Dance of the Dead
Posted by Josh on April 12th, 2008 @ 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

Last night Jeremiah and I went to the Atlanta premier of Dance of the Dead and boy did we have fun. DotD is the second film from Atlanta native, Gregg Bishop. Gregg has been really helpful to us during post production of Dangerous Calling. He’s a great guy and his new film is a ton of fun.

Here’s the story: zombies show up and ruin the prom. How cool is that? We were one of the lucky few to see an early rough cut of the film and were blown away by how much better it was than the version we saw. It’s a fast paced zombie comedy with some terrific action scenes and lots of laughs. Find out more on the official website: http://www.danceofthedeadmovie.com

If you missed last night’s screening, there are two more next Saturday, April 19 at 2:45pm and 5:00pm. Click here to get tickets. If you are a fan of zombie movies, I highly encourage you to try and make one of those screenings. You’ll be glad you did.

Side note: The composer for DotD, Kristopher Carter, is the same guy who is composing the music for Dangerous Calling. He’s brilliant. The music last night was fantastic. The DC composing process kicks into high gear starting tomorrow. We’ll blog about that as we have more to report.

Have you ever killed a movie?
Posted by Jeremiah on April 11th, 2008 @ 02:25 PM | Comments (0)

It takes a long time to resurrect them.

In 1995, the Mel Gibson film Braveheart was released. I don’t remember if my family went to see it in theaters. Possibly. But I know that we rented it and eventually bought it. At the time, we watched Braveheart several times and over the next few years, we’d watch it once a month. The Daws Family LOVED Braveheart.

And we killed it. I’ve probably seen Braveheart once since 1997. There are some movies that you enjoy so much that you want it to be played round the clock. And then one day, you wake up and someone suggests watching it and your reaction is, “Ick. I’ve seen it too much.” That’s what we did at the time - we’d watch films so much that we’d suck the very life out of them. It was the only way we knew how to view films. Over and over. (It really is the best way to appreciate a film and learn from it.)

Strangely enough, Dumb and Dumber was the other one we were killing around the same time. So whenever I think of Braveheart, I can’t help but think of Dumb and Dumber. Weird.

This week, Braveheart has been raised from the dead for me. I’ve been wanting to see it for a few months now and decided to borrow it from Josh. (I’m telling you, it was dead - I didn’t even buy it when it was released on DVD.)

I watched the film today and it was new again. What a fantastic film. It has so many great quotes. “I’m going to pick a fight.” “You may take our lands but you will never take our freedom.” And this time, I’m watching it as a serious filmmaker rather than a 15-year-old kid who likes to make stop motion films with his Star Wars action figures. And you know what? As soon as it finished, I wanted to start it again. Hurray!!!

So the cycle of life goes on even in the world of my DVD collection. I have killed and seen brought back to life such movies as The Abyss, Field of Dreams, The Truman Show, and many more.

You can see this phenomenon most when it comes to Christmas movies. My family and I have about 20 Christmas movies we watch during the months of November and December. By December 25th, I hate those movies. But by the following November, we can’t wait to pull them out again.

There are a few movies that I am killing or have killed recently. A few of them are:

The Aviator
Mission Impossible 3
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (its not dead but its dying)
The Last Samurai
Pirates of the Carribean
Walk the Line

So Braveheart gives me hope that even though I kill a film, its not really dead. It will come back and I’ll watch it again. And when the film does come back to life for me, I’ll appreciate it in a whole new light.

I just bought There Will Be Blood on DVD. That’ll be the next one I kill.

A Smattering Of Reviews
Posted by Josh on April 9th, 2008 @ 02:54 PM | Comments (0)

Here are several short reviews of movies/shows I’ve recently been watching:

There Will Be Blood - Best movie I’ve seen in years.  I saw this in the theaters just before the Oscars.  I can’t believe it didn’t win.  Years to come, film scholars will look back on this film as a classic.  If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and add it to your Netflix queue… or better yet your DVD collection.  One complaint: The single disc dvd case is just a cheap cardboard sleeve.  What’s up with that?

No Country For Old Men - What started as an engrossing crime drama turned into a “look at me.  I’m important” Oscar grab from the Coen Brothers.  Kudos to them.  It worked.  Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The Red Shoes (1948) - A ballet movie based on a Hans Christian Anderson story.  I saw a preview for this on TCM and thought it looked interesting.  It was.  One of the most visually interesting movies I’ve ever seen.  Especially for the time.  It was a major inspiration for An American In Paris, but I thought it was much better.  Compelling story with stunning visuals.  I highly recommend.

Battlestar Gallactica - I’m late to the game on this one.  I just recently got into it.  I’m starting the third season.  Great show.  Second season dragged in the middle, but that last couple of episodes really shook things up.  I initially watched the mini-series when it first came on, but wasn’t impressed.  All the critical acclaim convinced me to give it another chance.  I’m glad I did.

30 Rock - What a wonderful show.  With the writer’s strike leaving prime time television a barren wasteland, I decided to go back and check out some shows that I had never gotten into.  30 Rock is the best of the bunch.  Tina Fey’s self deprecating humor works wonderfully with Alec Baldwin’s ego.  Throw in crazy Tracy Morgan and it’s a recipe for laughs.  If you don’t like this one, then you need to go see Dr. Spaceman.

Sweeney Todd - Oh my gosh.  How have I lived this long without knowing this musical.  It took Tim Burton and Johnny Depp to pull me into the Stephen Sondheim masterpiece.  I love musicals, but Sondheim has always been a bit of a mystery to me.  Someone once told me he was an acquired taste.  I think I’ve acquired it.  Thank you, Mr. Burton.  As for the film, it was Burton’s best in years.

I Am Legend - Great first half, but the last half ruined it.  So disappointing.  I love Will Smith though.

It’s time for Twittering…
Posted by Josh on March 28th, 2008 @ 11:24 PM | Comments (0)

Yup. We’ve joined the growing hordes of people using Twitter.com. I guess this means we’re cool now. For those of you that don’t know, Twitter is a way of letting the whole world know what you’re up to. I guess it’s called microblogging. You post in blurbs of 140 characters or less. Follow us on Twitter if you’d like to know (in real time) when we’re eating dinner, mowing the lawn, or watching tv. Exciting stuff. But seriously, we’ll try to keep it interesting. This really is the best way to keep up to date on all the Dangerous Calling news that we’re too busy to actually blog about.

Josh is JoshDaws
Jeremiah is JeremiahDaws

You really should give it a try. It’s kinda fun and all the cool kids are doing it.

An Awesome Feeling…
Posted by Jeremiah on March 3rd, 2008 @ 04:40 PM | Comments (1)

Last Saturday night, March 1st, 2008 we screened the final cut of Dangerous Calling (minus score) for almost 400 people. And the audience LOVED it!!! We were met with a standing ovation as we took the stage afterwards. Lanny Donoho hosted the event and was hilarious, as usual. We had a brief Q & A with the four leads, Carrie Walrond, Jackie Prucha, Stephen Caudill, and Brandon O’Dell. The entire night was a huge success and we couldn’t be more pleased with how the film turned out. The crowd laughed and cheered in all the right spots.

It was an awesome feeling to have so many people appreciate the hard work we’ve put in over the last year. I leaned over to Josh during the credits as the crowd cheered and clapped and I said, “I want to do this for the rest of my life!” We are so blessed to have been able to make a film and doubly blessed that it is GOOD!

Before we screened the film, we showed a 3 minute highlight reel of some of our favorite films that we have made over the last 20 years. Click here to view that video.

Here are some pictures of the event. Click on them to see them larger.

(The two Daws Brothers and Josh’s wife, Becca. Becca helped plan the event and was instrumental in making it a success. The two on the right belong together.)

(This is a wide shot of the lower level of the Dozier Center for the Performing Arts where we held the screening. This picture does NOT do this venue justice. Simply breathtaking!)

(Our Co-Producer, Heather Duffie, was due on Saturday with her third child but decided to have the baby a week early so she could make the screening! That is dedication. This was little Julian Duffie’s first movie screening.)

(This is the Daws Brothers with the host, Lanny Donoho. Some of you may recognize him from our podcasts.)

(This was taken during the Q & A with the four leads.)

(Chris Campbell - DP, Josh, Vinny Vittorio - Producer, Jeremiah, and Nathan McGill - Producer)

Thanks to all who attended and helped to make the night so special. Now that the film is finished, the next step is to sell it. It was a miracle that the film got completed. I’m hoping for another one!

The Force
Posted by Jeremiah on February 12th, 2008 @ 09:59 AM | Comments (2)

This will give you a little insight into the home-life of the Daws Brothers.

The other day I was talking to our mother about a cruise she and our dad were preparing to go on. She’d never been on a cruise before and was fretting over what to pack. Anyway, while in the midst of all that chaos, she turned to me and said, “Why do they say ‘May the force be with you’ when Obi-Wan clearly said ‘The Force will be with you, always?’”

I was just stunned - because a) I had never thought about that before, and b) I couldn’t believe my mom had just come up with the most amazing philosophical Star Wars comment I’ve ever heard. And she’s not a nerd or a geek. Well, I guess she is now.

That is what growing up Daws was like.

Quiz Show
Posted by Jeremiah on February 9th, 2008 @ 09:11 AM | Comments (0)

It’s Saturday morning. I woke up around 5:30am and just couldn’t go back to sleep. This is partly because I had fallen asleep last night while watching the USA show Psych. So I was out by 11pm last night. Pretty early for a Friday night.

I had recently borrowed the movie Quiz Show from my brother’s elaborate DVD collection. (I must admit, my collection is lacking in the way of dramas.) I figured I’d put Quiz Show on and fall back to sleep while watching it. I have seen Quiz Show several times over the last 14 years - it’s one of those movies I can watch every time it is on TV. There is something just gripping about it.

While watching the film this morning, I didn’t fall asleep. On the contrary, I was just amazed by the emotion I felt. The guilt and shame that Van Doren feels practically leaps off the screen. My favorite theme in the movie is the relationship he has with his father. This is no better realized than in a certain scene where the two Van Dorens eat chocolate cake together.

The scene starts at about an hour and 15 minutes into the movie. Charlie has been cheating on the show for several months and it is killing him. Though nothing is said at all about his guilt, you can read it on his face. He so wants to confess all to his dad but at the same time he doesn’t want to disappoint him. There is a certain camera move - a dolly forward into a close-up on Charlie - it’s the moment where he almost tells his father everything - but he doesn’t. It’s that perfect union of great acting, great writing (that understands that good writing doesn’t always mean the presence of dialogue), and great direction. The only word spoken is “Dad.”

And then at the end of the scene Charlie comments about his desire to go back to the simplicity of coming home from school and eating chocolate cake and how nothing else will make him that happy. He is lamenting the innocence he has lost. His father then tells him he won’t feel that happy until he has a son of his own. The subtext is incredible. They are talking about the issue at hand without talking about the issue at hand. Brilliant. And of course this comment by his father is played completely oblivious to what Charlie is going through. His father is just expressing his own love for Charlie. But this adds to the discomfort that Charlie feels.

Go back and watch Quiz Show again. It’s not flashy but it is a solid movie that makes me feel something. It makes me examine my own life and reminds me what the price of compromise can be. And because of that, Quiz Show has made me a better person.

That’s the power of filmmaking. And that’s why I’m a filmmaker.

Screening of Dangerous Calling
Posted by Jeremiah on February 6th, 2008 @ 11:04 AM | Comments (1)

We are having a special invite-only screening of Dangerous Calling for cast, crew, friends, and family. The date is Saturday, March 1st. If we have somehow missed any of you out there that feel you are in one of these four categories, please send us an email and we’ll make sure you get an invite.

us@dawsbrothers.com

Oscar Movies
Posted by Josh on February 1st, 2008 @ 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

I’m slacking this year. I’ve only seen two of the films up for the Best Picture Oscar - Juno and Michael Clayton.

Juno - absolutely loved it. It’s the kind of indie film I can get excited about. Positive outlook on life in the midst of an unfortunate situation. I can’t recommend this movie enough. It probably won’t win since there seems to be a bit of a Juno backlash brewing for some reason, but its got my vote for best picture.

Michael Clayton - I not only checked the time during this movie, I also checked my email. Yeah. I was that bored. I know all the critics are saying great character piece and all of that, but it just didn’t pull me in at all. I felt like it worked my mind, but not my emotions. If I’m giving you two hours of my time, I want to feel something. Joy, sadness, discomfort. Anything but boredom. It just didn’t work for me.

I’m hoping to catch There Will Be Blood and maybe No Country For Old Men before the Oscars, but mostly I’m looking forward to Turner Classic Movies’ 31 days of Oscar. It starts this Friday, February 1st. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t in the past. It’s a great way to see Oscar winners/nominees from years past. Click Here to look through their schedule of great films.

My Friend, John Rambo
Posted by Jeremiah on January 25th, 2008 @ 05:51 PM | Comments (1)

I just returned from seeing Rambo at the AMC in Atlanta with my younger brother and two friends. We’re all kids of the 80’s and fans of all three Rambo films. I think everyone can agree that the best one, when looking at them as a critic, is First Blood. But, everyone also seems to agree that First Blood: Part 2 is their favorite. It certainly is mine.

I was watching Rambo 2 a few days ago and was amazed at how many great quotes it has.

Rambo: To win war, you gotta become war.

Rambo: Sir, do we get to win this time?
Trautman: This time, it’s up to you.

Trautman: The war, the whole conflict may have been wrong but damn it don’t hate your country for it.
Rambo: Hate? I’d die for it.
Trautman: Then what is it you want?
Rambo: I want, what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had, wants! For our country to love us as much as we love it! That’s what I want!

Trautman: How will you live, John?
Rambo: Day by day.

Hot Asian Chick: Rambo, you not expendable.

These are classic lines from a film I’ve watched dozens of times. My brothers and I got the Rambo 2 toy gun set for Christmas one year. I still have it out in my garage. We took strips of red cloth, tied them around our foreheads, and played Rambo for hours. Good times.

When I saw Rocky Balboa, I must admit, it was nice to have Rocky back. I blogged about that a few weeks ago.

As for this newest Rambo, I did enjoy seeing Rambo again, but the film itself was way too violent. I don’t mind all the realism in a film like Saving Private Ryan because I know it happened. But Rambo is fiction. Sure the conflict is really going on over there but I’m not sure where it is and I’m not sure why they are fighting. All I do know is that they are despicable people who rape any woman (and small boy) in sight - and they hate missionaries. So yes, they deserve to have their throats ripped out of their necks. But I’d rather not see it. Hear it, okay. No problem. Let me hear the crunch.

This film sort of felt like it wanted to gross you out. There were times when it was difficult to watch. One thing I can say for it, it seemed to up the impact of the weaponry. I have fired an AK-47, the kind of guns that the Viet Cong were firing at Rambo in the 2nd film, and those things would make you pee your pants if fired at you. In that movie, they seem to be shooting pellets. In this film, every gun seems to be able to blow your head off. And people were scared of getting hit. Well, not so much Rambo, but everyone else. So I give them props for that element. Also, I wouldn’t mind Rambo’s violence so much, I mean heck, isn’t that what we paid $8 to see, but the despicable Asian men were just so… despicable. Lots of gun shots to little kids and women. I could stomach a few but they laid it on pretty heavy.

I’d say this is the worst of the four films, but when I say worst, I mean it lovingly. Even though Sly is pumped up on steroids, I still have to give it to him. He can make a decent film. And it was a visually stunning film. When criticizing him, just remember - would you rather see films starring Sly, or films starring Vin Diesel. Enough said.

One word to the wise: don’t take your kids to this film. It’s definitely a teen movie and up. Hundreds of people die and every time someone does, we are reminded just how much blood the human body contains. Also there is brief nudity when the despicable but still throat-wearing Asian men are raping every Asian woman on screen. And this goes on for several minutes.

Overall, I’d give this film two stars - but since it is a Rambo movie, I have to bump it to three. The music was great - again, Jerry Goldsmith’s theme was there. And the final 2 minutes of the film were beautiful. I would have liked it better if they had toned down the violence and explained a little more about the conflict going on but I did enjoy myself.