Welcome to the Dollhouse collides with Napoleon Dynamite (with an added dose of the endlessly quotable dialogue of Heathers) in Dinner in America – a DIY love letter to being authentically yourself, finding your voice, and being punk AF.
In a dreary Midwestern suburb, aggro punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner, Jennifer’s Body, The Cleansing Hour) finds himself on the run again after a bout of arson and a close call with the police. A chance encounter with the spirited and socially awkward Patty (Emily Skeggs, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Mile 22) provides him a place to lay low. As the two embark on a series of misadventures, they begin to realise they have a lot more in common than they first expected…
Skilfully directed by Adam Rehmeier (Jonas, The Bunny Game), produced by Ben Stiller (Zoolander, Tropic Thunder) and Ross Putman (Plus One, The Violent Heart) and set to the beat of brilliant original songs, Dinner in America is an empowering and wild ride through the places and people of suburbia— in all their peculiar and chaotic forms.
DINNER IN AMERICA is streaming on ARROW and available to buy or rent on all digital platforms in the UK from 1stJune – www.ARROW-Player.com
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
DINNER IN AMERICA is my love letter to the early 90s punk scene in Lincoln, Nebraska that served as the backdrop for my formative years. I grew up playing in bands and spent the better part of two decades 4-tracking in a series of basements, apartments, and lockouts. The DIY ethic instilled through those experiences has informed my creative process and approach to filmmaking. DINNER IN AMERICA represents the first film in which I’ve been able to showcase that spirit within a narrative.
At its heart, the film is an underdog love story about two very different characters, each marginalized misfits in their own right: Patty, a socially awkward, sheltered 20- year-old escaping her banal existence through punk music; Simon, a snarling anarchist and seemingly toxic punk seeking refuge from the law. When these two cross paths, their radically different personalities make them an unlikely duo. They are thrust together, at first by circumstance and necessity, but in short order they begin to inspire one another. An organic intimacy unfolds, eventually revealing a connection of which neither is initially aware they share.
With each new project, I try to challenge myself, to get out of my comfort zone, and a “love story” would normally be way outside of my wheelhouse. But for me, this love story is different, as it embodies my own punk rock ethos. When Patty and Simon, armed only with a 4-track recorder and a love poem as lyrics, create their song together in a process just like that of my youth, their bond is complete. This critical scene, which portrays an artist finding her voice, is perhaps my proudest moment as a filmmaker.
It was crucial to me that the song be created organically, in collaboration with the actors, in a process honestly portrayed in the film. By writing and producing the song with Emily and Kyle before filming or even rehearsing a single scene, the emotional core of the film was established. The song served as a jumping off point from which to reverse engineer the nuanced performances they brought to the film, all leading to this emotional climax.
The story ultimately concludes with a passing of the punk rock torch. It is my hope that I have created characters that audiences can rally behind. That I have portrayed an authentic creative process. That this film might inspire others to find an outlet for their own untapped talents, to discover their own processes, and to ultimately pass the torch themselves.
DistroTV Offers Free Live TV – Live TV video streaming sometimes isn’t cheap, which makes the completely-free DistroTV a great option. Although it doesn’t offer the range of content like Netflix or Disney+, it does offer 150+ live channels and enough news, sports, and entertainment to educate, entertain and inform. Plenty of choice!
DistroTV lets you watch around 150 streams, making it the largest independent free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platform.
The programming lineup of popular film and television channels found on DistroTV includes Reelz, Magellan TV and People TV among others. Also avaible are Kweli TV, Canela TV, Latido Music, BritAsia Live, Filmeraa, and Venus TV. There is something for EVERYONE.
Kweli TV offers undiscovered, award-winning indie films, documentaries, web series & kids shows celebrating global black stories. On there I found I Am Not A Witch, Rungano Nyoni’s striking debut film. Magellan TV is packed with all types of documentaries. Being a Bristol boy, Becoming Cary Grant is something I’m going to check out over the weekend.
Great content for the sport fan too, with local and global live sports with the ACC Conference, 4 MMA channels and the World Poker Tour. I found two 2 eSports channels too, VENN and Dot Esports.
Outside of live TV programming, DistroTV offers a small, changing collection of on-demand movies and TV shows. Over a dozen free movie channels with favourites to discover for the first-time including movies curated for diverse audiences on KweliTV and the comic book crowd on ConTV. I found FrightFlix too, it shows cult Horror, Sci-Fi and Grindhouse features.
DistroTV’s interface is pretty simple to understand. Scroll through the list of channels, at the bottom half of the screen, or use the Search feature. There are also handy channel category button to quickly highlight the news channels for example. Under the On Demand tab there’a an abundance of films and shows to go through, From B-movies to underrated classics.
Launched in 2019, DistroTV has seen its viewership quadruple and total watch time multiplied eight times over in the last six months. The streaming platform focuses on building a robust network that delivers news, entertainment, music, sports and lifestyle programming to audiences globally in the US, Canada and the UK.
DistroTV can be installed on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS or Android devices. Check it out.
Naomi Osaka Edition: Bits & Pieces – Directed and co-written by Paul Verhoeven, Benedetta will receive its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 9, 2021 and is the latest film from the maverick filmmaker, following the Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning Elle, and internationallyrenowned films such as Basic Instinct, Turkish Delight, Total Recall, RoboCop, Starship Troopers and Showgirls.
Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller about a young girl, passionate in fashion design, who is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. But 1960s London is not what it appears, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences…
STRATAGEM WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE, a live stage showstarring the award-winning multi-hyphenate Steve Coogan will launch next Spring 2022 across the UK and Ireland, with tickets going on sale to the general public from this Saturday, 29th May at 9am BST.
Today Apple TV+ debuted the trailer for “Physical,” the highly anticipated 10-episode dramedy starring Rose Byrne and created by Annie Weisman that will make its global premiere on Friday, June 18, 2021, exclusively on Apple TV+. “Physical” will premiere with the first three episodes, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday.
Eureka Entertainment to release PTU, an immersive crime thriller from Johnnie To, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series from 21 June 2021. The first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase.
Nine-time Grammy®-winning recording artist and Academy Award nominated singer and actress Mary J. Blige set the music world on fire with her trailblazing 1994 LP “My Life,” a collection of powerful confessionals about her battles with abuse, depression and addiction that forged a profound and enduring connection with millions of fans around the globe. In Oscar®-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth’s documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life, the singer, producer and actress reveals the demons and blessings that inspired the record and propelled her from the soul-crushing world of New York’s housing projects to international stardom. In the process, she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her most influential work by performing the album live for the first time.
In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar®-nominated blockbuster comedy, the Templeton brothers—Tim (James Marsden, X-Menfranchise) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin)—have become adults and drifted away from each other. Tim is now a married stay-at-home dad. Ted is a hedge fund CEO. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again … and inspire a new family business.
Altitude have announced that NIGHT OF THE KINGS, the acclaimed film from director Philippe Lacôte (RUN), will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 23 July 2021. The film received its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2020 as part of the Horizons section and went on to feature at the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival that same year. It was Ivory Coast’s official submission for the 2021 Academy Awards.
The MUBI Podcast launches today, 3 June, with new episodes releasing every Thursday through 8 July. Hosted by arts and travel reporter Rico Gagliano, the MUBI Podcast is a documentary-style show available on all major podcast platforms and on MUBI’s online publicationNotebook. Season one, titled “Lost in Translation,” will focus on films that were massive cultural phenomena in their home countries, but never gained traction elsewhere, exploring why these films captivated so many people in one place, at one moment in time. Listen to the trailer and subscribe to the podcast here.
In film history, the James Bond movies have become synonymous with opulence, excitement and luxury. Every Bond fan will have their favourite actor, movie scene, and even villain that epitomises the essence of what James Bond represents. Of course the Bond villains and the Bond girls are just some of the most well-known associates of Bond, but what are some other factors associated with Ian Fleming’s iconic character? From his classic drinks order to his chosen watch brands, here are just some common accessories that Bond usually has close by during his secret missions.
His beloved Aston Martin cars
Bond would not be Bond without his fast cars. Over the years, 007 has enjoyed racing, stealing, and even totalling many luxurious cars. A range of classy cars have appeared in Bond films over the years from stand out brands such as BMW, Bently, Jaguar, Lotus, but the true car for Bond is an Aston Martin. Specifically his famous Aston Martin DB5 that quickly became part of Bond’s lifestyle. 007’s DB5 has featured in seven of the Bond films so far and was first seen in Goldfinger (1964) starring Sean Connery.
The use of the car in the Bond films heightened its popularity throughout the 1960s, making it recognised as one of the world’s most famous and desirable vehicles. Bond fans can thank Academy Award-winning special effects expert John Stears for the presence of the car throughout the film franchise, as he first modified the DB5 for use in the movies, inextricably linking Aston Martin and Bond forever.
His iconic signature weapons
Perhaps above all else, the secret agent is associated with iconic guns and creative gadgets. His gadgets have ranged from cameras hidden in rings to even a simple briefcase that’s actually packed with a variety of gadgets. In Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Q even went as far as supplying Bond with a remote control car, one that he could operate remotely with his mobile phone. In practically every Bond film, James has also been equipped with firearms that will help him defeat his enemies on his missions.
Throughout the film series Bond has used a variety of models from Walther, Heckler & Koch, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, and more. However, it was the Walther PPK that became Bond’s favourite weapon from the very first movie and he has used it as a signature weapon in almost every film since. Along with other replicas, the Walther PPK has become one of the most famous guns used in movies. Airsoft specialists now even sell realistic models of the original weapon, allowing fans of the enduring Bond movie franchise to own a little piece of the excitement of what it means to be James Bond.
His classic drinks order
Sean Connery’s Bond first uttered the iconic line of “shaken, not stirred” in the 1962 film, Dr. No, at which point the line entered the canons of classic movie catchphrases. The line spawned generations of cocktail drinkers who tried to emulate the famous spy by refusing to allow their martinis to be stirred. Some people believe that stirring a martini can bruise the alcohol, spoiling the taste of the drink.
While Bond has occasionally drunk other drinks, the film character is most iconically associated with his specifically made martini order. Now and then he might also spice things up a bit, such as when he added a twist to his order at the casino table in Casino Royale (2006).
His famous luxury wristwatches
Throughout the Bond films, 007 is not just known for his fast cars and laid back attitude, but also his style too. He’s worn suits from Tom Ford, shirts from Turnbull & Asser, and shoes from Crockett & Jones. Bond’s also been known for pairing stylish luxury wristwatches with his outfits too. There has been a variety of James Bond watches in films that 007 has been seen sporting, such as various Rolex models, watches from Tag Heuer, and Seiko was also popular for him to wear in the 1980s. But his two most favoured brands to wear are Omega and Rolex with Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster being two of his most popular watches.
The films are popular for featuring not only iconic villains, Bond girls, and fast cars, but also some of the coolest James Bond gadgets too. Many of his items have been concealed in everyday items such as a briefcase, fountain pen, his shoes, or even his wristwatches. Bond is given an explosive Seiko wristwatch in Moonraker (1979) and also a modified Rolex Submariner in Live And Let Die (1973). It’s not every day that someone’s Rolex is not only magnetic but also contains a small buzzsaw.
Ahead of Horror Channel’s premiere of RABID on June 12, Jen and Sylvie Soska reflect on the challenges of re-imagining Cronenberg’s body horror classic, meeting the great man and their new monster movie, BOB.
RABID is having its channel premiere on Horror Channel. Excited?
S: The Horror Channel has supported us and our work since the beginning, so it’s a special treat to have the newest film premiere there!
J: We are so excited. Having RABID on Horror Channel feels like coming home. They’ve been very kind to us. We are happy to have so many of our films on there.
We all, of course, remember that RABID was one of David Cronenberg’s earliest films. Going back to when you were first approached to do the remake, what was your initial reaction?
J: We are not traditionally fans of remakes but when we learned RABID was being remade with or without us we took it upon ourselves to pay tribute and respect to Mr Cronenberg. It had been the first attempt at a remake or re-imagining of his work and he has a huge impact on us and our work. We only had our country, our peers, and one of heroes to let down. No pressure, right? It was important to us his legacy was respected and that out-weighed any doubts for us.
S: We were hired because the producers, who had the property, were very unfamiliar with Mr Cronenberg’s work. They had assumed his films was ‘straight forward horror’ whereas all this material, even his earlier films, has a lot more to say than just surface level body horror. We hired cast and crew who had worked on Cronenberg films to make sure we were honoring his work.
Jen (left) and Sylvia Soska (right) on the set of RABID.
The original became one of the cornerstones of “body horror”, a subgenre which your work has gleefully embraced. Was it important that your version honoured this?
S: I don’t know what kind of filmmakers we would have been in a world devoid of Cronenberg’s brilliant brand of body horror – it’s so transformative. Since we were the first to remake one of his films, we wanted to fully embrace what makes a Cronenberg classic body horror. Luckily we teamed with the prosthetic geniuses at Masters FX to make that happen.
J: Absolutely. Without the success and fan base of the original, there wouldn’t have been a demand for our re-imagining. I think where many remakes fail is they don’t respect the original material and creator. Honouring both were our prime objectives. There are not only nods to the original RABID in ours, but to numerous Cronenberg films from actor choices to character names to the type of practical FX we used.
Cronenberg ended up casting an adult star, Marylyn Chambers, in the lead role. Did you ever consider doing the same?
S: Very much so. We didn’t get the support on RABID, although we did try to get a cameo appearance but we got limited on how many Americans we could use in the film. We had another project that fell through that we wanted to cast Xander Corvus as the lead for. Currently, we have a role for Tommy Pistol in an upcoming film. We have a lot of friends who work in the business and a lot of respect for what they do.
J: Apparently it’s much more difficult to cast an adult film star these days. There are some really silly stigmas that we hope to help tear down by casting some of our very talented friends who work in adult film.
Laura Vandervoort in RABID.
Is it true that the first time you met Cronenberg was after the film was made?
S: Yes, and it was such a wonderful experience. He is truly exactly the person you would expect, witty and intelligent with such a brilliant outlook on the world and life. He said that the film ended up where it should have. It was very kind of him to say. I know he’s busy on his own projects, it’s such a great time to be a fan of his with what’s coming.
J: We met at a coffee shop and showed up so early but all the booths were taken. We paid a girl $100 to give us hers. Best money I ever spent. David is such a gentleman and so brilliant. Chatting DEAD RINGERS with him was a highlight of my life. Don’t meet your heroes unless they’re David Cronenberg.
The film had its World Premiere at FrightFest, to great acclaim. How did the reception in the UK compare to back home in Canada?
S: It reminds me of Cronenberg comparing the two receptions, he mentioned that the UK tended to get his work before anyone at home did. The FrightFest fans and all the people involved in that event absolutely spoil filmmakers. When we made AMERICAN MARY, no one thought anyone would like it, but we premiered at FrightFest with huge success. The people there truly love the genre, so they’ll let you know what they think.
J: Ha ha, I might as well have not released a film. Canada had never been terribly supportive of us, but they weren’t supportive of David early on either. Now they seem to celebrate him. The UK has always felt like home, especially FrightFest. I’m so grateful to the gents there, Paul, Alan, Greg, and Ian, for how kindly they’ve treated us and our work. There’s no film fest in the world like FrightFest.
Would you consider remaking another Cronenberg film? DEAD RINGERS for example, which you have gone on record as saying you’d like to do.
S: Very much so! I know Rachel Weisz is currently adapting it and we would love to be a part of bringing that to life. That said, we are twins and have been deeply thinking about this concept for years. I wouldn’t be surprised if we did a remake down the line still – my dream casting is getting the Olsen twins. You rarely see twins creatively in charge of twin content and narrative – I think it would be fascinating.
J: We’d love to re-imagine DEAD RINGERS. We have such a deep personal connection to that film and so rarely are twins the ones who get to control their own narrative. Regardless of if we’ll be invited to the limited series being made now, we will definitely make our version down the line.
Being known as great huggers, how have you been coping with lockdown?
S: Maybe we knew something, stockpiling on all those hugs back in the day when you could be so brazen to hug anyone and everyone? I’m looking forward to being able to hug again. Been saving hugs for everyone!
J: Thank God for my rottweiler, Princess Diana. She’s very cuddly. She’s a lifesaver. I cannot wait to be able to hug again. That’s gonna be really special.
Have you managed to catch any good horror movies this year?
S: LOVED Jill Sixx’s THE STYLIST. It’s not just a phenomenal film with killer performances, but it started as a short, Jill tried to get funding and launched a kickstarter to make it happen, and now it’s a feature film that everyone is talking about. She’s a director to keep your eye on. BLACK BEAR and WANDER DARKLY are also haunting and wonderful.
J: SAINT MAUD was fucking incredible. Sylvie calls it Catholic Joker, ha ha. Brandon Cronenberg’s POSSESSOR was outstanding. I highly recommend the director’s cut. Brandon is a genius in his own right. Steve Kostanski’s PSYCHO GOREMAN was probably my biggest and best surprise of the year.
Finally, what’s next?
S: Very proud to say we are working for DC as writers for their comics. They haven’t announced our first story which is finished and still coming out, but they have announced that we are working on a Zatanna title with Vanesa Del Rey depending on their #DCRoundRobin voting via twitter and Instagram. They have some incredibly exciting characters to get to work with!
J: We have two films in production (that I can mention), UNSEEN and BOB. UNSEEN is our first video game adaption and it’s a fully immersive horror experience as it’s a game that simulates being blind. And BOB is our original monster movie that we’ve been wanting to make since AMERICAN MARY. We are working now with RADAR and Prospero Pictures and you can expect a lot to be coming from these wonderful new partnerships.
RABID airs on Horror Channel Saturday 12 June, 9pm.
