World Premiere Last Friday!

Many have asked me how Austin was. In short, our premiere went about as well as one could expect. Our screening was packed and the audience reaction was electric and palpable. The comedy played bigger than I anticipated for what is ultimately a bittersweet story. Fans told us Calvin Marshall made them laugh and cry. They said the 35mm print looked and sounded gorgeous. Many told us they loved the soundtrack/score. Over and over people said the movie has strong performances and that Steve Zahn has never been better.

Seeing this kind of reaction up close was our biggest reward. Ultimately it's what matters most, right? Word of mouth will help carry a movie like this and we all seem to believe (hope) that people will discover it over time.

However, unless I blog about it, these kinds of unmeasurable rewards are hard to publicize. Local press was fantastic but AFF was virtually ignored by Hollywood and indie film press in general. (cough, cough Variety, HW, Indiewire, Filmmaker magazine, Important Film Blogs/Websites, cough) Now, the last thing I want to do is sound bitter here, so bear with me. I also want to be honest. I realize it's a difficult time for everyone and certain festivals will be ignored. But AFF? Is there just one too many festivals in Austin? Is that the problem? Perhaps thorough coverage will hit after Up In The Air closes AFF tonight. I'm not counting on it but if there is fair coverage, I will gladly take all this back.

It's hard to deny fear and a herd mentality still runs this business even as it struggles to survive. Everyone's chasing the money, and not just young filmmakers -- but the evolving press and even the pros at the top of the heap. Are those elitist circles forming again as "Industry Leaders" pick up all the pieces? Like Kenny Powers says..."You're f*ing out and I'm f*ing in!"

On the positive side, AFF was well-attended and there was an enthusiastic atmosphere wherever we went. The panels were vulnerable and informative. I participated in a few and attended some -- and the overriding theme was this: There's blood in the streets. "Worst time ever for filmmakers", declared one of my favorite directors. In the same breath, there was silver lining, "At the same time, never has there been more opportunity".

We are living this paradox everyday and probably for the next few years.

Calvin Marshall Original Soundtrack Teaser EP

I mentioned this in the previous post, but a few people missed it...We are giving away a FREE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TEASER EP! It is 100% free, no strings attached. All you audiophiles out there can even choose your desired bit rate.

John Askew composed and helped supervise so much music for CALVIN MARSHALL that we have an epic double CD soundtrack planned that BADMAN RECORDING CO. will release in the spring.

In the meantime, please enjoy this free teaser EP (9 Tracks in all) and get to know some of my favorite cues from the film.

Contest

Broken Sky is giving away a 2010 Spring Training weekend. Drawing is December 1st. Details are HERE

If you don't know the answers, you can find them on the teaser soundtrack EP we're giving away as a free download.

GET A DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

Wild Things

A beautiful film that's as simple and alluring as the 1963 children's book. CGI is shunned to the point where it's difficult to tell where in-camera FX begin and end. The narrative is buoyed by a terrific score that stands on it's own. The boy is perfectly cast but it's the Wild Things themselves who steal the movie with funny banter and complex personalities. The tone is inspiring and melancholy in equal doses making this the fantastic children's adaptation we hoped for.

The film does not pander and addresses real conflicts head on -- those bitter, jealous kinds of wounds that exist in most families. Congrats to Spike Jonze who fought the studio for years against making a dumbed down Cat in the Hat-like adaptation.

It's hard to say what younger children will think of this movie, but my first inclination is to encourage parents to not underestimate their kids. I can't imagine anyone who loves the book (big or small) not finding something emotionally satisfying and meaningful in this movie. Something that is often lacking in children's programming.

First Review

I don't want to follow these too closely but it still feels good, especially since we need the support and this is the very first one. "The Austinist" link is posted at the top of our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

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Calvin Marshall Inside Look EP 02

A new Behind the Scenes quicktime has been posted on YouTube.
Please check it out, vote and spread the word. Thanks!

YouTube hosts in both HD and standard def so click the HD button if your computer can support it.

Calvin Marshall Inside Look EP 02I

Must See Movies

I never went to the movies as a kid but was raised on television; everything from sports to the A-Team, to Bugs Bunny, Monty Python to the Dick Cavett show. I was eight in 1977 and didn't see STAR WARS until it was re-released in 1997. Perhaps my taste would be a little different if I had seen it as a kid, but the first movie I flipped over (aside from Tobe Hooper's TV version of SALEM'S LOT) was RACE WITH THE DEVIL starring Warren Oates and Peter Fonda. The second? HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.

I won't use the word eclectic, but if you called my taste random you would be right.

There are a handful of upcoming movies that I'm excited to see in the theater and two in particular have really got me in a fog of anticipation. The first is the throwback horror film THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL.

This movie seems anachronistic in every way - in all the best ways. It's hard not to think ROSEMARY'S BABY or great 70's horror in general when you watch the trailer. The movie just gets it right - the look, the feel, just enough creepiness in tone, the score, excellent casting, deliberate pacing.

Full disclosure, I've only seen the trailer and a few clips. I've also read some things - but I'm pretty certain this is a slam dunk. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is playing Cucalrous along with CALVIN MARSHALL this November so I'm excited I'll be able to skip Amazon VOD and see it in a packed theater.

The second film is WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I know I'm hardly alone on this one but the thought of seeing it is making me giddy. Spike Jonze walks the tonal tightrope perhaps better than anyone, moving effortlessly from the bizarre to the profound to the hilarious and always manages to keep things human and emotionally satisfying. I'm expecting this movie to be wildly successful (no pun intended - both critically and financially) and be loved for years to come. We'll have a better idea after it opens this weekend.

Coming Soon

Evolving Website

A few new bells and whistles added. There's a newsletter you can sign up for.

Follow Calvin on Twitter - he's tweeting from the east coast.

Also, the current poster has been unveiled. Check it all out here at calvinmarshall.com