April 2019
FLIX PREMIERE Close-Up
this month’s UPCOMING PREMIERES
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Readers: The purpose of this magazine is to share with our movie-goers, the industry and our partners updates about what is happening at Flix Premiere each month. We aim to highlight and explore the upcoming month’s film premieres in each market, and occasionally announce new developments on our platform. Happy reading!
Oth er Pe op le’s Ch ild ren
IN THIS ISSUE:
Scott ish Muss el
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April Premieres Snapshot Learn about our exclusive new premieres showing each week. US April Premieres Snapshot - pg. 3
N ep tu ne
UK April Premieres Snapshot - pg. 4
Close Up: Premieres Feature Reviews A chance to immerse yourself in the wonderful stories premiering each week. The Padd y Linco ln Gang
The Paddy Lincoln Gang - Dean S Jagger, Joseph DiMasso, Richard Wagner, Demetri Watkins - pg. 5 Neptune - Jane Ackermann, Tony Reilly, William McDonough III, Dylan Chestnutt - pg. 6 Beautiful Devils - Rachel Hurd-Wood, Elliot James Langridge, Iain Glen, Osy Ikhile - pg. 7 Alex of Venice - Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Messina, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Don Johnson - pg. 8 Scottish Mussel - Talulah Riley, Martin Compston, Morgan Watkins, Joe Thomas - pg. 9 Awful Nice - Zahn McClarnon, Laura Ramsey, Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman - pg. 10 Other People’s Children - Diane Marshall-Green, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Mosley - pg. 11
HOME OF AWARD-WINNING CINEMA AND MORE “An excellent, gritty film.” Scarlett de Courcier, Geek Town
US PREMIERE April 5, 2019 - 7pm EST The Paddy Lincoln Gang is a rock band with everything, but their charismatic lead singer holds a dark secret from his past.
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“Fresh and exciting.”
US PREMIERE
Garrett Hunter, Britflicks
April 12, 2019 - 7pm EST A modern retelling of Shakespeare's Othello set within the music scene of East London.
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US PREMIERES SNAPSHOT
Starring: Dean S Jagger, Joseph DiMasso, Richard Wagner, Demetri Watkins, Stephen Bridgewater
april 5, 2019 - 7pm EST
Starring: Rachel Hurd-Wood, Elliot James Langridge, Iain Glen, Osy Ikhile
april 26, 2019 - 7pm EST
april 12, 2019 - 7pm EST
Starring: Talulah Riley, Martin Compston, Morgan Watkins, Joe Thomas
april 19, 2019 - 7pm EST
Starring: Michael Mosley, Alexandra Breckenridge, Diane Marshall-Green, Chad Michael Murray
april 26, 2019 - 7pm EST
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UK PREMIERES SNAPSHOT
Starring: Jane Ackermann, Tony Reilly, Dylan Chestnutt, William McDonough III
april 6, 2019 - 7pm BST
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Messina, Don Johnson, Jennifer Jason Leigh
april 13, 2019 - 7pm BST
Starring: Zahn McClarnon, Laura Ramsey, Brett Gelman, Christopher Meloni
april 20, 2019 - 7pm BST
Starring: Michael Mosley, Alexandra Breckenridge, Diane Marshall-Green, Chad Michael Murray
april 27, 2019 - 7pm BST
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The Paddy Lincoln Gang
Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere APRIL 5 - 7PM EST
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irector Ben Jagger’s The Paddy Lincoln Gang is gritty, dark, and triumphant. Centering on the story of Rob McAlister (Dean Jagger), who is Irish born and now living in Los Angeles or “The city of angels” as he calls it. He’s found his angels in LA: in Tom Dufresne (Demetri Watkins), Steady Eddie (Joseph DiMasso), and Dan Craine (Stephen Bridgewater). They’re all a part of a successful band called the Paddy Lincoln Gang, with Rob as the lead songwriter and Tom as the chief musical genius. The band has given him everything he’s ever wanted: a true family, music, love, and the rock and roll lifestyle. He dates Leyla Dufresne (Amy Argyle), Tom’s sister, and they have everything. Until one night at a dinner with executives from the label, when Dan and Steady Eddie behave erratically; getting drunk and being loud and disruptive. The manager tells Rob and Tom that the best shot the band has at stardom is to remove Steady Eddie and Dan, but Rob is heartbroken and resolute that he can help the others get their act together. Rob is a bit of an advice guru, filled with wisdom and love but also teeming with mystery. There is a mythos surrounding him. He seemingly boarded
Brilliantly written and thematically challenging. Nicholas La Salla, Forest City Film Review
a plane from Dublin to LAX at 28, found his people, and became a star overnight. But no one knows the real him, not even Leyla, as she grows frustrated with his lack of communication, and her hazy knowledge of his past. Rob gets the sense that Leyla is beginning to foster a relationship with someone else, and all at once, Rob’s once idyllic world is starting to crumble... The Paddy Lincoln Gang is the story of him trying his best to keep the band together. Ben Jagger truly shines in his characterization of Rob, who becomes an enduring and
intoxicating figure. He’s mysterious and wise, edgy yet heartfelt. The viewer sees the world through his eyes, which are full of both sadness and wonder in equal parts. The writing is superb, creating characters with nuance and life, who feel so real but surreal at the same time. The writing, and the performances, shine brightly - especially as conflict begins to emerge. We hope and believe in Rob being able to carry the band just as much as we are intrigued by his shadowy past. The Paddy Lincoln Gang is a sublime and tense drama, filled with memorable characters and a soaring rock and roll soundtrack.
Neptune
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review UK Premiere APRIL 6 - 7PM BST
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hen Hannah Newcombe is not studying, or doing chores at the church she calls home, she enjoys long bike rides along the rocky cliffs of a Maine island’s treacherous coastline. Enraptured by the immensity of nature, she is similarly fascinated with television programs depicting telescopic explorations of our solar system and its planets. But when one classmate in her tight-knit community goes missing – believed to have perished in the sea – her reveries gradually transform into foreboding nightmares. The ward of the Reverend Jerry Cook, Hannah is to be sent to an elite boarding school on the mainland to become an ordained minister. However, this unexpected loss in her community pushes Hannah toward a different path. She offers to replace the dead boy on his father’s lobster boat and greatly angers her caretaker in the process. What begins as a local tragedy becomes a personal quest for self-knowledge and self-realization by Hannah, who must fight to begin building the kind of life she desires for herself. All the while, she must contend with her bullheaded guardian and his increasingly punitive fits of rage as he senses his designs for Hannah are slipping from his grasp.
A meaningful story touching on the broader mysteries of our life. Brinley Froelich, Slug Magazine
Neptune is a lyrical look at childhood that avoids the rose-colored lens so often tied to the coming of age genre. Rather, it explores the morosity that can overwhelm a difficult adolescence – one whose constraints seem impossible to escape. As we watch scenes from Hannah’s life unfold, we gradually identify the obstacles holding her back from pursuing her dreams. Realistic sequences, shot with beautiful landscape cinematography, suddenly transform into surreal escapist contemplations of nature and death. From the wide-open vistas of the ocean from the lobster boat, to the cramped and smothering space of the church and its broom closet, we come to sense that Hannah must escape her circumstances if she wishes to flourish.
Jane Ackermann offers a breakthrough performance as Hannah, in the tradition of the most memorable and poignant embodiments of childhood found in the cinema. (She was only 14 years old when the feature was shot). Portraying both wonder and despair, curiosity and fear, Ackermann reveals for us, again, the secrets of youth, full of both possibility and challenges. Neptune brings us into the silently tormented world of adolescence in order to send us to the stars and the wide-open seas. Be sure not to miss it on Flix Premiere!
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review
Beautiful Devils
US Premiere APRIL 12 - 7PM EST
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z (Osy Ikhile), a budding musician in East London, is a star on the rise in a popular band with Darcy (Rachel Hurd-Wood) and Ivan (Elliot James Langridge) when he gets a record deal, but only on the condition that he drops Ivan. Oz decides to pursue his dream, but Ivan will not let Oz off of the hook that easily. Ivan proves to have an extremely vengeful spirit, unwilling to let Oz be happy if he can’t be. Armed with a true skill for sly, and cruel, manipulation, Ivan begins dividing the group, first by sowing a seed of doubt in Oz and Darcy’s relationship that has a snowball effect with everyone involved in Oz’s band. Based on Shakespeare’s “Othello,” Beautiful Devils is a gorgeous, grimly captivating film. With classical roots made modern, director James Marquand’s film examines the competitive nature of the entertainment industry with aplomb. The acting is terrific. Langridge is especially strong, portraying a delightfully malicious character with nuance. Part of the joy of watching the film is that Ivan continually ups the ante, following up on each dangerous or clever manipulation with something more extreme. Yet he gets away with it, in part because of his charisma and charm. The writing adds to the impact of the film, with strong and suspenseful pacing and exceptional dialogue that has dizzying electricity and life. Watching Beautiful Devils is
A provocative reimagining of a classic narrative. Glenn Cochrane, Fakeshemp.net
to be both entranced and a little terrified of what will happen next; the extent to which vengeance can make one person act violently, and can contribute to a vicious cycle. And interestingly, a lot of the tension in the film centers on misunderstandings, showing how powerful the appearance of something can be. The editing is equally spectacular, with its quick cuts adding to the suspense and drama, and creating extraordinary anticipation. Beautiful Devils is a film for those looking for intense drama, so intense that it won’t let viewers go, much like Ivan, whose intensity and vengeance are piercing. The film looks so beautiful, and
carries high production values. Its sleek cinematography works well with the writing and unforgettable performances, creating a filmic experience that will entrance and captivate the viewer. Dark, gritty, gleaming with drama and oozing with an indestructible vengeance, Beautiful Devils is a winner. Marquand’s film is a triumph, heralding destruction with a gritty house track.
Alex of Venice
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review UK Premiere APRIL 13 - 7PM BST
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lex of Venice, a heartfelt family drama-meets-coming-of-age film, shines for many reasons, but most especially because of the standout performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays the title role of Alex, bringing her to life with clarity, nuance and quiet passion. Alex is a successful environmental lawyer in Venice Beach, California, who is thriving professionally, but is struggling in her personal life. Her father Roger (Don Johnson) was a star actor in his youth, but now his health is beginning to decline. Her relationship with the itinerant George (Chris Messina, who is also the director) is crumbling until one day, he too is gone. Alex is left to care for her father and young son Dakota (Skylar Gaertner). Her father notices her struggles and, in an effort to bring the family together, enlists the help of her sister Lily (Katie Nehra) to live with them and help take care of Dakota. Among her most pressing professional concerns is a case to save a marsh rich in biodiversity from commercial development. As her professional relationship with the developer, Frank (Derek Luke) turns personal, Alex begins to map out the next chapter in
Mary Elizabeth Winstead gives an extraordinary performance. Ronnie Scheib, Variety
her life while working to become closer with her family. When her world shifts irrevocably, Alex of Venice tells the story of one woman who has been given a chance to start over. Messina has crafted a spellbinding and empowering tale, gracefully allowing Alex’s narrative to unfold at a delightful and gripping pace. The dialogue is thoughtful and engaging, giving life to the idiosyncrasies of each character; as every individual has a narrative that the film unpacks with decisive purpose. The cinematography is gorgeous and sweeping, making the town of Venice into a dynamic character itself, with the natural world
a herald of possibility and reinvention - a cause that Alex herself holds dear in her environmental work. Winstead’s performance is absolutely stunning, as she creates a character with expression and nuanced interiority. Alex of Venice is a film where everything comes together perfectly - the writing, the acting, the cinematography, and the director are pitch perfect, harmoniously illustrating a private drama into a yarn about the virtue of change and interconnectedness. Messina has created a world that you won’t want to leave; it will stay with you long after the viewing ends. It is compulsory viewing for anybody who believes in the power of independent cinema to tell stories that need to be told.
Scottish Mussel
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere APRIL 19 - 7PM EST
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n endangered species, the well-executed romantic comedy is much like the rare namesake of Scottish Mussel. Which happens to be a delightful exemplar of the genre. Combining wit, the intrigue that accompanies boy meeting girl, and the Scottish countryside in a leading role, Scottish Mussel is a hidden pearl. Ritchie (Martin Compston) is an apathetic and disillusioned resident of Glasgow who moves to the highlands in an attempt to get rich quick by poaching valuable Scottish pearls. Enter Beth (Talulah Riley), a gorgeous British conservationist dedicating her life to the preservation of the freshwater pearl mussel, and the resulting tension is both heartfelt and comical. Beth is frustrated by the local community’s disinterest in conservation and its riverbeds being constantly besieged by pearl thieves. Can Ritchie leverage Beth’s mussel knowledge to strike it rich and get ahead in life, or will she challenge him to grow in unexpected ways? In spite of its status as a rom-com, Scottish Mussel’s comedy emanates from its qualities as an ensemble piece. Ritchie sets out to steal pearls accompanied by his friends Danny (Joe Thomas) and Fraser (Paul Brannigan), who provide laughs performing the unglamorous grunt work
Charming in the way it interweaves the romantic comedy with the themes of conservation and preservation.
of pearl harvesting while Ritchie comfortably gathers intel at the conservation center, drawing ever-closer to Beth. So too does Beth’s colleague, Ethan (Morgan Watkins), present humor as an enthusiastic Yankee would-be heartthrob whose romantic interest in Beth is matched only by his passion for protecting wildlife. The film, however, does not rely solely on strong performances by a small group of leading actors, but flourishes in a parade of small parts and supporting roles that lend local color and levity to the plot – from an eccentric pearl jeweler to a local strong-arm mafia boss. Scottish Mussel offers a platter of entertaining characters to its viewer.
This breakthrough feature written, directed, and starred in by Riley, is especially charming in the way it interweaves the romantic comedy with the themes of conservation and preservation. These ultimately become a matter of community responsibility and national pride. The result is a lighthearted, feel-good film that shows how personal interests connect to the greater good. It achieves this while showcasing both the Scottish highlands and riverbeds in gorgeous landscape cinematography. No wonder the Edinburgh International Film Festival presented it as a “Best of the Fest” selection.
Awful Nice
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review UK UK Premiere Premiere APRIL APRIL 20 20 -- 7PM 7PM GMT BST
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odd Sklar’s Awful Nice is a film with physicality to it. Visceral, hilarious and impactful, the film is a testament to what physical comedy and a slapstick-esque form of humor can be in the 21st century. The film, which begins with Dave Brouillette (James Pumphrey) passed out naked - and in a drunken haze - on a hot sunny day, follows Dave and his more responsible brother Jim as they reunite following the death of their father, who left his old house in Branson, Missouri to them. Initially when reunited, Jim and Dave fight all the time. And these aren’t just small fights, but loud, large, take-over-the-whole-room kind of theatrical fights that illicit both concern and eye rolls from their family. This what they do. This is what they’ve always done. When they arrive in Branson, they notice that the house is in a state of complete disarray: food on the floor, trash, and horrendous smells. Rather than hire a cleaning crew, Dave suggests that he and Jim renovate the house together in an exercise of brotherly bonding. As the hijinx revs up, they meet unexpected friends and foes along the way; even if they’re getting in trouble, no one can say that they’re having a bad time.
In Awful Nice, the (nearly) lost art of physical comedy makes a roaring resurgence. Peter Debruge, Variety
Sklar’s directing is impeccable and it’s no wonder that the film premiered at SXSW back in 2013. It is uproariously funny, but also surprisingly tender at times, revealing a familial relationship that was once in crisis and begins to heal, through jail cells and thefts and their general up-to-no-good attitude to life. They pull each other outwards, and then back again, inseparable, even if they are each other’s foils. The writing is sharp and memorable, with many jokes and verbal jousts that will be lodged in the memory. One of the aspects of the film that stands out the most is the chemistry between Dave and Jim.
The viewer can see the simultaneous anger, hurt and love for each other - along with the entertainment in seeing the other falter - resulting in their performances always keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat. Watching the film is to participate in a story about two people trying to one-up each other while also bring each other back down to earth. The stunning cinematography and fast-paced editing amplifies the drama and the heart of Awful Nice, making it impossible to look away. Hilarious, deeply visceral, drama-packed and unexpected, Sklar has accomplished a remarkable feat.
Other People’s Children
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Close Up: Premiere Feature Review US Premiere APRIL 26 - 7PM EST UK Premiere APRIL 27 - 7PM BST
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n order to escape problems or deny an unpleasant reality we sometimes throw ourselves into new passions and discover alternative dilemmas. The artist is a figure that is especially susceptible to manic bouts of enthusiasm in the popular imagination. Other People’s Children offers a raw chronicle of one such episode of adolescent escape brought about by a major life event. Samantha Trassler (Diane Marshall-Green) is a burgeoning filmmaker, rocked by the sudden death of her father, a famous painter. Intended to be the subject of her first documentary, his death sent her on a four-month fugue to the east coast, leaving behind her roommate, Josh (Michael Mosley), without a word of warning. Upon her return to the west coast, Sam takes solace in alcohol and anonymous sex before dedicating herself to a new film project – a documentary about homeless youth in Los Angeles. While underlying sexual tension between Sam and Josh remains, she falls in love with one of the subjects of her documentary, P.K. (Chad Michael Murray). The latter lives in an abandoned warehouse with a group of homeless friends. Tension gradually builds as Sam invites PK further into her life, bringing along fellow travelers and the volatility of the streets into her own world in the process. Other People’s Children is an edgy film with a matching soundtrack. Unafraid of facing the messy aspects of family and romantic relationships, it plunges into a period of personal crisis accompanied by the inevitable bad choices that follow. Diane Marshall-Green plays a remarkably
A young Los Angeles woman drifts into [a] turbulent relationship with a homeless addict in this intriguing debut. Dennis Harvey, Variety
measured Sam, conveying her whimsy without falling into the trap of becoming bogged down by scattered flights of fancy. Chad Michael Murray offers a layered and intriguing P.K., taking audiences through the full development of a surprising character arch. Michael Mosley plays a self-assured Josh who, while sometimes jarringly blunt with Sam, offers objective views of her actions and situation. Of special interest is the film Samantha is making within the film – an exploration of homeless youth. Other People’s Children identifies and pokes self-aware fun at some of the pitfalls of documentary filmmaking. The questions Sam asks are trite and the responses superficial, until she learns to go deeper by
training her camera on a subject for an extended period of time, allowing them to discuss their experience at their own pace. What is perhaps most refreshing about Liz inlein’s feature is that it manages to be a film about filmmaking that does not get lost in a mystical, naïve, or spiraling vision of the creative process. Other People’s Children offers gorgeously framed moments of personal reflection, quiet pensiveness, and debaucherous abandon. It has the unique quality of being impeccably well-crafted and, yet, it communicates the gritty coarseness of bohemia. Other artists and free spirits, or anyone who has forged through a period of loss and confusion need to see it.
HOME OF AWARD-WINNING CINEMA AND MORE “An appealing portrait miniature of a woman who loses and finds her bearings” Manohla Dargis, New York Times
UK PREMIERE April 13, 2019 - 7pm BST In this life changing story, a workaholic attorney is forced to reinvent her life after her husband suddenly leaves.
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“Impeccably well-crafted.”
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UK PREMIERE April 27, 2019 - 7pm BST
After the death of her famous father, documentary filmmaker Samantha falls for PK, a charismatic homeless man...
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