Indie
[BD Review] ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ Moody and Eccentric
Jim Jarmusch‘sOnly Lovers Left Alive––a sultry vampire movie in the tradition of The Hunger––is front-loaded with a killer cast. Tom Hiddleston (Thor) is Adam, a centuries-old vampire rocker, living as a Detroit recluse and growing increasingly depressed. Tilda Swinton is Eve, his longtime girlfriend, currently living in Tangiers––one hell of a long-distance relationship. Soon, Adam’s depression runs so deep, he special orders a wooden .38 bullet with thoughts of suicide, and Eve is compelled to fly to Detroit to help him through the darkness.
Anton Yelchin plays Ian, Adam’s hirsute rocker sidekick and wooden bullet procurer––a human familiar, of sorts. With fears of blood contaminants common, Adam is forced to buy clean blood from a local doctor, played by Jeffrey Wright. John Hurt is vampire Christopher Marlowe. Yes, that Christopher Marlowe. Even Mia Wasikowska shows up late in the game as Eve’s sister, Eva, and it doesn’t take long before she’s drinking up all the O-Neg in the fridge and draining the occasional neighbor.
With its meandering tracking shots, laconic montages, and random guitar fetishism, Only Lovers Left Alive is the obvious brainchild of its writer/director, Jim Jarmusch, as eccentric a filmmaker to ever hold a camera. It’s best to walk into Only Lovers Left Alive knowing what you’re in for and willing to submit entirely. The plot is a mere whisper. There’s some conflict, but it’s minimal. But there’s music. And mood. And romance. Jarmusch’s film is like a low, gravelly conversation overheard between two old souls late in the night. Sometimes it’s nice to just spend a quiet evening with an old eccentric friend.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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