Vine Movie - Parts 6 & 7

The Vine movie got a whole lot sweeter this week. Say hello to Dr. Banjo.

Part 6:


Part 7:


Todd has already posted Parts 8 & 9 if you want to cruise over to Vine to check them out. The app has been acting a little flaky, so it may take us a couple days before we can embed them here. Stay tuned.

Vine Movie - Parts 4 & 5

Some powerful stuff here. Powerful stuff.





You can find any parts you've missed right here and the next chapter comes your way on Wednesday.
Who IS Dr. Banjo??

Part 3's News and Notes

Have you been looking for the next chapter of the Vine Movie? Were you gnawing your nails all weekend? That's understandable.

We're busy, it accidentally got posted on Todd's account, blah blah blah none of that MATTERS! What matters is that Todd has gifted us with another epic (and creepy) piece of the story. BEHOLD!



"When can we have more, guys?? I can't stand it!" you scream. Well, you get more TONIGHT! I'm up to bat and I'm kind of thinking you're going to get two installments for the price of one. Is that cheating? We'll figure that out later. It isn't exactly easy to tell a story in 6 second increments, people. And we're figuring this out as we go. I think sometimes we may need 6 seconds to react to the last piece and another 6 to set the up the next one.

Keep your eyes on the Twitter tonight, folks. Follow us you must.
In the meantime, you can find all the Vine Movie pieces here.

Vine Movie - Part 2

Allen has given us Part 2 of the Vine Movie project.  If you haven't heard the way this works, you can read all about it here.

Follow Walk Softly Films on Twitter and Vine for easy access and you'll be able to find all the pieces here under the Vine Movie label (it will have an actual title soon).

Indie Wednesday: Dead Space

I always love to see indie filmmakers take a crack at science fiction on a limited budget. Dead Space is as impressive of an attempt as I've seen in the live-action department. Primarily for what they did in production design and practical effects. Gotta love that suit and helmet. The production team was also smart enough not to overreach.

I love Dead Space even more because Eric Zaragoza, who leads the crew at Z Pictures, spent four years in the Marine Corps before heading to film school.

Vine Movie - Part 1

Come back Wednesday for Part 2.
And follow us on Instagram or Vine to make sure you don't miss one.

If you missed what this is all about, you can find the details here.

Vine Movie's News and Notes 5.13.13

This is going to be fun and it's going to get insane. Perfect.

So there's this thing...
If you're under the age of 20, you definitely know about it. If you're over the age of 30, odds are you've never heard of it (according to my own very small polling sample).

It's called Vine.
Think Instagram with videos instead of pictures. 6 second video loops to be exact. Creative people are already figuring out how to do neat and strange things with the app, thereby making them go viral.
6 second videos... On a loop...
This thing was like crack to my 9 year old; every clip a masterpiece. How more Generation Z can you get? (Can you tell I have no idea what they call the current generation of kids.)

Now, what is the connection between Vine and your Walk Softly friends? Well, we had an idea. It may be genius and it could just as easily be lunacy...

The Vine MOVIE

We are going to make a feature-length film, six seconds at a time.

The best part is, we have no script. We don't want one. Allen, Todd, and myself will take turns producing each segment with no idea where the next one will take us. If one of us introduces a character or a plot twist, the next man up has to roll with it. We don't even have a concept. The only ground rule going in was: be ambitious.

Only one thing is certain in all this: the process going to be highly entertaining to the three of us and, after all, that's all we really care about.

Get ready! The first 6 seconds of the movie debuts tonight and it hasn't even been shot yet (or conceived for that matter). Hopefully it will also have a real title by the end of the week. As of now, the plan is to release a new segment every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those will be your Vine Movie nights until further notice. We're going to start with three a week and see if it's enough.

So, either sign up for Vine and follow Walk Softly Films OR make sure you're following us on Twitter so you don't miss a single chapter in this epic. We'll also post the pieces here, so you can always check in on the blog.

Saturday we made a little test teaser. (It has absolutely nothing to do with whatever the movie is going to be). Enjoy and get excited...

REVIEW: Iron Man 3

I'll make this short and I'll make it spoiler free. We posted our Top 10 superhero movie lists in anticipation of having several more to rank by the end of the summer. I'm not sure Iron Man 3 can go on the list. Not because it wouldn't earn a spot, but because it feels like much less of an Iron Man movie and more of a Shane Black action movie that Tony Stark stumbled into.

Should you go? Yes.

It's entertaining. The pace is frenetic and it's good summer fare. Honestly, I have to see it again to make a final assessment of the film's merits. I wouldn't be shocked if I end up buying the Blu Ray. Just don't go in expecting the light fun of Iron Man (or any other Marvel movie for that matter). This is a Shane Black movie through and through. Shift your expectations from Marvel's Iron Man to Lethal Weapon. And it doesn't take a huge leap to see Stark and Rhodes as Murtaugh and Riggs.

Should you take the kids? No.

Personally, I wouldn't take a kid younger than 12 to see Iron Man 3. I think people have come to trust and expect a certain brand of family fare from Marvel and up to this point their films have been very consistent. Iron Man 3 steps outside of that expectation. The violence is more graphic and there are moments that would be legitimately disturbing to younger kids. There is also a lot of conventional gun play that we haven't seen in Marvel's other movies. Iron Man knocking someone out with his repulsors and Tony Stark shooting a 9mm are two very different things.

So, there you have it. Be prepared for something different. And the film is very much framed as the end of a trilogy. Black went to great lengths to tie a bow on this one and wrap up everything we've seen from Tony to this point. I think it hurt the movie to some degree. That, in conjunction with a jumbled ending that fizzled, seemed to take the wind out of the audience's sails. The energy fell a little flat in the theater. 

Indie Wednesday: Spy vs Guy

Another nice piece from Seth Worley and the folks at Red Giant. They produce these shorts to show off what their plugins are capable of and always manage to put together an entertaining piece in the process. Great production design and attention to detail. I'm a big fan of Steve Taylor's very subtle performance as the Spy. It gives all the gags an extra punch. Ben Worley's score is also very nice. A talented group of guys over there.

If YouTube makes your skin crawl, then by all means head over to Vimeo to watch this one instead. The only reason I tend to post YouTube versions here is they cooperate with Facebook. (Get it together, Zuckerberg.)

Allen's Top 10 Superhero Movies

1)  Superman

This movie captivated me as a kid, got me hooked on superheroes early, and it still holds up for me today. There has never been better casting for me than Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent and Kidder as Lois Lane. The music is the most recognizable of any hero movie ever. If it wasn't for Lois' weird soliloquy in the middle of the movie, this one would be just about perfect. It takes me back to 8-year-old me every time I see it, and I love it as much today as I did 25 years ago.

2)  The Dark Knight

I watched the Dark Knight trilogy all in the same day not long ago and came to this realization: I didn't like Christian Bale as Batman. Which is why this one can't be #1. But, the fact that it's second speaks volumes to what I thought of Heath Ledger as The Joker. My favorite villain in a movie ever.

3)  The Avengers

I know what Scott said about this movie, and I agree with just about everything he said (especially in regards to the Chitauri), but I've got a slightly different take. This movie gave me so many unbelievable moments that I'm pretty sure I involuntarily squealed a couple times and may have peed a little. Thor vs. Iron Man! Whuuuut? Thor vs. The Hulk! Goodness!! The fight scenes were all epic. And while the Chitauri was stupid (just make them the Skrulls!!!), Tom Hiddleston's Loki was pretty stinking good.

4)  X2

I'm a huge Wolverine honk, and this movie portrays him the best of any film out there. It is also the best of the series. X2 doesn't fumble around, stepping on its own toes while trying to give every character their big moment. There is never a dull moment, never a moment that is too light, and never a point where it loses you, even for a second. I could make the case for any of these first four films to be in the top spot.

5)  Iron Man

If Christopher Reeve is the #1 casting pick for a superhero movie, Robert Downey Jr. is #1A. He IS Tony Stark. And unlike a lot of movies that involve an origin (i.e. Spider-Man), this one has the right depth without being boring. Also... Robert Downey Jr. It would be difficult for me to find an actor I like less then Terrence Howard. So, that may have affected my rating more than it should have. But, ya know, Robert Downey Jr...

6)  Dredd

Scott made the point in his list about how he thinks audience perception of The Incredible Hulk may have taken an unfair hit because of the terrible Hulk movie that preceded it. That definitely holds true for Dredd. The farce that was Stallone's Judge Dredd unfortunately will be linked to this one and it's a shame. Simple, solid story. Great villain. Great portrayal of Dredd by Kyle Urban. Beautifully shot. Not much to dislike about this one.

7)  Hellboy 2

This is the third sequel on the list where the original didn't even make it. It seems like sometimes, they just need that first shot to get it all right for a second installment. Go ahead and add Ron Perlman to that list of perfectly cast characters for his efforts as Hellboy. This movie may be the most fun to watch on the list. But weirder than a room full of carneys in some parts...

8)  Amazing Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield is better at being Peter Parker than Tobey McGuire. He just is. The Lizard's face almost kept this one off the list, though. There were also some creative and directorial decisions that I really didn't like, but this movie reboot of the franchise is better than the original three and it isn't close.

9)  X-Men: First Class

I had low expectations for this movie going in. I ended up seeing it three times in the theater. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are terrific, and of course, there's Jennifer Lawrence. But some of the other characters were kinda stinky. Especially Kevin Bacon as the villain. Never believed it for a second. Hence a low spot on the list.

10)  Spider-Man 2

I basically put this one on the list because I couldn't leave it at 9. It's the best of the Sam Raimi installments. I actually caught a little of it on TV the other day and I will say that the fight scene between Spidey and Doc Ock on and around the speeding train is a heckuva lot of fun. There are a lot of cool, innovative ways the two used their powers in a smooth-but-fast-paced 10 minutes, and it's why I put it on here.