Movie Sights
(drama, romance) 1998
Humiliated on national television when her best friend and her husband, Bill, admit they are in love and having an affair, Birdee Pruitt moves back to her hometown of Smithville, Texas. Returning to her mother’s home is not easy. Her young daughter, Bernice, misses her father. Birdie finds that having been the most popular girl in high school – cheerleader who married the high school quarterback -- left a bitter feeling among many of her contemporaries. There is one man, Justin Matisse, who still has feelings for her after all of these years, but can Birdee put her recent past behind her and start a new life?
CAST
Sandra Bullock as Birdee Pruitt
Harry Connick Jr. as Justin Matisse
Gena Rowlands as Ramona Calvert, Birdee’s Mom
Mae Whitman as Bernice Pruitt, Birdee’s daughter
Michael Paré as Bill Pruitt, Birdee’s husband
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Forest Whitaker
Written by: Steven Rogers
Executive Producer: Sandra Bullock, Mary McLaglen
Associate Producer: Elizabeth Joan Hooper
Producer: Lynda Obst
Original Music: Dave Grusin
Cinematography: Caleb Deschanel
Film Editing: Richard Crew
Casting: Ronnie Yeskel
FILMING LOCATIONS
Smithville, TX; Cistern, TX; Austin, TX; La Grange, TX; Chicago, IL
AWARDS
1999 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
Best Actress – Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actress – Gena Rowlands
1999 Young Artist Awards
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Under – Mae Whitman
7 Nominations
WEBSITE
FILM TRAILER - CLICK HERE
(drama) June 2011
We trace the evolution of Jack, an eleven-year-old boy in the 1950s Midwest, one of three brothers. At first all seems marvelous to the child, who views the world as his mother does, with love and mercy. His father tries to teach his son the world's way, of putting oneself first. Each parent contends for his allegiance, and Jack must reconcile their claims. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death.
The adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeks to discover himself and his place in the world. The story ends in hope, acknowledging the beauty and joy in all things, and in the family, the place that most of us learn the truth about the world and ourselves and where we discover life's single most important lesson -- unselfish love.
CAST
Brad Pitt as Jack’s Father
Jessica Chastain as Jack’s Mother
Fiona Shaw as Jack’s Grandmother
Sean Penn as Adult Jack
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Terrence Malick
Written by: Terrence Malick
Executive Producer: Donald Rosenfeld
Co-Executive Producer: Paula Mae Schwartz, Steve Schwartz
Associate Producer: Ivan Bess, Nicolas Gonda, Sandhva Shardanand
Producer: Dede Gardner, Sarah Green, Grand Hill, William Pohlad
Line Producer: Susan Kirr
Original Music: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Film Editing: Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, Mark Yoshikawa
Casting: Francine Maisler, Vicky Boone
Casting Associate (Texas): Sarah Dowling
Production Design: Jack Fisk
FILMING LOCATIONS
Smithville, TX; Austin, TX; Bastrop, TX; Dallas, TX, Death Valley National Park, CA; Houston, TX; Matagorda, TX; Waco, TX; San Marcos, TX (exterior); Parco dei Mostri, Bomarzo, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy
RECOGNITIONS
Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival - May 2011 - first time a Texas filmmaker has earned this award.
60 Most Anticipated Movies of 2009 – The Playlist
46 nominations and 24 wins (January 2012) SEE COMPLETE LIST TO DATE
WEBSITES
IMDB - CLICK HERE
FILM TRAILER - CLICK HERE
REVIEW OF FILM (in Cannes, France!)
MOVIE REVIEWS
San Francisco Chronicle Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle Jun 2, 2011 - At times trying and perplexing, but it also contains some of the most psychologically insightful and ecstatic filmmaking imaginable.
Philadelphia Inquirer Reviewed by: Steven Rea Jun 9, 2011 - Still, somehow, The Tree of Life - impressionistic, revelatory, elliptical - works.
Chicago Sun-Times Reviewed by: Roger Ebert Jun 2, 2011 - The only other film I've seen with this boldness of vision is Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," and it lacked Malick's fierce evocation of human feeling.
USA Today Reviewed by: Claudia Puig May 27, 2011 - A shape-shifting film, it resembles a poem. At other moments, it is closer to a symphony. Most often, it approximates a fervent prayer.
The New York Times Reviewed by: A.O. Scott May 26, 2011 - With disarming sincerity and daunting formal sophistication The Tree of Life ponders some of the hardest and most persistent questions, the kind that leave adults speechless when children ask them.
Village Voice Reviewed by: Nick Pinkerton May 24, 2011 - Better than a masterpiece - whatever that is - The Tree of Life is an eruption of a movie, something to live with, think, and talk about afterward.
(Comedy/Crime/Drama) 2011
[Bernie-bearinggifts] In small-town Texas, the local mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when he kills her, he goes to great lengths to create the illusion that she's alive.
CAST:
Jack Black
Matthew McConaughey
Shirley MacLaine
CREW:
Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater, Skip Hollandsworth
LOCATIONS:
Filmed in Smithville, Austin, Bastrop, Carthage, Georgetown
NOTABLE:
Kicked off the the Los Angeles Film Festival 2011.
WEBSITES:
IMDB official site
Video Article
(comedy, romance) 2008
AWARD WINNING! Lab technician Virgil Gurdies embarks on an epic quest to create the greatest goat cheese the world has ever known, and reclaim the heart of his beloved Angie. She has taken a new job in Detroit and to follow her means signing his life over to his soul-sapping career in artificial flavor additives. To stay behind and pursue his newfound passion for fine artisanal goat cheese, is to risk losing her forever. Despite his lack of resources, experience, or basic competency in the field of agriculture, Virgil heads for the hills (literally) with a felonious German baker, a grave-digging hermit, and a tiny white goat named Artois. With Angie awaiting his imminent return and a conference of the International Cheese Consortium just a few months away, he has no choice but to go for broke. Throw away everything he has on a gamble: That, before it is too late, he can craft a cheese that will change the world. A cheese that will buy him a new life. A cheese of destiny.
CAST
Mark Scheibmeir as Virgil
Sydney Andrews as Angie
Stephen Taylor Fry as Yens
Dan Braverman as Hershel
Sarah Holland as Eva
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Cliff Bogart, Kyle Bogart
Written by: Cliff Bogart, Kyle Bogart
Producer: Richard Reininger
Composer: Brian Satterwhite
Director of Photography: David Blue Garcia
Art Director: Brooke Hyatt
FILM LOCATIONS
Smithville, TX; Austin, TX; Bastrop, TX
RECOGNITIONS
- BEST IN SHOW in the Accolade International Film Competition 2009 SEE JUDGES' COMMENTS
- TOP 5 KILLER FILMS TO SEE AT SxSW 2009, Chris Garcia, Austin American Statesman
- OFFICIAL SELECTION of the First Glance Hollywood Film Festival, 2010
- ARTOIS THE GOAT has been acquired by IndiePix Films for DVD distribution! Artois the Goat will be available through www.indiepixfilms.com or through the film website at www.ArtoistheGoat.com Pre-orders are being accepted now for an April release date.
- BEST OVERALL FILM and BEST FEATURE Film at the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival.
- AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD at the Trail Dance International Film Festival in OK.
- BEST FEATURE Film at the Beloit International Film Festival in Wisconsin and will compete in three California festivals in April. Sonoma International Film Festival, First Glance Hollywood 10 Festival, and the California International Film Festival.
- Save it on your Netflix queue!
- "Jury Choice Gold Medal for Excellence" at Park City Film Music Festival 2010
MOVIE TRAILER
http://www.artoisthegoat.com/atg/trailer.html
The trailer for ARTOIS THE GOAT has been accepted by Apple iTunes Trailers at www.apple.com/trailers
Film Trailer - CLICK HERE
WEBSITES
www.artoisthegoat.com
www.imdb.com/title/tt1292643/
GET YOUR ONLINE BURN-TO-DVD COPY
Now available. IndiePix Price: $14.95 CLICK HERE
(thriller) January 6, 2012 limited release
After watching their best friend get murdered, a group of teens struggle to expose a local hero as the psychopathic killer and keep from becoming his next victims.
CAST
Dennis Quaid
Brett Cullen
Tony Oller
Aimee Teegarden
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Martin Guigui
Writer: Bruce Wilkinson
FILM LOCATIONS
Smithville, TX; Bastrop, TX
Click HERE for FACEBOOK page
IMDB site - CLICK HERE
BloodingDisgusting.com - CLICK HERE
(drama) in production 2010
Sam Doonby, a mysterious, handsome drifter gets off a Greyhound bus in a small Texas town and finds work at Leroy’s Country Blues Bar where his great musical talents make him very popular, especially with Laura, the beautiful but spoiled daughter of successful doctor Cyrus Reaper. Sam always seems to be in the right place at the right time to avert disasters befalling the town and its people until suspicion and jealousy drive folks to ask who he is and where he comes from. Even Laura starts to question him so now he disappears as quickly as he came and things start to go badly wrong. His rejection results in terrible shocks for the whole town, not least for the doctor and his family as Cyrus’ past comes back to haunt him.
CAST
John Schneider as Sam Doonby
Jenn Gotzon as Laura Reaper
Robert Davi
Will Wallace
Joe Estevez
Jennifer O'Neill
Ernie Hudson
CREW
Writer/Director: Peter Mackenzie
Production: The Nobody Film Company LLC
Soundtrack: AC/DC's Brian Johnson
Location Manager: Sheila Tamble
Stuntmen: Jeff Milburn, John Schneider, Cheryl Wheeler-Duncan, Charlie Parrish
WEBSITE
www.doonbythemovie.com
IMDB information
MOVIE FUN STUFF
Official Trailer - CLICK HERE
Spiderwood Studio has it's say
Spiderwood Studios reports on Doonby
VIMEO.COM
"DOONBY - Behind the Scenes"
By Skyline Movement
A commentary about the movie. See the seven minute video here.
THE HUFFINGTON POST - May 22, 2010
"From the Set of Doonby"
By Mark Joseph, Producer, author, talk show host and editor of Bullypulpit.com
Copyright © 2010
I'm in a grand old Texas town called Smithville, shooting my next movie Doonby with a great cast and crew. The cast is an amazing group of friends new and old-John Schneider, Robert Davi, Will Wallace, Jenn Gotzon, Joe Estevez, and others. On the flight out from LAX I ran into Joe and we had a nice chat. Add a few years onto his nephew Emilio Estevez and you have Joe. He's a great guy... TO READ MORE GO TO THE HUFFINGTON POST
Big Holleywood | by Hollywoodland | Jan. 15, 2012
Real 'Jane Roe' makes pro-life case in upcoming feature film 'Doonby'
Norma McCorvey, better known as the plaintiff at the heart of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case, wasn’t seeking a big-screen film career. She simply couldn’t pass up the chance to play a woman who tries convincing a pregnant woman to keep her baby. For full story and video, CLICK HERE.
Commentary by John Schneider
Watch the videos and see what John Schneider thinks of Smithville. (These are YouTube links.)
John Schneider Behind the Scenes of Doonby
from his Facebook page
"I had more fun on this film than ever before. Smithville is my favorite town!..." -- John Schneider
Musical blast (listen for free)
Yes, he can sing, too!
John Schneider singles on Rhapsody
(Indie Comedy/ drama) Release Fall 2011
When a dutiful, albeit barren Christian housewife discovers that her devout husband has suffered a stroke at a sperm bank where he’s been secretly donating his seed for the past 25 years, she leaves her sheltered world and starts off on a journey to find his eldest biological son – a mullet-headed, foul-mouthed ex-con with whom she develops an odd but meaningful relationship.
CAST
John Gries
CREW
Writer/Director: Robbie Pickering
Producers: Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen, Best Medicine Productions, LLC.
Location Scout: Michael Brinker, Sheila Tamble
AWARDS
Out of nearly 2,000 applicants, NATURAL SELECTION was "selected" as one of the ten semi-finalists in the Netflix/Film Independent "Find Your Voice" Competition.
SXSW Film Festival 2011 - Narrative Feature Competition, 8 films were selected out of field of 984 submissions.
SXSW Feature Film Jury Awards in NARRATIVE FEATURE:
Best Narrative Feature, Director: Robbie Pickering
Best Editing, Editor: Michelle Tesoro
Best Score/Music, Music by: iZLER, Curt Schneider
Best Screenplay, Writer: Robbie Pickering
Breakthrough Performance by:
Rachael Harris – Natural Selection
Matt O’Leary – Natural Selection
SXSW Feature Film Audience Awards:
NARRATIVE FEATURE, Director: Robbie Pickering
FILM TRAILER - CLICK HERE
WEBSITE - www.naturalselectionthemovie.com
ARTICLES
Natural Selection was picked up by Cinema Guild and will be released to theaters in Fall 2011. CLICK HERE for full story.
Kansas International FIlm Fest kicks off Friday CLICK HERE for full story.
(Drama) 2010
A man wakes up in a cell after a night on the town. When he realizes he’s not in jail and he’s not alone, he fights to stay who he is while helping someone else remember who they were.
CAST
Danny Cameron
Jourdan Gibson
Kevin McCarthy
Natalie Self
Allison Wood
Beth Burroughs
Scot Friedman
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director/Exec. Producer/Showrunner: Mark Gardner
Assistant Director: Loren A Melchor
Coordinating Producer: Brian Morgan
Production Manager: Leina Cochrane
Costume Designer: Jason Frey
Director of Photography: Iskra Valtcheva
Set Decorator: Natalie Shanks
TIMES
Thirteen episodes will be aired on consecutive Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on the internet starting Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. To view the episodes as they are aired, see Lovable Varmint Productions.
STARRING:
Garry Peters
Kylie Baker
Chris Higgins
Laurie Coker
Louis Moncivias Gutierrez
Leah Simonetta
PRODUCTION
Written/Directed by Jack Daniel Stanley
Produced by Barry Green / Wrightsville Beach Studios in Association with JDS/ French Quarter Features
Photography by Vincent Pascoe
KEY CREW
Adrian Golden, Brandon Boggs, H. Cherdon Bedford, Louis Moncivias Gutierrez, Drew Ott, Mark Gardner, Luis Caffesse, Cliff Wildman, Dave Rutledge, Brian Morgan, Sheila Tamble
(short, drama, family) 2008
Martha shows the view on life through the eyes of an 11-years old girl struggling to accept her family. We follow Martha into her world where reality and imagination merge into one. Based on my own childhood memories, Martha is about coming to terms with, and eventually accepting, one’s roots.
CAST
Christine Cheney as Martha Gallucci
Kenneth Wayne Bradley as William Gallucci
Cyndi Williams as Irene Gallucci
James Leonardo Mayberry as Tom Gallucci
Cambell Westmoreland as Marc Davenport
Amy McAndrew as Mrs. Davenport
Tom Chamberlain as Mr. Davenport
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Katja Straub
Written by: Katja Straub
Produced by: Ajai Clearway, Charles Mulford
Cinematography: Naiti Gamez
Film Editing: Johanna Witherby
Production Design: Samantha Avila
FILM LOCATIONS
Smithville, TX; Austin, TX
(comedy/drama) post production 2011
A father/son relationship is centered around the newspaper business and a small town in Texas.
CAST
Mark Scheibmeir
Troy Streuer
Pam Eichnmer
CREW
Co-writer/Director: Danny Cameron
Co-writer: Miranda Smith
Producer: Zobest Pictures
TRAILER
Full length official trailer on YouTube
WEBSITE
(Industrial Film on employee motivation) 2010
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Written by: Burt Bornstein and John C. Locke
Executive Producer: Torin Lee
Producers: Yesenia Garcia of EchoEarth Media and Marco Martinez of KDA Creative
Director/DP: John C. Locke
Sound: Mark Adams
CAST:
Adam Pearson as young woodcutter
Mike Gassaway as old woodcutter
Claudia Valerio as see-saw woman
Mark Adams as announcer
Katrina Kross as narrator
Ram Proven Power | Truck Ride
by ram
Here's a commercial shot at the LCRA Railcar Facility in Smithville and now on the web as a VodPod.
CLICK HERE to view the YouTube video.