By now, a good majority of you guys have probably - hopefully - seen the 35 minute Casey Jones/Ninja Turtles fan film.  It’s been posted on just about every major nerd site there is (including us), and I recently had the chance to talk to the filmmakers and star of the short film about the movie and what they’re planning next.

Earlier this summer I drove down to Austin for the 'Words That Go Bump In The Night: Writing Horror Films' event hosted by the Austin Film Festival. Tom Holland (Child's Play, Fright Night) and Alvaro Rodriguez (From Dusk Til Dawn 3, Machete) spent a few hours sharing stories about the successes and hardships of screenwriting. The conversation was great fun though I really wanted an opportunity to ask a few questions I could share with our audience of aspiring screenwriters here at TMP. Luckily, I was given the opportunity a few days later to pick Alvaro Rodriguez's brain for your benefit.

With all the Marvel and DC films coming out lately, not to mention the new Superman and Batman films on the horizon, the popularity of superhero movies is at an all time high.  Everywhere audience members turn another mainstream actor is gracing the screen in a costume that showcases a massive, ripped physique that mirrors their comic counterpart.  Leave it to the studios to ensure that reality will always imitate art.

“Reading will end poverty. Free education for all.” ~ Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge, The First Grader

Have you ever wanted something that would change your life that should never have been placed beyond your reach in the first place? Can you imagine for a moment being 84 and not knowing how to read? What would you do? This is the premise for the remarkable film The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick and based on a true story.

Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge is an 84 year old veteran Mau Mau freedom fighter who lives in a village in Kenya, Africa. When the Kenyan government declares that it will offer free education for all, Maruge decides that he will finally get the education that was denied him. He decides to go to First Grade at an isolated primary school so that he can learn to read. Once, he fought for his country’s right for freedom from colonialism. Now he will defend his right to learn to read.

It’s that time, again.  If you did not catch the first part of the conversation, shame on you!  TheMoviePool presents the second portion of a two part interview with two of the talented Forewarned Films staff: Matt and Letia Clouston of the webseries Broken Toy.

Separate stories of three individuals whose lives are
completely changed by the same three words:
“You Have Cancer.”
Like Crash and The Hours:
One in Nine … how many women do you know?

One in Nine was never a movie award winning screenwriter and director Kathi Carey intended to make. She had already said all she needed to say about a topic feared and endured by so many people with her acclaimed film Reflections of a Life. Yet there’s no stopping fate, and the demands of fans and her husband’s brilliant idea on just how she could make a feature film while keeping Reflections intact made it impossible for Kathi to ignore that she must make this film.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with Kathi about One in Nine, who also directed Worth which is a film that has also garnered numerous accolades. We spoke about One in Nine, 3 stories about breast cancer, but ultimately 3 stories about hope, courage and love. We also spoke about film and her passion for it, the web series Casting Q’s which is a program that gives casting insight, and festival advice for budding filmmakers. It’s an interview of great depth and honesty, and about the things that are important in this journey we call life.

TheMoviePool is about all things film related whether it is a short Indie film or a major motion picture production.  We like to give everyone a chance to shine, and this next interview certainly involves a group with loads to show off.  The pictures alone are enough to intrigue one into a viewing!  Check out our interview with Matt and Letia Clouston of Forewarned Films, an independent film production company, as we discuss their latest project: A web series of short films titled Broken Toy about a military experiment to create a super soldier gone terribly wrong.

Retribution. What does that word mean to you? Mike Lordi, director of Paranormal and Trepidation, gives us his rendition of the meaning of the word in a film of the same name.

Retribution is Lordi’s latest film about a man named Ryan Mitchell who wants to find out who is responsible for the mysterious murder of his friend Max. There are two gangs that Max was a part of that top Mitchell’s list. One gang is lead by Marcos while the other gang is lead by Dmitri, however, both gang leaders work for Tony Gallinari. Agents Harris and Bates, who have other plans for the Gallinari crime family, intercept Mitchell’s crusade for vengeance. Watch as the action unfolds in this crime thriller as Ryan Mitchell attempts to get RETRIBUTION.

Retribution is about to start the festival circuit and I got a chance to chat with Mike Lordi about his film, what it’s like to not only write and direct a film, but also to act in the same film, as well as a little bit about his thoughts on filmmaking.