North Texas movie news and notes: I Spit on Your Python edition

by John P. Meyer

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We're downright OVERLOADED with film-related events and announcements this week.

From Loyd Cryer of Texas Frightmare Weekend infamy comes word that TFW, in association with Anchor Bay Films, is holding a roll-your-own movie trailer contest to celebrate the forthcoming (October 8) release of I Spit on Your Grave. (We interviewed some of the film's principals during Frightmare earlier this year.)

Filmmakers of all ilks, says Loyd, are hereby encouraged to submit their best over-the-top, scary, wild, absurd, and/or freaked out exploitation-style trailer for evaluation (details below). The three entries that best capture the essence of exploitation cinema will play to the sure-to-be-packed theater audience immediately before a September 30 Dallas sneak preview of I Spit, set for 8 p.m. at the Dallas Angelika.

Live action, animation, stop-motion, claymation ... anything goes, as long as it's original work.

In addition to the opportunity of having their work seen by an audience of (we're thinking) hundreds, the three winning filmmakers (or should we call them trailermakers?) will receive a prize package sponsored by I Spit on Your Grave and Texas Frightmare Weekend; plus, the three best trailers will be posted on the TFM website, where they will be seen by people (and perhaps other entities) from around the globe.

DETAILS: Submissions must be received no later than September 24. Send to Texas Frightmare Weekend, PO Box 384, Grapevine, TX 76099. All submissions must be in DVD format, ready for presentation in NTSC video. Questions should be sent to loyd@texasfrightmareweekend.com.

For inspiration, here's the trailer for I Spit on Your Grave (2010 remake version):

You might remember my June 3 interview with Matt Morgan, a young North Texas filmmaker whose independently produced movie was reportedly just about in the can. Well, I'm pleased to report that The Eyes of the Beholder is now a done deal.

While it's making the rounds of film festivals, you can cast your own eyes on Eyes by liking the film's Facebook page, here.

And now, for something completely different: Carol Cleveland, whose womanly curves graced many an otherwise male-figured Monty Python sketch, will appear at Grapevine's Palace Theatre on October 3 as part of this year's Monty Python Madness charity event, put on by The British Emporium.

In addition to her Flying Circus TV roles, Cleveland also appeared as Zoot in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail — which will screen during Python Madness on October 1 at 8 p.m. (outdoors at the Cotton Belt Train Depot).

Cleveland (who, by the way, is single) will take center stage at 7 p.m. (Oct. 3) as centerpiece of an event hosted by KERA's Bill Young. The show will be an entertaining, one-of-a-kind evening, filled with rare footage, fun memories about working with the Pythons, and a question and answer session. Buy tickets here.

Film student JD Davis wanted me (and thus you!) to know that his new short film, Forever, Never, will screen at the Studio Movie Grill (SMG) in Lewisville on September 16, at both 6:30 and 9 p.m. These are free screenings.

JD is enrolled at MediaTech Institute, and Forever, Never represents his final project for Digital Film Production.

Says JD: "Forever, Never is a dramatic, character driven story about friendship, growing up, and discovering what's really important in our lives." I say, watch the trailer, embedded here for your perusal:

Two items from the DALLAS Film Society:

Firstly (and just announced), DFS is hosting a special member screening of The Devil Wears Prada on Friday at AMC NorthPark at 7 p.m. Why that film, one wonders? Well, it's all part of NorthPark's "Fashion's Night Out" event, which itself is part of Vogue Magazine's one-evening-only international soiree, which makes it doubly fashionable, one supposes.

So why would you care, if you're not a member of the DALLAS Film Society? Because the DFS folks are treating this as a membership enlistment opportunity. They'll have representatives on hand to sign folks up before the show. (See, if you become a member before the movie, then you're entitled to membership benefits, which include seeing the movie. And lots of other special events and screenings scattered over the course of the year, both during and, um, not during the DALLAS International Film Festival.)

The second DFS item involves a September 17 outdoor screening of Back to the Future (where many of us would like to go just to check out the price of gold, or — if you're into bacon — pork bellies), to be held in the parking lot of the Whole Foods Market at 8190 Park Lane. This non-exclusive, free event starts at 6:30 p.m. with face-painting (for the kids) and cheap pizza from Whole Foods (for everyone). Plus, some non-specified live music. Chairs and/or blankets would be a good idea, I'm thinking.

Watch out for Zombie-Palooza at J. Gilligan's in Arlington this Saturday, a bizarre-sounding fundraiser (and living dead-raiser!) in honor of the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association and the Arlington Police Officers Association.

Four bands will take the stage (though not all at once, we trust): Ghost Surfers, Pushing Daggers, Subversive Underground, and Fist Full of Oi.

There'll be a zombie costume contest featuring celebrity judges and special offers from many of DFW's top-rated haunted houses. You could even win free tickets to places like Zombie Manor (which opens for its dark, dastardly business on Friday, September 17, by the way), The Haunt House, 13th Street Morgue, Hangman's House of Horrors, Moxley Manor, and The Cutting Edge.

You'll also have a chance to get an up-close-and-personal look at the special effects created by EFX wizard James McCormick — and get a shot at winning a life-size (?) zombie prop valued at over 2,000 simoleons. ($20 donation required.)

Proceeds from contests and door prize funds benefit the family of fallen Arlington firefighter Don Hogg. More info here.

On September 14, local filmmaker (and artist! read on...) Tom Huckabee will host a red carpet screening of his movie, Carried Away, at the Edgemere Retirement Community in Dallas. In addition to filmmaker Huckabee and select cast members, John Gilchrist, executive director of the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, will be on hand to walk the carpet.

A champagne reception kicks things off at 1:30 p.m., followed by red carpet photo ops and an informal meet and greet. At 1:45, John Falldine, managing director of Edgemere, will introduce director Huckabee for some preliminary remarks about the film, followed by the actual screening at 2 p.m. A Q&A with filmmaker, cast, and John Gilchrist will round out the afternoon.

Valet parking and a silent auction (including such items as a Texas wine basket, professional photography session, and spa items) will be a part of this gala event.

See our interview with Huckabee and cast here, conducted during the DALLAS International film festival this spring.

Oh, and in regard to my earlier mention of Tom also being an artist (not to imply that filmmaking isn't an art in and of itself): He and his brother-in-law Richard Cohen are hosting an opening night exhibition (of Tom's paintings and Richard's photography) at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center on Saturday from 6 - 9 p.m. For more information contact Tom at thuck2sbcglobal.net.

And take a look at his painting, Christ at Antietam, appended here. (Wow.) The show runs through September 29 at FWCAC.

Pretty excellent news regarding Leaves of Grass, the movie for which I interviewed Edward Norton and Tim Black Nelson back in March: It's finally going to open in North Texas on September 24, at the Dallas Angelika. Leaves is a remarkable film, for Norton's dynamic dual performance and a lot of other reasons.

Kirby Warnock has announced he'll host a reprise screening of his James-Dean-in-Marfa-themed documentary Return to Giant at the Texas Theatre on September 30 at 7:30 p.m. (Coincidentally, this falls on the 55th anniversary of Dean's death.) Bob Hinkle — who served as Dean's dialogue coach on the movie set — will attend the screening.

Here's my interview with Warnock from a few years back.

And finally, for your distant early warning calendar, mark out November 12 as the date of the Lone Star International Film Festival Ball, honoring 10-time Grammy winner T-Bone Burnett.

Burnett will be joined by Ryan Bingham (the pride of Hobbs, NM), who got the Oscar for "The Weary Kind," the signature song he wrote for Jeff Bridges' character Bad Blake in last year's Crazy Heart.

Bingham and Burnett, who collaborated on the Crazy Heart music-writing gig, will perform songs from the movie during this black tie event, which you might want to find out more about here while there's still time to nail down one or two of the 250 available guest places at the dinner table.

Scott Cooper, the film's director, will also be in attendance, along with producer Judy Cairo and assorted other film industry luminaries.

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