A beloved toy turned into a carrot-chomping monster. A superhero fighting a different kind of battle. A young girl on an unusual mission. A sanitized Satan battling over burgers. Miners, monkeys, dinner parties, and even a tunnel to the other side of the globe. Those were some of the cinematic treats devoured by a very enthusiastic packed house at the Art Theater last night. The unexpected part? The scripts were all written by kids. It was the gala celebration for a new and exciting program … [Read more...] about Pens to Lens Brings the Hollywood Vibe to Downtown Champaign
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A Local Exploration of the Magic of Movies
Recently I was invited to appear with Jason Pankoke and Luke Boyce on UPTV's series, Art Now!, to discuss preparations for an upcoming annual film festival, the New Art Film Festival. There is such a flourishing culture of locally-produced cinema in my area, and it was only natural that I wanted to help spread the word about this special event. When I arrived at the taping, I learned that I was also going to have the opportunity to talk about my company, Psychic Joker Entertainment, whose goal … [Read more...] about A Local Exploration of the Magic of Movies
The Experience of The Artist
Where to begin with a film like The Artist? If you know me personally, you already know that I love to explore oft-forgotten forms of entertainment--magic shows, vaudeville/cabaret, radio theater--so naturally, I was interested in this movie from the beginning. I was also terribly afraid that people would hate it, while secretly hoping they'd be thrilled. After all, I didn't want to be the only one who liked to go back in time and savor the simpler days of entertainment, before Hollywood … [Read more...] about The Experience of The Artist
Intro to Bollywood!
Well, readers, I have just returned home from my first taste of Bollywood, courtesy of a pre-screening of Agneepath at C-U's Art Theater. I have been wanting to see what the fuss was all about, and I actually had a day I could set aside (almost literally) to soak it all in. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV0Cc1W_DDM] For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term Bollywood, much less what it means, here's a bit of clarification. The concept is simple: Bombay, India's version of … [Read more...] about Intro to Bollywood!