Welcome back to SFF's little corner of all things unusual... and unusually cool! Today we have what many critics are calling a woman's version of Deliverance, the reappearance of Rocky Horror's creator, some crazy real life superheroes, and a historical-action pastiche that just may kick off a Hollywood civil war!

BLACK ROCK

Kate Aselton, star and director of SFF's The Freebie, has returned with a vengeance. Literally. Her latest film is a marked departure from the tortured romance of her last film. This one centers on three childhood friends (Kate Bosworth, Aselton and Lake Bell) who reunite for what they thought would be a fun weekend getaway on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Their trip turns into a nightmare as they become the prey of ruthless men and must battle for their survival. The screenplay is by SFF favorite Mark Duplass and the film was picked up by LD Distribution. Definitely be on the lookout for this one!

KICK-ASS TOO?

SFF presented both Kick-Ass and Super, two great and gonzo takes on damaged individuals deciding to put on costumes like characters from comic books to fight crime in the real world. Writer Mark Millar, whose Marvel comic book was the source for the Kick-Ass feature, has written a comic book sequel that Marvel published. Millar has announced several times (including recently) that director Matthew Vaughn would soon be shooting a sequel. These reports have previously all turned out to be premature or erroneous. Vaughn is reportedly

Read more ...

Time to once again update you on all things wild, crazy and genre-related in indie cinema. How about some vampires? The end of the world by zombies, asteroid and robot domination? Ghosts? Time-travelers? And all with amazing casts? We’ve got it all!

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

Jim Jarmusch fans, guess what? He’s making a vampire movie! (Now, now, don’t worry, he’s no stranger to genre, he did Ghost Dog after all.) The really cool thing here is that one of the stars is Tilda Swinton from last year’s acclaimed I Am Love at SFF (her film Julia also played here at SFF). Also starring is Mia Wasikowska from SFF’s That Evening Sun and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, plus the legendary John Hurt and up-and-coming superstar Tom Hiddleston (also known as Loki from Thor and The Avengers). You might also want to look for Hiddleston in the acclaimed Wallender series starring Kenneth Branagh and in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris playing F. Scott Fitzgerald. (The guy has range!)

The Jarmusch film is titled Only Lovers Left Alive. It’s early days and this one isn’t even slated to shoot until later this year in Germany. And as we in the business know, “Nothin’s nothin’ until…” Meaning, a movie isn’t a movie until you’re out there shooting it for reals. But it sounds so darn cool I couldn’t help mentioning it. And I really, really doubt that anyone’s going to be all sparkly in this one.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED

Safety Not Guaranteed features SFF alum

Read more ...

Want to know what some of SFF's most amazing alums are up to these days? Read on for updates about Kevin Kline, the fabulous Duplass Brothers, and SFF Independent Visions Award Winners Lena Dunham and Calvin Reader!

First up, Hollywood loves a good shaggy dog story (no, I'm not talking about Scoobie and the van, Shaggy was the... oh, nevermind.) Anyhoo, one particular shaggy dog story caught the attention of SFF's very own Kevin Kline. It's called "Darling Companion" and it tells the story of Beth Winter (played by Diane Keaton) a lonely woman whose husband (that Kline fellow) barely gives her the time of day. Her situation changes when she adopts a rescue dog that fills her heart with love—until her self-involved husband loses it. The film's examines the relationships of everyone searching for the missing dog, including Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss, Sam Shepard, Diane Wiest and actor/producer Mark Duplass (a name that should be very familiar to regular SFF attendees! More on him and his brother Jay in just a bit.

The film is directed by Lawrence Kasdan, he of "The Big Chill," "Body Heat," and "Silverado" fame. (He also wrote the script for some little-seen indie flick called "The Empire Strikes Back." I think it had something to do with ticked off cereal manufacturers...) This is Kline's sixth collaboration with Kasdan so expect their usual magic. And remember, Kasdan directed Geena Davis, who graced SFF 2011 with her charm, wit and brilliance, to an Oscar win for "The

Read more ...