John Wildman

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IDEAS FOR MOVIE FANS WHO HAVE SEEN IT ALL: Todd Alcott’s iconic music-themed art demands to go up on your wall and into your head

And the twist here is that not all of his art is film related. In fact, it is music themed, as he takes a musician or band and combines a notable song of theirs with a familiar image (book cover style, consumer product ad or packaging, etc.) that dovetails so nicely with the song itself that (as they say) it…makes you think..

TomsTrendyTees movie shirts: CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IDEAS FOR MOVIE FANS WHO HAVE SEEN IT ALL:

Well, I am a HUGE fan of these shirts from TomsTrendyTees. Tom also has a lot of Broadway show-inspired t-shirts, so maybe that will be awesome for you to. But I am ALL about his movie t-shirt collection. He’s got great taste (as far as I am concerned) with the films he chooses, and you’ll find a fun sense of humor inherent there too. A perfect example of what sets his stuff apart are the “Directed By” shirts. First, Tom will strike an homage to how the “directed by” credit appeared in a particular film, AND he even has a few that show some love for DPs, composers, and costume designers. You’ll see what I mean in the gallery that follows.

Chris Butler Movie Posters: CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IDEAS FOR MOVIE FANS WHO HAVE SEEN IT ALL

It’s my “fault” for the most part since I must have A LOT of visual stimulus all of the time. Oftentimes, our guests ask me where I got one poster or image versus another, and since I’m all Golden Rule about this shit, I thought it would be great to promote some artists that I truly think are the best – so much so that Idle Wild Manor (which is what we call our home) serves as an art gallery for their work.

Convoy, Fascinaton, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR more! Awesome Kino Lorber Blu-Rays and DVDs to add to your library – the sequel

As discussed the first time I did this column highlighting some choice Kino Lorber nuggets, I LOVE their combo of classics versus “You gotta see this shit!” to gems they have rightfully given a home to and made available for people like us to discover. I will routinely call a friend after watching a title (including a couple on this list) to excitedly talk about it. That’s what movie watching should inspire, right? That kind of excitement and thrill – so much so that you just need to talk about it with someone?!

Ondi Timoner’s COMING CLEAN : Naples International Film Festival INTERVIEWS; examines addiction through the eyes of recovering addicts and political leaders

In the interview, Timoner and I talk about what she felt was a need and a gap regarding insight and information on the topic inspiring her to make this her next film, as well as balancing the filmmaker’s agenda for their film versus a subject’s agenda for a personal cause or self-interest. She discusses her technique in and methods in getting interview subjects to open up and give information that is below the surface level.

Mark Stafford BASTARDS’ ROAD : Naples International Film Festival INTERVIEWS; finding a mission greater than his own redemption

In the interview, I talk to the film’s producer and writer Mark Stafford about the gift, as I see it, to be able to see and hear the man, and Stafford’s efforts as the writer for the documentary to help craft a coherent path to tell the man’s story. Stafford also talks about the beauty of documentary filmmaking knowing as you are going in, the different and unexpected directions it can go, and then how a filmmaker’s perspective changes after viewing the first cuts with an audience.

Chris Hansen’s SEVEN SHORT FILMS ABOUT (OUR) MARRIAGE : Naples International Film Festival; unique approach to showing the life of a marriage

In the interview, I talk to Hansen about why he chose to structure the film the way he did to properly portray the “raw, real life junk” that marriages are chock full of. He also discusses how much the actors’ had to shoulder when it comes to delivering a nuanced look at a relationship and how shooting out of order and shooting primarily at night could have complicated that effort – yet didn’t.