Author Archives: admin

Jimmy Buffett Doc Takes Fans Back to the Coral Reefers’ Key West Origins

Posted on by

A new documentary is pulling back the curtain on the musicians who helped create Jimmy Buffett’s signature sound.

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: The First Coral Reefers hits theaters in New York and drops digitally across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand this Friday, October 30. The film dives into the 1970s and early 1980s to tell the origin story of Buffett’s original Coral Reefer Band, the group that laid the foundation for what became a Parrot Head empire.

Set against the backdrop of Key West, the doc features never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with founding band members, tour managers, producers, and music legends including Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally. Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges narrates.

Director John H. Cunningham’s film captures the chaos and camaraderie of an era that ran on creative freedom. The documentary premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this year and has picked up awards on the festival circuit.

For Buffett fans, it’s a chance to meet the people behind the hits and understand the volatile, magical moment that shaped one of music’s most distinctive sounds. The film runs 92 minutes and opens with Q&As in New York at Village East.

Share

Brazilian Broadcast Demo Shows Two Signals Can Share One Frequency

Posted on by

Researchers just pulled off something that could change how TV broadcasts work. At a symposium in Brazil this summer, a team showed they could decode a weaker broadcast signal while canceling out a much stronger one on the same frequency, in real time.

The demo happened at the IEEE International Symposium in João Pessoa in July. Mackenzie Presbyterian University ran the test using tech from labs in Spain, China, Korea, and Canada. The weaker signal they decoded was 37 decibels below the stronger one, a huge power gap.

Why does this matter? Spectrum is expensive and limited. If stations can overlap geographically on the same frequency without interference, that opens up room for local content and more efficient networks. It’s a big deal for the next-gen ATSC 3.0 standard.

Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, says the demo shows how broadcast tech is evolving beyond traditional TV. Brazil’s been pushing hard on this, with pilots running in Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

The work proves that international collaboration can move lab experiments into real-world use. For indie creators and small broadcasters, more efficient spectrum could mean more access and opportunity.

Share

Eric Harburn Makes Writing Debut With Crime Thriller Set in NYC Music Scene

Posted on by

Veteran comic book editor Eric Harburn is writing his first graphic novel. Humbucker, a crime thriller set in New York City’s music scene, arrives from Image Comics and Tiny Onion in spring 2027.

The book follows Denny, owner of a struggling indie record label, who bets everything on recording the mythical debut album of Connor Markes, an influential underground musician who vanished from the scene decades ago. Denny sets up a session at a legendary NYC studio where Jimi Hendrix, Blondie, and The Rolling Stones once recorded. But the session falls apart when Connor can’t perform and Denny’s loan shark shows up.

Harburn co-created the book with Eisner Award-nominated artist Simon Gane (Ghost Tree, They’re Not Like Us). Colors come from Eisner winner Jordie Bellaire (Exquisite Corpses, The Nice House series), with lettering by Aditya Bidikar (In Your Skin, The Department of Truth).

Harburn spent sixteen years editing comics at BOOM! Studios and Tiny Onion, working on over one hundred properties including Something is Killing the Children and Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR. He’s now Director of Narrative and Editor-in-Chief at Tiny Onion.

“During a recent visit to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, an idea struck me like a power chord,” Harburn said. “A pressure cooker of crime and creative ambition, Martin McDonagh meets Elmore Leonard, all set within a legendary recording studio.”

Gane said the characters felt alive from the first read. “Putting your head above the parapet can leave you exposed and vulnerable. As our characters will find out, very, very vulnerable.”

Humbucker arrives in comic shops April 14, 2027, and bookstores May 11, 2027.

Share

French Documentary GABIN Makes U.S. Premiere at DOC NYC

Posted on by

A decade-long documentary following a French farm boy from age 8 to 18 is screening at DOC NYC November 14.

GABIN, directed by Maxence Voiseux, tracks Gabin Jourdel as he grows up in northern France, torn between taking over his father’s butcher shop and his own dreams of training contest cows, breeding dogs, and saving his mother’s farm. Voiseux filmed over ten years to capture the journey.

The film premiered at Cannes in the Quinzaine des Cineastes section, where Variety’s Guy Lodge called it “a remarkably fleet, fluent feat of observation and editing.” Screen Daily’s Lee Marshall compared it to Boyhood, noting “Gabin is remarkable for its immediacy and its feel for story.”

DOC NYC Senior Programmer Murtada Elfadl says Voiseux’s “patient lens is attuned to the joys and vexes of everyday existence as well as the larger questions of maturing and moving on.”

Since Cannes, the documentary has played Locarno, IDFA, Busan, Vancouver, and Melbourne, among others. It’s Voiseux’s first feature. He was born in the Ardennes in 1988 and studied science before switching to documentary filmmaking at Paris VII University.

The U.S. premiere screens November 14 at 3:35 PM at IFC Center, followed by a Q&A with producer Cécile Lestrade. The film will also be available to stream virtually November 15 through 29.

Share

New Doc Exposes the Cutthroat Rise of SoulCycle and the Billion-Dollar Spin Class Empire

Posted on by

The boutique fitness boom wasn’t all good vibes and motivational playlists.

SPIN WARS, a new documentary from director Philip Byron, digs into the messy, billion-dollar rise of indoor cycling studios like SoulCycle, Flywheel, and Peloton. The film premiered at Tribeca and pulls back the curtain on an industry built on ambition, betrayal, and what Byron calls “toxic sweat.”

It’s a high-energy look at how spinning went from niche workout to cultural phenomenon, and the ugly side of “mind, body, soul” branding that came with it. The doc features Katie Couric, comedians Heather McMahan and Mary Beth Barone, author Jill Kargman, and creators Brandon Kyle Goodman and Anna Roisman.

Byron co-wrote the film with James Thayer and produced it alongside Jillian A. Goldstein.

SPIN WARS releases this December. For an industry that sold empowerment and community, the real story behind the scenes is a lot sweatier than anyone let on. Independent filmmakers continue proving that the best stories aren’t always feel-good ones.

Share

Sean Ono Lennon Makes Directorial Debut With Fashion Doc About threeASFOUR Collective

Posted on by

Sean Ono Lennon is stepping behind the camera for the first time with “threeASFOUR: FULL CIRCLE,” a documentary about three designers who’ve been challenging the fashion world for over 25 years.

The film follows Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil, the trio behind avant-garde fashion collective threeASFOUR. They’ve built a cult following by creating clothes inspired by natural forms and pioneering techniques. Their work has landed in global museum exhibitions and on the backs of Björk and Chloë Sevigny.

But acclaim doesn’t pay the bills. The doc shows the constant struggle to survive in an industry obsessed with commerce when you’d rather focus on creativity and collaboration. It’s a moving portrait of artists trying to make it on their own terms.

Lennon co-directed with Brian C. González, who also handled cinematography. Jenny Golden wrote and edited the film, with Beth Levison producing.

“threeASFOUR: FULL CIRCLE” opens at New York’s Film Forum on November 13 before rolling out nationwide this fall.

For independent creators fighting to balance art and survival, this one hits close to home. It’s a reminder that even designers with museum shows and celebrity fans still face the same battle, staying true to their vision when the system wants something easier to sell.

Share

Judge Dredd and Biker Mice from Mars Crash Into Each Other in December Crossover

Posted on by

Judge Dredd is about to meet the Biker Mice from Mars.

Oni Press, the Nacelle Company, and Rebellion are bringing out JUDGE DREDD / BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1 on December 2. The 40-page debut comes from writers Dan Watters and Ryan O’Sullivan and artist Jordi Tarragona.

The story drops the Biker Mice into Mega-City One after villains Limburger and Karbunkle try to plunder the sprawling metropolis. Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo end up stranded in the city, wanted by 400 million citizens and one very determined judge. Dredd’s job is to deliver justice, and he doesn’t care if the criminals are from Mars or not.

The crossover pulls in Judge Death too. When the inhuman entity shows up, both Dredd and the Biker Mice end up in the same fight.

The issue has covers by David Finch, Karl Kerschl, and Andrew Krahnke. There are also four randomly distributed “Badge Variant” covers designed by Winston Gambro in the style of Brian Bolland’s 2000 AD work. Each badge features either Judge Dredd’s shield or one of the three Biker Mice.

The book lands in comic shops December 2.

Share

Post-Apocalyptic Western “The Territory” Brings French Comics Legend to American Readers

Posted on by

A dystopian saga 30 years in the making is finally coming stateside.

Eisner Award winner Joe Pruett and French artist Philippe Xavier are teaming up for The Territory, a five-issue miniseries launching in January from Image Comics. It’s a post-apocalyptic story that mashes up Lone Wolf and Cub with The Road and Mad Max.

The setup: civilization collapsed 16 years ago. Now a lone man and a mysterious young girl are hunted through a brutal wasteland called the Territory, bound together by chance and racing toward a destiny neither saw coming.

Xavier has been producing stunning work for the French market for two decades, but American audiences haven’t had much access to it. Pruett says readers are in for a treat. “His breathtaking landscapes and exquisite attention to detail will captivate and delight American audiences as much as it has the European.”

The collaboration itself is a milestone. Pruett and Xavier first met in 1994, started working on this project in 2024, so the series celebrates 30 years of friendship.

Xavier promises a harsh ride. “Enter the Territory at your own risk! Don’t forget your wool hat and furry gloves.”

The Territory #1 drops January 6 with variant covers by Brandon Peterson, Joe Benitez, and Stevan Subic. For indie comics fans hungry for international talent and dystopian grit, this one’s worth tracking down.

Share

Japan Society Unveils 55th Anniversary Retrospective of Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno Line

Posted on by

When Japan’s oldest film studio faced financial collapse in 1971, it made a move nobody saw coming. Nikkatsu ditched mainstream productions entirely and pivoted to erotic cinema.

The gamble paid off. For 17 years, the studio’s Roman Porno line became a proving ground for young filmmakers who would define Japanese cinema in the decades to come. Now Japan Society is celebrating 55 years of the genre with a 12-film retrospective running November 20 through December 6.

Roman Porno wasn’t your typical softcore fare. Shot in 35mm color with actual studio resources, these films had to follow strict rules: a sex scene every 15 minutes, 70-minute runtimes, 10-day shooting schedules. But within those constraints, directors found remarkable creative freedom. Future auteurs like Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Shinji Somai cut their teeth here.

The series opens with a 35mm import of Noboru Tanaka’s A Woman Called Sada Abe, which beat Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses to the screen by a year. Other highlights include Tatsumi Kumashiro’s The World of Geisha, praised by François Truffaut, and rarely screened gems like Love Letter, Nikkatsu’s most successful Roman Porno release.

The genre wasn’t without controversy. In 1972, Tokyo police raided Nikkatsu’s offices despite the films passing Japan’s official rating board. The resulting eight-year obscenity trial ended in acquittals and became the last time a film was prosecuted for obscenity in Japan.

For aspiring filmmakers stuck outside the crumbling studio system, Roman Porno offered something rare: a chance to make art on someone else’s dime.

Share

Sundance Institute Bringing Directors Lab Back to Utah With $3 Million from Spielberg Foundation

Posted on by

The Sundance Institute’s signature Directors Lab is heading home to Sundance Mountain Resort, thanks to a $3 million gift from The Hearthland Foundation, founded by Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.

It’s one of the largest contributions in the Institute’s history. The multiyear commitment will support the Feature Film Program, fund the lab’s return to Utah, and expand fellowships and unrestricted grants for independent artists.

“Artists help us see what is, imagine what could be, and understand one another more fully,” said Rachel Levin, President of Philanthropy at The Hearthland Foundation. “Kate and Steven are proud to help carry that extraordinary legacy forward.”

The investment comes at a pivotal moment as Sundance carries forward founder Robert Redford’s vision of championing independent voices across fiction, nonfiction, episodic, and emerging media. The Directors Lab has historically provided a creative sanctuary for filmmakers, offering mentorship and resources from development through audience engagement.

“When you give artists time, trust, and a community that believes in their voice, transformation happens,” said Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute.

For indie filmmakers, this means more support at every stage of the creative process, and a continued commitment to the bold risk-taking that defines independent cinema.

Share
Page 2 of 408
1 2 3 … 408