[SXSW Interview] John Karna and Dan Beers (Premature)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
Dan Beers' (FCU: Fact Checkers Unit) feature-length directorial debut, Premature, put a spin on the typical raunchy high school sex comedy. Equal parts Groundhog Day and American Pie, the comedy was about a high school Senior having to re-live the most important day of his life until he ultimately gets it right. If a misstep is taken, all he needs to do to escape is a trigger in the form of physical stimulation... I think we all know what that means.
Following my interviews with Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk, I had individual talks with Premature's lead actor John Karna and writer/director Dan Beers. John and I talked about the film being his first paid film role, being filmed in his underwear, and the intricacies of having an artificial wet spot applied to said underwear. Dan and I talked about some of his inspirations behind the film, working with the cast, and also the intricacies of having an artificial wet spot applied to John's underwear. As was the theme of the day, I also discussed Alan Tudyk's mustache with each of them. Enjoy!
[SXSW Interview] Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk (Premature)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
Dan Beers' (FCU: Fact Checkers Unit) feature-length directorial debut, Premature, put a spin on the typical raunchy high school sex comedy. Equal parts Groundhog Day and American Pie, the comedy was about a high school Senior having to re-live the most important day of his life until he ultimately gets it right. If a misstep is taken, all he needs to do to escape is a trigger in the form of physical stimulation... I think we all know what that means.
During SXSW this year, I was able to sit down with some of the cast and Beers himself to discuss Premature. In this first part of a two-part feature, you can read my interviews with actors Adam Riegler and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as we separately discussed their roles in the film, interactions with the rest of the cast, and in the case of Tudyk, the outstanding mustache he himself (!!!) grew for the role. Enjoy, and keep an eye out for the second part with lead actor John Karna and writer/director Dan Beers later this week!
[SXSW Interview] Emmy Rossum and Fatima Ptacek (Before I Disappear)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
Before I Disappear was a huge hit at SXSW 2014, winning the SXSW Film 2014 Audience Award in the Narrative Feature Competition category. This doesn't come as a huge surprise, considering the film is based on the short film Curfew, which itself won the Academy Award for Best Short Film - Live Action in 2013.
Returning for the feature-length film was Curfew actress Fatima Ptacek. Joining her this time around is Shameless star Emmy Rossum. During SXSW, we had the chance to interview the duo about their roles in the film, as well as what it was like to adapt such a successful short into an equally successful feature length film.
Watch the full video interview with Emmy Rossum and Fatima Ptacek below, and expect more from Before I Disappear later this week. Enjoy!
[SXSW Interview] Hannah Marshall and Hugh Sullivan (The Infinite Man)
[Ruby Hornet will be covering SXSW from March 7th to March 16th. Follow along as we bring you exclusive film reviews, photos, daily features, and interviews with filmmakers, actors, and musicians!]
The Infinite Man was one of the first films I watched as part of this year's SXSW, jumpstarting my film experience for 2014 on a very high note. The Australian film, which you can read more about in detail in my review, is about one inventor's scheme to salvage a romantic weekend after his thorough plans fall apart. Of course, when time travel is involved, things can get a little out of hand.
In my interview with director Hugh Sullivan and actress Hannah Marshall, we discussed the nature of time travel films, how relationships are kind of like their own sci-fi stories, and some specific details behind The Infinite Man itself. Be warned: there are some spoilers in the interview, so please proceed with caution. I hope you enjoy this truncated version of the interview below. We'll be sure to include some of the more explicit spoiler stuff when The Infinite Man is fully released.
Gareth Evans shares plans for The Raid 3
[Ruby Hornet will be at Sundance Film Festival 2014 providing coverage of the festival's 30th year. Keep it tuned to Ruby Hornet this week as we share reviews, interviews, photos, and more at one of the country's largest film festivals.]
The Raid 2: Berandal was my most anticipated film of this year's Sundance Film Festival. As you may have realized after reading my review of the film, it was everything a proper film sequel should be, expanding upon the framework that was established in The Raid: Redemption. Following my screening of the film, I had the chance to take part in a roundtable interview with the film's writer/director/editor Gareth Evans.
While many things were discussed (which you'll be able to read when the full interview is released next week), the most noteworthy bit of information involved Evans' plans for the third film in the series. While the script hasn't been written yet, Evans has an idea of what the film will be about. In saying that, do keep in mind that the information might be considered a spoiler for The Raid 2: Berandal, so continue on at your own expense.
When asked about the proposed The Raid 3, Evans had the following to say:
It's set three hours before The Raid 2 finishes, so there's a key moment in The Raid 2 where we go back and revisit that scene, and as a result of that, we branch off. We go into a totally different direction. That's as much as I can say right now. [...] There are people involved in the second [film] that we expand a lot more on in the third... which is probably pretty obvious now because most of the fuckers die in the second.
It's vague information, especially for the majority of you that haven't seen the film. However, within the context of having seen the film, I can't stress enough how excited I am for the third film armed with this knowledge (as if my excitement wasn't already at an all-time high after seeing Berandal). We have much more exclusive content from Sundance 2014, so be sure to follow Ruby Hornet over the next week.
[RH Interview] ShowYouSuck is ready for all of the (neon-colored) lights
Photography by Virgil Solis
Following an endorsement from Red Bull Sound Select, a spot on the Sound Select's SXSW show, his mixtape trilogy coming to an end, and Dude Bro's release this week, the best way to summarize 2013 for the artist formerly known as the One Man Pizza Party is that he simply leveled up. With all of the pizza eaten and the boxes thrown out, ShowYouSuck is ready to put the slice back in the box and step into the neon-colored light.
Dude Bro isn't just another EP, it isn't just "the first official release following One Man Pizza Party," Dude Bro isn't even just a new beginning for ShowYouSuck. In fact, it's all of this, and more - a full frontal assault that doesn't just embody ShowYouSuck's music, but his entire existence. There was never really a boundary that separated "Clinton Sandifer" from "ShowYouSuck." Dude Bro, however, is the first step towards the delineation between the two. How and in what ways this will transpire is just as interesting as the new musical direction ShowYouSuck is following.
Read on as ShowYouSuck and I talk about the making of Dude Bro, what the EP represents for the rapper's future, and how specific clothing will define him. Make sure you also purchase Dude Bro on iTunes!
[Interview] AEMMP Hip Hop Artist of The Week: Terra 5
Solemates: Never Do What They Do
With the relatively recent surge of street-wear boutique's in the Chicagoland area, you would think it would be rather difficult for them to harnes their own uniqueness. A small, swank, clothing boutique and sneaker cosignment shop lies nestled in the heart of a culturally diverse community seems to have that concept nearly perfected. Solemates...Chicago possess this almost heavenly ambiance, with a pleathora of exclusive sneakers while high-end street-wear brands seem to rest over pieces of vintage furniture that set them footsteps ahead of their competition.
Behind this elegant work of art is a married couple, Autumn and Brian Merritt. They've been in business for nearly two years now. The funny thing is, you've probably heard Autumn's view of the boutique, but you don't really hear Mr. Merritt. I attempted to pick his brain in hopes of retrieving that essential information behind the Solemates brand. "We want to provide people with clothing and accessories that can be worn forever," he told us. Words well said, but find out what exactly cultivated this idea through our in-depth interview below.