KC production scene for Digital Content Producer magazine).

The SenoReality free screening featured nine suspenseful short films, all made in the last three years by this prolific team of filmmakers. Writer/director Patrick Rea and editor/sound mixer Ryan S. Jones (above, at the screening) have quietly built up an impressive resume, including the regional Emmy-winning short “Women’s Intuition.” SenoReality comes from the “less gore, more suspense” mode of storytelling, although one of their funniest and most popular films is a parody of the so-called “torture porn” genre called—appropriately enough—“Torture Porn.” (I’ve embedded the entire movie in two parts below. Again, this is not really suitable for work. But it sure is funny.)

One thing you may be surprised about is the great production value of most of the shorts. When I interviewed the Seno guys for the article, it was obvious that they have an enormous grasp of how to use technology in service of the story. Because they are from Kansas, the team is also able to get way more bang for their buck. “When we go to film festivals, we stick out a little more,” Rea says. “It’s a good thing, especially when they see our production value is slightly better sometimes. They’re like, ‘Wow, you guys are doing that stuff in Kansas?’ and we tell them how much we’re doing it for and people become more interested in shooting in Kansas.”

It was great to see an hour-and-a-half program and be able to see the natural progression in quality and storytelling prowess of the films. SenoReality is currently finishing up another short and raising money for a full-length feature film called “Nail Biter.” Here’s a photo (above left) of the monster from that upcoming flick, as designed by artist Alan Holt.

“Adventureland” also screened at SXSW on Saturday and, although I have seen it, I’m not able to post a full review of it yet due to a review embargo until its nationwide release date on April 3. Let’s just say this: The movie is a great coming-of-age romance set in 1987 that feels as natural as anything I’ve ever seen in this genre. It stars Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. I did an audio podcast interview with writer/director Greg Mottola (”Superbad,” “The Daytrippers”) back in January for the movie’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and you can catch that here. Unfortunately, I missed getting a video interview with Mottola and co-star Bill Hader because everything was going crazy around the party and my phone was ringing off the hook. (Or, vibrating in my pants, I guess.) So I had to (gulp!) cancel the interview. Oh, the sacrifices I make.

In the meantime, if you live in Kansas City area and you want to see a funny, accurate, and affecting tale of post-teen/early adult romantic confusion set in the late 80s but not full of obvious cultural touchstones like parachute pants and breakdancers, we are giving away tickets to a screening of “Adventureland” right here. Enter before Wed. March 25 and good luck!

At 6pm, the SenoReality screening morphed into the Harpoon Happy Hour, where our good friends at Harpoon Brewery donated enough kegs of delicious IPA and Hefeweizen beer to power a thirsty crowd for two hours. The $5 cover at the door all went to the Children’s Music Fund. We had a live Twitter feed of anybody who was tweeting about the bacon party, Scene-Stealers, or anything party-related that night. (I remember seeing a photo on Twitter of one girl who won a prize, tweeted about it, waited for it to show up on the big screen, and then took a picture with her phone and teeted that!) We also watched some very cool video content from Boston-based independent online video network Plus1TV.com, who feature Scene-Stealers as one of their online TV channels, as well as other cool channels that specialize in humor, food, and music.

The smell of hot, fresh bacon donated from Internet retail badasses Bacn.com wafted out of the bar from the outside porch and the outside stage area, beckoning—nay, daring—passersby to enter the domain of bacon-flavored madness. Das Foods donated 200 delicious Man Bait maple-bacon lollipops as well, not to mention the all the cool raffle prizes that were generously donated by all of our sponsors. The insanity of Bacon Shoe hit the outside stage sometime after 9pm, and jaws pretty much completely dropped.

Not only do Lethal D and Toine bust out some mad rapping chops, but Mr. Ruggles (a DJ of sorts, wearing a large dog’s head or something to that degree) grills bacon onstage, which is also mic’ed up to give everyone the pleasure of hearing the sizzle as well as smelling it. Bacon Shoe rapped for two solid 40-minute sets, performed some very funny between-song sketches, and helped give away all the cool raffle prizes for the night. I’m also pretty sure Lethal D and Toine got married onstage.

Thanks to everyone involved in the parties for all their hard work and helping to make the night a success! Now here’s the full SenoReality short film “Torture Porn,” as promised:

Next SXSW 2009 entry>> 

Tags: adventureland, bacon party, bacon shoe, film, greg mottola, screening, SenoReality, showcase, SXSW, SXSW 2009

This is the second in a series of reports from the SXSW Film/Interactive Festival, which is still taking place in Austin, TX. Scene-Stealers hosted the Bacon-Flavored Interactive Afterparty, the Harpoon Happy Hour, and the free SenoReality screening, all of which were held at the coolest bar in town, Red 7. While we were down there, Dustin (our executive producer) and I attended several screenings and did lots of cool interviews with the directors and stars as we could. Enjoy!

Saturday, March 14

Dustin went down the convention center to check out some cool film/interactive panels. He saw Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly, and Rashida Jones on the “I Love You, Man” panel. The movie premiered at the festival the night before, but we’d already seen it, so we skipped that. (Our full video review is up here.)

I went to the airport to pick up our new heroes, the winners of the 2008 Pitch Award for Best Avant-Garde/Experimental Band, Kansas City’s own Bacon Shoe. To see a video of their journey (which began very, very early that morning), click here. First, my second Mexican restaurant in two days. Delicious. If you’re eating anything else besides Mexican/Tex-Mex or BBQ in Austin, you are a very silly person.

We realized we needed different speakers (sorry, Chris!) and some mics and cords, so it was back to the rental store. After some careful reassurance that we’d bring all this stuff back before the music portion of the festival started (and some careful avoiding of any questions about what we were actually using this for), we got the goods and headed out. Bacon Shoe went to the parking lot of the Hampton Inn with the power inverter and remote PA in the back of the rented SUV and did a soundcheck to make sure everything was working OK. I dropped myself off at the convention center. Since the car wasn’t insured for any driver but me, I have to admit was a bit  nervous, especially since what the band is doing is illegal and usually gets busted by cops.

We were only at the Jeffrey Tambor Acting Workshop for about 30 minutes before it was time for Bacon Shoe’s first “street attack” of the day. It was strategically placed right outside of the Austin Convention Center. As convention-goers were leaving the building to head up to 6th St. for all the parties, Bacon Shoe illegally parked the SUV in front of the Hilton Hotel, pulled up the hatchback to reveal two PA speakers, and launched into a song. For just over a minute. (start at 5:19!) Just as a crowd was starting to gather, a policeman from a nearby tent swooped in and the fun was over. It may have been short, but it was obvious the band was going to make an impression.

We followed them down 6th St. for another “street attack” that lasted a good 4 songs or so and attracted a much bigger crowd. Toine also got his junk grabbed by a homeless fan who apparently dug more than his lyrics. (See the video below–not safe for work!)

Then the band was off into the night to do some more guerrilla street performances to promote tomorrow’s benefit show. Dustin and I headed to the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar 1 to interview the director and stars of “Best Worst Movie.”

Next SXSW 2009 entry>>

Tags: 2009, bacon party, bacon shoe, dirty hilarious, funny, insane, rap, street performance, SXSW, SXSW 2009

This is the first in a series of reports from the SXSW Film/Interactive Festival, which is still taking place in Austin, TX. Scene-Stealers hosted the Bacon-Flavored Interactive Afterparty, the Harpoon Happy Hour, and the free SenoReality screening, all of which were held at the coolest bar in town, Red 7. while we were down there. Dustin (our executive producer) and I attended several screenings and did lots of cool interviews with the directors and stars as we could. Enjoy!

Friday, March 13

Dustin and I arrived in town at 11am, and immediately went to work getting the PA and equipment together for our band, Bacon Shoe. These guys not only performed at the party Sunday night, but they flew into town Saturday morning (leaving at 6am after John played a show the night before in a different band–superstars!) to get some buzz going early by peforming what they call “street attacks.” More on that later. We got our rental car, checked into the hotel, and went straight to find a powered mixer for them to use in the SUV.

Then it was time to stand in line for an hour or so to get badges, schwag bags, and our first beer. It was in the line for the schwag that I recognized famed producer Jeff Dowd, the Coen brothers’ inspration for The Dude.I didn’t get a pic of him, but the line is in the shitty cell phone photo below.

We borrowed some PA speakers from Chris, my old friend from the Ultimate Fakebook days, who is the singer for an awesome Austin band called Schatzi on the way to the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek location.

There we watched a live performance of the sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U’ Know, who had been on the road for two months. The tour ended that night, coinciding with the release of “Miss March,” a comedy that was written by, directed by, and starred troupe members Zach Gregger and Trevor Moore. Online videos are a big part of why the Kids have been successful. They’ve been able to grow a loyal fanbase with online vids and through their own show, which started on Fuse, and is now a staple of IFC, the Independent Film Channel.

What really impressed me with the live material, mostly culled from the series,was how really absurd the humor was. The sketches didn’t serve as a setup for a couple one-liners. They were more conceptual than that and were extremely well thought out and plotted, even when they used potty humor, which was a lot. (Who cares as long as its done in a clever way?) These guys aren’t just dicking around onstage and improvising either. The absurdity was always taken to its most extreme level, sometimes breaking the fourth wall and getting the audience involved. It was obvious that each member had their own stamp they put on the material, probably because main authorship also comes with the added bonus of being able to play the lead part.

“Miss March” screened the night before we left town and I was busy getting ready and packing, so I missed it. Since Fox Searchlight came to them with the idea for the movie, I’m wondering if it was as clever as some of the sketches. From the looks of the trailer, I’ll bet not. It looks like they were working within a pretty familiar formula (teenage sex road comedy), but maybe they were able to do something interesting with it. Has anyone seen it? I know that they are hoping to use this as a springboard to a Whitest Kids movie eventually, so this is not the last we’ll be hearing from them in the world of film anyway.

We’ll have a video of my interview with Zach and Trevor up as soon as we can. For now, check out one of the sketches they performed at the show (only suitable for work if you have headphones!):

Next SXSW 2009 entry>>

Tags: 2009, alamo drafthouse, live, miss march, SXSW, sxsw film, sxsw interactive, The Whitest Kids U' Know, Trevor Moore, Zach Gregger

The Scene-Stealers crew is excited to announce they are teaming up with Spiral16, SenoReality Pictures, Plus1TV and The Children’s Music Fund to host three separate events during the 2009 SXSW conference in Austin, Texas.

All three events take place March 15 at Red 7 on 611 E. 7th Street.

Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Red 7 is just a 10-minute walk from the Austin Convention Center (see map). Check them out on MySpace and on the SXSW web site.

Get details on the events below, and stay up to date by following us on Twitter: @SceneStealrEric and @TrustTheDust. Use the hashtag #baconparty!

Spread the word amongst your fellow nerds by directing them to this URL: www.tinyurl.com/baconparty

If you’re headed to SXSW, make sure you keep checking back with Scene-Stealers for the latest info. All three of these parties will be a guaranteed to be a rock fist way up!

Bacon-Flavored Interactive After Party
A Benefit for the Children’s Music Fund
Sunday March 15 at Red 7
9 p.m. - ?
RSVP on Facebook
RSVP on Yahoo!

Insane nerdcore freaks Bacon Shoe will perform live and emcee all night at this off-the-hook party. You do not want to miss this one-of-a-kind live performance!

We’ll have smokin’ hot raffle prizes for everybody to win, and all the proceeds go to a great cause: The Children’s Music Fund, a charity that helps chronically ill children receive much-needed music therapy. Here is some of the bounty you can score:

• Autographed poster from Warner Bros. Watchmen (signed by Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons, castmembers Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, and director Zack Snyder)
• Two autographed Christmas on Mars postcards and CD/DVD packs from the Flaming Lips
• A collection of sunglasses from Eye Q Optical in Boston. Package includes exclusive frame styles from Eye Q, gift certificates and other goodies. Valued at $1,000!
• First Act single cutaway guitar autographed by all members of Soundtrack of our Lives.
• Nada Surf Vinyl Box Set (6 LP set + 7″) 1994-2008 (limited edition)
• Two Bacn.com prize packs containing a Slab Pack (redeemable on bacn.com), and four Bacn.com t-shirts! (two men’s, two women’s)
• Rock Band 2 bundle for XBOX 360 valued at $190 (donated by Harmonix)
• Watchmen prize pack, including a mini-poster set with each character
• Watchmen prize pack, including Nite Owl coffee mug & coffee
• Gift basket from Oz Winery, including a bottle of Oz wine and other unique items
• Autographed poster from Lionsgate Pictures’ W (signed by Oliver Stone, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn and Josh Brolin)
• Autographed poster from Columbia Pictures’ Perfect Stranger (signed by Halle Berry and James Foley)
• Book/T-shirt prize pack from Fox Searchlight’s Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire
• Book/football/3D prize pack from DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens

You can also watch the newest online content from Scene-Stealers and Plus1TV, as well as trailers from award-winning SenoReality short films.

Keep your eyes peeled for Bacon Shoe’s guerrilla street performances throughout the SXSW Interactive/Film Festival. You never know where they’ll pop up or what will happen.

Sponsored by Scene-Stealers.com, Spiral16, SenoReality Pictures, and Plus1TV.

View photos from this event (tag your own on Flickr, too!)

• Scene-Stealers on Flickr

Press Coverage

• CNET
• Present Magazine
• Meniscus Magazine

Harpoon Happy Hour
Sunday, March 15 at Red 7
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
$5 for ALL YOU CAN DRINK Harpoon beer!
RSVP on Facebook
RSVP on Yahoo!

Thirsty? $5 is a paltry price to pay for quality beer, and all the money collected goes towards the Children’s Music Fund.

Here’s your chance for your drinking habit to help out a great cause, plus you’ll get a look at the prizes that will up for raffle throughout the night at Red 7. Watch the newest online content from Scene-Stealers and Plus1TV, as well as trailers from award-winning SenoReality short films!

Sponsored by Harpoon Brewery, Plus1TV, SenoReality Pictures, Scene-Stealers and Spiral16.

FREE SenoReality Pictures Short Film Screening
Sunday, March 15 at Red 7
12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
RSVP on Facebook
RSVP on Yahoo!

See award-winning horror, sci-fi, and suspense short films from this renowned independent film studio, whose shorts have been featured in Fangoria magazine and film festivals around the world!

This is an unparalleled opportunity to see SenoReality’s newest and best work absolutely free of charge.
Short film programs begin at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Film list currently includes:

• Mrs. Brumett’s Garden (20 min)
• Misfortune Smiles (15 min)
• Next Caller (15 min)
• Now That You’re Dead (14 min)
• Paint Shaker (15 min)
• Torture Porn (9 min)
• Emergency Preparedness (8 min)
• Shed Out Of Luck (11 min)
• Woman’s Intuition - 2008 Emmy Award Winner (8 min)

Sponsored by SenoReality Pictures, Scene-Stealers, Spiral16 and Plus1TV.

Multimedia
Bloggers and media are encouraged to use any and all of these materials to talk about all three events

Logos

Download	Download	Download	Download	Download	Download
Download	Download	Download	Download	Download (.pdf versions)

Videos

About our sponsors

Children’s Music Fund
www.ChildrensMusicFund.org

Children’s Music Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide musical instruments and Music Therapy to children with chronic and life altering illness, and to support research on the effects of Music Therapy.

Contact
William Zorrilla
Executive Director
Children’s Music Fund
4619 Cartwright Ave.
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
willzorrilla@yahoo.com
785.341.5128

Scene-Stealers
www.scene-stealers.com

What started out as a rock n’ roll version of Siskel & Ebert on cable access TV will come full circle in 2009 as Scene-Stealers.com launches the 2.0 version of its popular offbeat movie website this Spring.

Rock-drummer-turned-legit-film-critic Eric Melin will be the community manager of the “Scene Stealers,” a group of unruly movie fans from across the globe who obsess over movies day and night. Scene-Stealers.com will be a fully interactive social-networking site where movie lovers can showcase their passionate hostility and take charge by rating films, reviewing films, making movie lists, building personal profiles, and finding people with similar tastes.

All information from the Scene-Stealers community will be aggregated on the site, and by ignoring celebrity gossip and focusing on the content of the movies, Scene-Stealers.com will be the place to go for intelligent, informed, and off-the-wall opinions about movies. Ever wonder how that line gets drawn in the sand between a “credible” critic and everyone else? We are going to kick it right back in the faces of anyone who doesn’t think our opinions about movies matter. We’re the ones they make them for, after all. Now it’s their turn to listen to us.

Contact
Eric Melin
Community Manager
eric@scene-stealers.com
(913) 944-4285

Spiral16
www.spiral16.com

Spiral16 is an informatic software development company with one goal: to create innovative business intelligence tools that help you manage the impact of your enterprise.

Spiral16 software allows you to monitor, manage, protect and enhance your brand online by bringing relevant information directly to your desktop, and giving you the edge you need to make informed business decisions.

Contact
Whitney Mathews
Social Media Manager
6400 W. 110th Street STE 204
Overland Park, KS 66211
whitney.mathews@spiral16.com
(913) 944-4522

Plus1TV
www.Plus1TV.com

Plus1TV.com is an independent video network that delivers original online content in a broadcast foundation. Inspired by traditional television principles Plus1TV features channels, series, and “prime-time” viewing hours. Four initial channels (music, film, food, and humor) provide the framework for niche programming with limitless potential.

Plus1TV is the place on the Internet for the discerning viewer who wants to be both entertained and educated. Our original content breaks through the clutter of online offerings by featuring videos that will leave the viewer more informed on how to enjoy our modern world. An episode has the potential to be a moment of discovery for any walk of life or social interest.

Plus1TV is the curator of online information that truly enriches the viewer’s offline life.

Contact
Jim Gilbert - Owner
jim@plus1tv.com
617 460 4783

SenoReality Pictures, LLC
www.senoreality.com

SenoReality Pictures, LLC is a production establishment based in Lawrence, Kansas. We’ve been in foundation since March, 2002 and currently power Avid and Final Cut Pro high definition editing, DVD authoring and Digital 5.1 sound mixing.

Since their foundation, SenoReality Pictures has produced numerous films, including two feature DVD releases in 2007–The Empty Acre (Cinema Epoch) and Heartland Horrors - Season 1 (Elite Entertainment).

SenoReality Pictures is a production company based on the talents of Patrick Rea, Ryan S. Jones and Josh Robison. Watch their demo reel here.

Contact:
Patrick Rea
1417 Anthony Michael Drive
Lawrence, KS 66049
402-615-0693
director77@hotmail.com

Harpoon Brewery
www.harpoonbrewery.com

Harpoon Brewery began in 1986 because - like today - its founders loved beer and wanted more good choices. While traveling in Europe after college, they drank many wonderfully diverse, fresh, local beers. They also saw firsthand how important local breweries were to their communities. After their travels, the group asked each other, “why not bring great beer and that sense of community to New England?” That was the genesis of the Harpoon Brewery.

Twenty years later Harpoon still revels in making great beer and sharing that joy with their friends and neighbors. The success that they have had running Harpoon is due entirely to the wonderful employees who brew, package, warehouse, sell, deliver, and market our beer and you, the people who drink Harpoon. They hope that their sense of gratitude is reflected in both the quality of the beer and the spirit of fun and enjoyment surrounding Harpoon’s beer and breweries.

Contact
Liz Melby
lmelby@harpoonbrewery.com
306 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
617-574-9551 ext. 523

Tags: Children's Music Fund, harpoon, plus1tv, spiral16, SXSW

Jason Segel follows Seth Rogen as the next Judd Apatow-produced regular to be an unlikely leading man and show off solid writing chops—this time, in the same movie. Following the forgettable “Drillbit Taylor,” this raunchy and sweet romantic comedy shows that as long as Apatow keeps mining the cast and crews of his old TV shows “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” that he’ll more often than not be able to deliver the startlingly frank brand of humor he has become known for lately.

Directed by Nicholas Stoller (a writer for “Undeclared”), “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” follows a heartbroken puppy-dog named Peter after being dumped by his famous TV-actress girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kirsten Bell). It turns out Peter is a non-motivated musician who is coasting because he can, since he landed the plum job of creating cheesy, brooding “mood music” for Sarah’s “C.S.I”-style prime time detective show.

Like “Knocked Up,” it does stretch believability to have a dumpy guy going out with a gorgeous TV star, but average-looking guys like me should thank Apatow and his stable of wish-fulfillment writers and actors for making it seem a little more likely that this kind of thing happens.

It is too convenient to have sad-sack Peter go on a vacation by himself in Hawaii at the urging of his happily-married cousin (Bill Hader) and then unknowingly end up at the same hotel as his ex and her new British rock star boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). But this is easy to forgive, because in the confines of this typical set-up, Segel and company score over and over again with terrifically witty interplay and very funny situations.

Like Apatow and Seth Rogen before him, Segel nails the comedy so perfectly because he sticks to what he knows. Not only is the raunchiness a full-force part of the script, integrated seamlessly with that inherent sweetness that makes it all go down a little easier, but Segel also lampoons the hell out of Hollywood types—people with that unique mix of egotism and lack of self-confidence that comes with having jobs in the entertainment industry. (Segel’s most recent gig is on the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” while Bell is a veteran of “Veronica Mars.”)

In an earlier SXSW blog, I raved about how in “The Promotion,” starring John C. Reilly and Seann Wiliam Scott as two grocery store managers vying for the same job, neither character was a villian. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” plays a delicate balancing act the entire time as well. As in most break-ups (depending on who’s side you take), one person looks evil and the other completely sympathetic. That is, until the details about the relationship known only to the two start to come out. During the course of this film, there’s a subtle switch happening that allows both characters to showcase their weak sides.

It all culminates with an indefensible act that is uncomfortably (and ingeniously) played for laughs. Like the infamous pregnant bedroom scene in “Knocked Up,” Segel breaks down another sacred behind-closed-doors sex situation that no one likes to talk about, and ends up with a classic memorable moment.

A super-solid supporting cast including Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Mila Kunis (“That 70’s Show”)—who is a real eye-opener in a tricky role—navigate the audience through some unlikely twists and turns, making sure that the characters never delve into parody. British comedian Brand, who’s Richard Ashcroft-poutiness could have turned one-note faster than you can say “Bittersweet Symphony,” almost steals the entire show as laid-back rock star Aldous. Besides being the only truly confident character in the movie, he is so casual about his celebrity status that it makes his unexpectedly blunt remarks even more hilarious.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” may not contain all of the hardcore truths about modern male/female relationships that made “Knocked Up” so brilliant, but it has more than its fair share of uncomfortable and familiar situations. Segel’s characters talk like real people and Stoller’s direction keeps a close watch on their emotional trials, and a knowing eye on the punchline at all times.

Producer Apatow is creating a solid body of work (with the occasional misstep) that is approaching household-name familiarity. Like Christopher Guest’s stable of cult-favorite improv actors, the Apatow players make us smile by just entering the frame. The crowd in Austin at the enormous, sold-out Paramount Theater laughed heartily each time Rudd, Hill, or any other recognizable face showed up on the screen. The time of Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock has passed and the nerds and their too-hot dates have taken over. When people look back at this time in movie history, Apatow’s potent, frank, and sweet comedies will absolutley define this era of mainstream filmmaking.

Tags: austin, Bill Hader, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Freaks and Geeks, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Kirsten Bell, Knocked Up, Mila Kunis, Nicholas Stoller, Paramount Theater, Paul Rudd, Russell Brand, SXSW, Undeclared

My third day at South by Southwest 2008 was a busy one. I was wandering in and out of panels all day. The Jeffrey Tambor acting workshop on how to properly direct actors was more than just a chance for the “Arrested Development” star to show how funny he is in real life, it actually was rather enlightening to watch him alternately push and protect two actors to get some “truth” out a simple scene.

Next I thought I’d duck into a Q&A session with AintItCool.com guru Harry Knowles interviewing notorious sci-fi author Harlan Ellison. It turns out that Ellison (below, in yellow) is a feisty and opinionated wind-up toy that, once you get him started, won’t stop for a little over two hours. Not that I’m complaining, mind you—I could have listened to stories about Ellison getting in fights with “Exorcist” director William Friedkin in a restaurant in Paris all day, but these film panels do have time limits. (It turns out Ellison was arguing that Friedkin’s widely-panned movie “Sorcerer” was a masterwork, while the director himself argued it was trash—and the rift stopped them from working together!)

After standing in line for half an hour to get free BBQ at the VH1 party, my friend Craig and I were finally admitted and rubbed shoulders with Tambor and Morgan Spurlock. Craig actually knocked into Tambor, whom he didn’t recognize, as we walked by and the actor was all smiles anyway. Craig met some friends, but I had business to attend to. I had to snarf my food fast and head over to the beautiful Paramount Theatre to see a low-key comedy about very average people called “The Promotion,” starring Seann William Scott, John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, and Lili Taylor.

Too often the actors in broad Hollywood comedies have to work way too hard for laughs. For instance, the new Will Ferrell movie, “Semi-Pro,” rested all hopes for funny business at the feet of its star in lieu of anything resembling a decent script or tone.

Writer/director Steve Conrad has a firm hold on both in “The Promotion.” Although he wrote “The Weather Man” and “The Pursuit of Happyness,” this is his directorial debut, and it’s nice to see someone go for a something new on their first outing. When I read the summary, I thought this would be some kind of wacky farce about the crazy things that two grocery store managers do to each other to try and get a raise. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that “The Promotion” isn’t all that interested in lots of yelling and kicking people in the nuts. Conrad wisely avoided what I like to call the “Dodgeball” curse.

Instead, he presents these guys with the utmost empathy. There are no big caricatures and no left-field developments just to up the stakes—in fact, both Scott and Reilly actually underplay the comedy to great effect.

With TV shows like “The Office” becoming mainstream in this country, uncomfortable humor is really starting to find its way. I predict that when this film is released, lots of critics who miss the point will complain about its muted tone. That tone was exactly what worked in “The Promotion,” and some of the funniest scenes come out of its characters’ deadpan reactions to the awful situations they find themselves in. But the key to this movie is that these guys aren’t bad guys. They don’t retaliate; they just keep getting up and trying again.

I wish I could say the same for Hank Azaria in the next movie I screened that night—David Schwimmer’s feature-length directorial debut “Run, Fatboy, Run.” While this film doesn’t suffer the from the hyper-antic “Dodgeball” disease (which may also find Rip Torn shouting and throwing wrenches for no apparent reason other than being desperate for laughs), this romantic comedy follows the Hollywood playbook to a tee. Poor Azaria is “the bad guy.” We know it; the hero knows it—if only the girl could see it! How could she be so blind to still date him?

You’ve seen it a million times before, but throwing the impeccable comic talent of British actor Simon Pegg (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz”) into the mix somehow makes “Run, Fatboy, Run” more watchable and a little less stale. Check it: A loser leaves his way-too-attractive, pregnant wife at the altar and tries to win her back many years later before it’s too late and she marries a real jerk. A marathon represents all the things in his life he started but never finished, so you can already guess what the ending is. There’s also a gambling, alcoholic sidekick whose bare butt appears two too many times, and a cute training montage where Pegg’s misfit friends get involved on the jungle gym.

Credit Pegg for inserting his smart brand of character-driven humor everywhere the script needed him (he polished up an old script by Michael Ian Black), and credit Schwimmer for keeping things moving quickly and efficiently. Watching “Run, Fatboy, Run” is like eating a solid meal of comfort food. Pegg proves that he may make the transition from cult comedian to leading man sooner than most might have thought, and he gives an edge to a movie that sorely needed one.

Schwimmer was there at the screening, as was Scott Conrad and Seann William Scott, for some Q&A following the pictures.

Next in my SXSW blog: I get lei’d!

Tags: 2006, david schwimmer, film festival, hank azaria, harlan ellison, john c. reilly, run fatboy run, seann william scott, simon pegg, steve conrad, SXSW, the promotion