"Flower Thieves" was a short film collaboration between Eric Jacobus and Pete Lee of The Stunt People and Shawn and I from Lazy Brown Productions back in 2008, when we visited Eric to work on "Those Who Go To Hell". Now it's making its festival debut during the SHORTS section of the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival.

The dates are:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH

4:30 PM Shorts Program

The location is at the Portage Theater, which is located at: 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60641

You can view all the details of the Festival here: http://cfaff.org/

You can also view LBP's version of the short at the second half of this video:


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRD0i6KQlMQ

LBP wants to thank Eric Jacobus for allowing us to post his film online and for the submission. He's a fantastic individual and a great friend to boot. Please visit him and The Stunt People at:

http://www.thestuntpeople.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWgXI_TI7cg

Alex Vs. Jim & Laurie (Asylum Stunts Test Fight) from Emmanuel Manzanares on Vimeo.

Alex Hashioka asked me to help shoot and edit a test fight idea he had with fellow Asylum Stunts members Laurie Mcneilly and Jim Priz, so we shot a 2 on 1 fight yesterday in 2 hours. Alex Hashioka did the fight choreography while Alex and I action directed. Enjoy!

You can visit Asylum Stunts here:

http://www.asylumstunts.com

You can also view Alex's demo reel here:


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdUAp9kMCcc

--Manny

Original Slamdance Trailer


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRF7JRPwTOI

New Paramount Trailer

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074

Hey all, for those living in the states, I'm sure some of you (or maybe only a few) have started to hear buzz of this new (2007, actually) indie film called "Paranormal Activity". The synopsis is below:

A young couple, Katie and Micah, are haunted by a demonic presence in their home. Micah buys and sets up an expensive camera to document the strange apparitions occurring in their home. However, as each night is documented, the haunting only seems to get worse..

Paranormal Activity is a 2007 indie film done in the same style as "The Blair Witch Project", in which the footage is supposedly "found" and is "real" as presented unedited and preserved, and is through the eyes of whoever is in the video filming. The film premiered in Slamdance 2007, and since then has been picked up by Dreamworks to only now, be finally released.

So why all the hype? Well, supposedly this film is not only the new "big thing" being that it's garnered consistently good reviews and touted as "one of the scariest movies of all time" it's also got backing by Steven Spielberg (who apparently was so scared by his personal screening that he brought the movie back to his production offices in a garbage bag, and never wants to see it again) and by the fact it's another one of those "little movies that could".

Paranormal Activity was made for $15,000 and shot in one consecutive week. Obviously if this does well, Dreamworks could have a Blair Witch style hit on their hands:

[Blair Witch's original budget was $35,000, but ended up totaling $248,639,099]

So what does that have to do with us? Well, I actually had the chance to check out Paranormal Activity thanks to a free online RSVP screening Paramount was holding in various select cities, on September 24th at Chicago's "The Music Box".

What did I think? I thought it was awesome!

I wish I had taken pics of the MASSIVE line of people (at least 700 showed up) and upon sitting and watching the movie, I will say it's definitely not super, super, scary (unless your really freaked out by ghosts and that type of lore) but it is HIGHLY unsettling. I never jumped, but the movie has a wonderful thing where it really takes its time, precisely setting up each new night, showing how Katie and Micah deal with it, and how eventually, just all hell breaks loose the more and more they piss off the "demon". It's a really solid execution of a simple and cliched story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus it helped seeing it in a packed house with about 450 other folks that seemed to be thoroughly scared out of their minds.

In terms of what "happens" it's all really just mind games. You DO see some creepy shit, but alot of it is shadows and noise, but it's backed up by some fantastically done sound design, and though the film IS handheld, luckily all the night scenes of the hauntings are at a FIXED angle, so you can see everything clearly (thank God).

Past that, the acting is definitely believable, and the movie barely comes under an hour and a half. It's quick ride, but definitely leaves you with some unsettling imagery, and I won't lie, the movie makes you focus on all little weird noises in the night.

Now in terms of where it's playing, here's how it gets interesting:




What the filmmakers have done is create a word of mouth/grassroots type of viral marketing in where YOU as the audience member, get to demand if you want it in your town. Spread the word enough, and boom! Your town is chosen each subsequent week it's playing. For now, they seem to be adding 10 cities per week, and the film premiered on September 25th.

The full list of cities currently playing "Paranormal Activity" are:

ARIZONA Phoenix *Starting 10/1* Harkins Tempe Marketplace 16 2000 E Rio Salado Pkwy. Tempe, AZ 85281 Tickets & Showtimes Tucson El Con 3601 E. Broadway Tucson, AZ 85716 Tickets & Showtimes   CALIFORNIA Los Angeles *Starting 10/1* Archlight Hollywood 6360 W. Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Sacramento *Starting 10/1* Century Stadium 14 1590 Ethan Way Sacramento, CA 95825     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes San Diego *Starting 10/1* AMC Mission Valley 1640 Camino Del Rio, North San Diego, CA 92108     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes San Francisco *Starting 10/1* AMC IMAX Metreon 15 101 4th St San Francisco, CA 94103     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes San Jose *Starting 10/1* AMC Mercado 20 IMAX 3111 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Santa Cruz Del Mar 3 1124 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Tickets & Showtimes   COLORADO Boulder Cinemark 16 1700 26th Street Boulder, CO 80302 Tickets & Showtimes Denver *Starting 10/1* UA Continental 3635 S. Monaco Pkwy. Denver, CO 80237 Tickets & Showtimes   FLORIDA Miami *Starting 10/1* AMC Aventura 24 19501 Biscayne Blvd #3001 Aventura, FL 33180     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Orlando AMC Universal 6000 Universal Blvd. Suite 740 Orlando, FL 32819     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Tampa *Starting 10/1* AMC Veterans 24 & IMAX 9302 Anderson Road Tampa, FL 33634 Tickets & Showtimes   GEORGIA Atlanta *Starting 10/1* Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 261 19th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30363 Tickets & Showtimes

ILLINOIS Chicago *Starting 10/1* AMC Rivereast 322 East Illinois Street Chicago, IL 60611     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes   LOUISIANA Baton Rouge Mall of Louisiana 9168 Picardy Ave Extension Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Tickets & Showtimes   MARYLAND DC/Baltimore *Starting 10/1* AMC Georgetown Theatre 3111 K Street N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tickets & Showtimes   MICHIGAN Ann Arbor State 233 State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Tickets & Showtimes Detroit *Starting 10/1* AMC Forum 30 IMAX 44681 Mound Rd. Sterling Heights, MI 48314 Tickets & Showtimes   MINNESOTA Minneapolis *Starting 10/1* AMC Rosedale 14 850 Rosedale Center Roseville, MN 55113 Tickets & Showtimes   NEBRASKA Lincoln Ross Media Arts Center 313 N 13th St Lincoln, NE 68508     - SOLD OUT - Tickets & Showtimes   NEVADA Las Vegas *Starting 10/1* Rave Town Square 18 6587 Las Vegas Blvd So. Las Vegas, NV 89119 Tickets & Showtimes   NEW YORK New York *Starting 10/1* AMC Empire 25 IMAX 234 West 42nd St. New York, NY 10036     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes   NORTH CAROLINA Durham Southpoint Cinema 16 8030 Renaissance Pkwy. Suite 975 Durham, NC 27713     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes

OHIO Columbus Studio 35 Cinema 3055 Indianola Ave Columbus, OH 43202 Tickets & Showtimes   PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia *Starting 10/1* The Bridge: cinema de lux 230 S. 40th Street S 40th Street and Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes State College Premiere College 9 3031 Carnegie Drive State College, PA 16803 Tickets & Showtimes   TEXAS Austin Alamo Draft House Cinema 1120 South Lamar Austin, TX 78704     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Dallas *Starting 10/1* AMC Northpark 15 8687 N Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75225     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes Houston *Starting 10/1* AMC Studio 30 2949 Dunvale Houston, TX 77063     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes San Antonio *Starting 10/1* AMC Huebner Oaks 11075 Interstate Hwy 10 West San Antonio, TX 78230     - SOLD OUT - - New Screens Added!- Tickets & Showtimes   WASHINGTON Seattle Neptune 1303 N.E. 45th Street Seattle, WA 98105 Tickets & Showtimes   WISCONSIN Madison Marcus Eastgate 16 5202 High Crossing Blvd. Madison, WI 53704 Tickets & Showtim

So if you don't see your city and really want to check out this film, I say demand it, spread the word every way you can, and have fun! As of now, the film is ONLY showing at midnight, from Thursday - Saturday (3 days) in each city from my understanding. Definitely online pre-ordering is a must for this.

In closing, the movie isn't perfect, and you really shouldn't go into the movie expecting lots of crazy business. The movie IS a very clever and effective film, and I feel it does what it sets out to achieve right, but it's definitely not for everyone. However, it IS better than lots of the shit that Hollywood has spoon feeding people with stupid storylines, and even worse acting inflated by bigger budgets and need for violence.

If it's playing in your city, I say give it a chance and check it out. Otherwise, demand it, or you know, just wait for the DVD. :P

--Manny

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJRQ2O9-5-Y

Mr. TasTees Visual Mix Tape — "A Crazy Trip In Chicago" from Anthony Esquivel on Vimeo.

Earlier in the year, myself and LBP Members Alex Hashioka, and Alex Meglei did a favor for good friend and local rapper, Moses "Kid Static" Harris to appear in a promo music video for him as well as other local indie Chicago artists. The video was finally completed and now up for viewing above. Both Alex's and I are the ninjas in the video, fighting the cardboard robot. Specifically, I'm the one doing the twist fall when the robot shoots his "barrier" out at us.

Enjoy!

Sorry for the delay between posts y'all. I was out all across the east coast for a month and a half for stunt training, networking, and being with my fiance, and now I'm back in Chicago, settling and working/training again. I've tried to post up pics but AnD is uber slow with that stuff, so alot are up, but not all. I took a ton of pics, but if your friends with me on myspace or facebook, you can view them all there. =)

Please visit Kid Static here:

http://www.kidstatic.com/

--Manny

I traveled out to New York City to meet fellow action filmmakers and stunt buddies Jon Truei from The Conquistadors and Shaun Finney from The Stunt People to shoot a small short and fight. In it, Shaun attempts to explain to casual viewers how to spruce up their test fights by shooting in an expensive looking city like San Francisco. However, Jon and I interrupt Shaun during his explanation, and wackiness ensues. Enjoy!

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcAyCH1oogw

 

 

Further Team Internet Adventures In NYC from Emmanuel Manzanares on Vimeo.

 

--Manny