“Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers featured in the 21st Annual International Real to Reel Film Festival. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Rachael Morrison, director for Elvers. Elvers takes viewers to Ellsworth, Maine and into an exploration… Read More ›
Elements of Madness contributor Lindsey Dunn recently had the opportunity to interview Tyler Smith, creator of the video essay Reel Redemption: The Rise of Christian Cinema. Hollywood and the Church make for odd bedfellows. But the success of many faith-based movies… Read More ›
Adjunct professor and lifelong lover of film Tyler Smith takes a historical deep dive into the sometimes contentious relationship between Hollywood and the big-C Church in his 96-minute video essay, Reel Redemption: The Rise of Christian Cinema. Rather than attempt… Read More ›
Director Gabe Polsky (producer and director for award-winning docs for projects like Red Army and I Search of Greatness) chats with Noel T. Manning about Red Penguins, the documentary which explores Russia in the early 90’s through the backdrop of… Read More ›
Justin McConnell is a filmmaker who knows the twisted roads, and the hills and valleys of independent cinema. In this Meet me at the Movies extra, McConnell chats with Noel T. Manning II about his documentary Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the… Read More ›
Among the list of things that you might expect to save your life one day, perhaps one of the least likely is a night with an escort and a headfirst dive into the world of feminist pornography production. For middle-aged… Read More ›
Founded in 1935 by The American Legion, Boys State is an event in which young men from around the country gather in various cities for one week to get immersed in politics. In its lengthy history, past members like William… Read More ›
“Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers behind official Real to Reel Film Festival Selections. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Kay Rubacek, writer/director for Finding Courage. Originally slated as an 8-minute doc short, Finding Courage evolved when Rubacek… Read More ›
For every actor, director, writer, composer, there’s typically a singular piece they call back to as the thing, the object that inspired within them the need to create. If you mention Little Shop of Horrors (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989),… Read More ›
The 2020 American presidential election is well underway, one that may prove to be the most interesting (or frustrating) elections of the past few decades as the candidates navigate campaign strategies in the midst of a global pandemic. As voters… Read More ›
“Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers behind official Real to Reel Film Festival Selections. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Rafael Duarte, the writer, director, and cinematographer of the incredible nature/sports documentary, Beyond Dreams. This documentary has been… Read More ›
If you spend time with kids on a regular basis, then at some point you’ve probably been asked to play a confusing game with vague rules and unclear objectives that the kids invented themselves. It might be a live-action-role-playing-game that… Read More ›
“A rocker, a brooder, a loner, a knife-carrier, a hell cat, a wild cat, a storm child, refugee from the frightened city of Detroit.” This quote from acclaimed journalist Philip Norman flashes on-screen in the opening of the Liam Firmager-directed… Read More ›
Personally speaking, I don’t really think the concept of a “cult film” resounds in the same way today as it did pre-social media. Everyone’s tastes and needs are attended to so astutely by viral start-up studios and filmmakers shooting entire… Read More ›
Boxer. Prisoner. Chulo. Geronimo. Navajas. Gilbert. Johnny-23. Razor Eddie. Slim. Luis. Machete. These are just a few of the names of the characters actor Danny Trejo took over his 37-year career as an actor. He’s played everything from a stereotypical… Read More ›
Love to hate it, hate to love it, or just plain hate it, Showgirls is a movie that to those who have seen it, will never fade from memory. The tale of Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 NC-17 fame epic has gone… Read More ›
The HBO Documentary Film Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind is available on HBO, HBO Now, HBO Go, and On Demand. Noel T. Manning II interviews producer Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of Natalie Wood and director Laurent Bouzereau about bringing this very… Read More ›
Depending on who you ask, the term “cult classic” in regard to filmmaking may be applied as a compliment or an insult. Motion pictures acquire this status based on a variety of factors. Perhaps the film flew under the radar… Read More ›
Most of the world is familiar with the Dalai Lama as a Tibetan spiritual leader who has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent approaches during times of adversity. What many do not know is that, along with his… Read More ›
Documentary director Robin Hauser speaks with Noel T. Manning II about her documentary Bias. She explores her own journey into discovering who we are and why we each carry some sort of bias … even if we’re unaware of it…. Read More ›