A look at the exciting film and TV projects that came by the Den of Geek Studio at SXSW.
The SXSW festival has changed and changed again in its 35-plus years.
Originally begun as just a music festival, the event has become an intersection thats ever expanding.
Even the Film Festival is now the Film & TV Festival.
Arcadian
Nicolas Cage versus the end of the world.
attempt to break into their farmhouse.
So it was just my father, and in this case myself and my older brother.
Azrael
If were being honest for a minute, the Bible is pretty creepy, innit?
And oh yes, there will be blood.
Babes
Is pregnancy an untapped vein for comedy?
Ilana Glazer thinks so.
John Leguizamos Bob Trevino is happily married, observant, and, somehow, also fairly insulated and lonely.
He sees the emotional desperation in Lily and in the process, the opportunity to help another person.
Theres a tenderness toBob Trevinothat walks close to the line of saccharine but never crosses it.
The one who came in and kicked down the doors for latino players.
The 21st century in a nutshell.
Cuckoo
CuckooandImmaculatemade for a great double feature for me at SXSW.
With its surprising flourishes, the fewer details one knows aboutDesert Roadgoing in, the better.
Instead savor the twists and turns and absolutely gorgeous cinematography of the Southwest desert.
Exceptionally endearing, I suspect this is one that might pick up some awards down the road.
Well, Sara ZandiehsDoin Itdefinitely does.
Duplass Brothers Productions Indie TV Showcase
Duplass Brothers Productions is synonymous with independent film.
Created by the indie superteam of Mark and Jay Duplass, the outfit has already produced dozens of movies.
When it comes to television though, indie is not always a term one associates with the medium.
Thats what Duplass Brothers Productions is hoping to change.
Each of these projects has already filmed a full season and is ready to be picked up.
Perhaps thats the future of indie TV.
Shoot (the show) first, ask questions (about distribution) later.
Fallout
Video game adaptations havent historically enjoyed the best reputation in film and television.
Fallouttakes place in a retro-futuristic world where the anxieties and aesthetics of the atomic age never really went away.
Each individual makes sense of the irradiated Earth in their own way 219 years after the bombs fell.
I didnt anticipate how lonely it would be for me as the Ghoul, Goggins toldDen of Geek.
It was a process.
I felt very closed in by that experience.
I was just alone inside of this guys head.
[This series] wasnt the translation of an existing story.
It was, What would the next thing be?
It just happens to be a TV show.
If there is, then Nick Kroll certainly breaks it in horror-comedyI Dont Understand You.
As you could probably tell by the horror-comedy categorization, things dont quite go as planned.
Guided by only Doms rudimentary Duolingo lessons (Scuzzi!
), our heroes end up in a nightmare situation of mistranslation, mud, and blood.
By the films third act, however, it becomes clear that there were some creative flourishes added.
At least you hope there wereotherwise Brian and David have some splainin to do.
And wouldnt you know it, this love bomb is highly unstable.
That is the fate Owen (Justice Smith) finds himself trapped in.
Its a cathartic release, but also a distraction from acknowledging the real rot in their world.
A King Like Me
Few actors have enjoyed more prolific careers than Fisher Stevens.
Now he has producedA King Like Me.
But the teeth of the thing is in a brutal ending that no one will see coming.
Its sweet, funny, and quirky.
Mancuso delivers a likable performance that suitably pays homage to his hero Charlie Chaplin.
And Mendes is rock solid in a believable performance that I hope people will take note of.
This is one thatll have you craving music and a caipirinha after watching.
Trust us, its funnier than it sounds.
In other words, something cinema has largely ignored off the battlefield for the past 22 years.
Still, that doesnt mean they (or you) cannot enjoy a wedding by movies end.
Saying goodbye is a hard thing to do for any TV show.
For the folks behindStar Trek: Discovery, however, its particularly bittersweet.
But at the same time: they were never supposed to make it this far in the first place.
Is David and Nathan ZellnersSasquatch Sunseta comedy?
Youll laugh, wince, and maybe even mourn.
Its a one-of-a-kind movie that needs to be seen to be believed.
And it revolves around a seamstress heroine who has Rube Goldberg-esque skills with her needle and thread.
Each decision plays out with different consequences for her and the baddies.
Plus, Barbra shows off impressive survival skills utilizing her sewing kit.
Going into the shows fifth and final season, producer Alex Kurtzman was in a reflective mood.
It was the first one in the door.
The greatest thing about the film is the music drives the story.
Thats that band life when you first get going.
Your day consists of waking up at 7:30 and driving for six to eight hours.
Thankfully, however, those no toilet seat days appear to be a thing of the past.
Plus, youve never seen Nick Frost like this before.
Check out some of the highlights from our friends at ScreenUK below.
