Bachchan Paandey, Review: Gangsters are best played by real-life gangsters Why would you choose a name like Bachchan Pandey, unless you thought you could cash-in on the franchises called Amitabh Bachchan (name of a real life actor) and Chulbul Pandey (name of a reel-life character, played in several movies by Salman Khan)? Point is, does a superstar himself, like Akshay Kumar, who plays the title role, need these props? Leaving the Paandey behind, ‘Bachchan’ is made to speak some ...

Dawn Westlake's "Games People Play" received its 40th festival acceptance today with L'Aquila Film Fest in L'Aquila, Italy for December 8-18, 2015. Shot on the C500 by Jon Carr, the film was scored by Alvarez-featured guitarist GC Johnson of Acoustic Labs in the style of Ennio Morricone. "Games People Play" stars David Razowsky, Mark Jacobson and Westlake, herself. For more info and to see a trailer, please visit: http://dawnwestlake.com/rondecana/films/gamespeop...

Out of 400 submissions, "Games People Play", a noir comedy written and helmed by Dawn Westlake, will represent the USA in Ferizaj, Kosovo in the FerFilm Fest September 2-6, 2015. The film was shot on the CanonC500 by Jon Carr who also did the editing and vfx. "Games People Play" stars David Razowsky, Mark Jacobson and Westlake herself and features an original score by GC Johnson of Acoustic Labs. For more info on the film and to see a trailer, please visit: http://dawnwestla...

"Games People Play" was selected to HorrorQuest Film Fest in Atlanta, Georgia, USA for October 16-18, 2015. A noir-comedy-thriller shot on the Canon C500 in the style of a spaghetti western, this is the FIRST horror fest for the hybrid short written and helmed by Dawn Westlake. "Games People Play" stars David Razowsky, Mark Jacobson, and Westlake herself. An Ennio-Morricone-esque score was provided by GC Johnson of Acoustic Labs. http://www.thehorrorquest.com/ For more info...

"Games People Play" will unspool in London in the Portobello Film Fest on September 10th, 2015 at 6:30pm. Admission is FREE! The noir comedy was written/helmed by Dawn Westlake and stars David Razowsky, Mark Jacobson and Westlake, herself. An Ennio Morricone-esque score was provided by GC Johnson of Acoustic Labs. Johnson will next be heard on the score for the Tom Tykwer-helmed and Tom Hanks-starrer "Hologram for the King", based on the Dave Eggers novel. For more info on ...

"Games People Play", a comedy written and directed by Dawn Westlake and produced by Ron de Cana Productions in Los Angeles, has been selected to the 2015 Anonimul Film Festival in St. Gheorghe, Romania for August 17-23, 2015. http://www.festival-anonimul.ro/2015_line-up_en The film stars Second City veteran David Razowsky, Mark Jacobson, and Westlake herself. Shot on the CanonC500 by Jon Carr, the film was scored by Alvarez-featured guitarist Gregory Johnson of Acoustic Labs. For mo...

CINEMA POTPOURRI: February (This is a new monthly segment that will cover a variety of topics -- casting news, movie happenings, and whatever happens to be on my movie-crazed mind)  SUNDANCE(what it was…what it became…what it now wants to be)Of course, the independent film movement existed long before the Sundance Film Festival opened its doors in 1985 and officially adopted its title in 1991.  But never before had mainstream Hollywood responded so resoundingly to its possibilities. Redfor...

Thursday, February 1----The distinctive music of Italian film composer Ennio Morricone will be showcased at three distinguished New York institutions in the coming days, making New York abuzz with Morricone music magic. Films that feature both well-known and obscure Morricone music soundtracks are being presented at two different film series at the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Forum. At Radio City Music Hall, the composer himself makes his long overdue American concert debut, in a progra...