Acceptance is the Beginning - Crowdfunding Campaign for a Powerful Faith-Based Film

 

Stephen L. Satterfield is a true movie industry veteran, with over 30 films under his belt. He began his career back in 2017 and has worked as a producer, writer, and actor since then. Back in 2022, he wrote a script called Acceptance is the Beginning, and now, with the help of an Indiegogo campaign, he is working to turn it into a reality. Here's how Stephen describes his upcoming project:

Acceptance is the Beginning is truly about sharing the message and promises of Christianity. I do warn that the film has an unapologetically evangelical perspective, and I ask all to consider that when donating as I respect free will, too. The main character is depressed and without faith and hope. The main character also has an opportunity to unwittingly share his problems and his grief with an angel and demon.

The premise of the film looks really interesting and engaging, especially from the perspective of the Christian faith. At the same time, Stephen aims to produce his work where he also resides. That means that the film should be shot in the coming summer at a location in the US, more precisely in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Here's where the crowdfunding campaign comes in. Stephen is raising the first target of a very modest $500 in a flexible Indiegogo campaign and it is presently at 59 percent, with 28 days to go. If you'd like to see Acceptance is the Beginning see the light of a day as a finished project, consider helping Stephen either by donating directly on the film's Indiegogo page or by spreading the word about the campaign on social media!

Devil's Knight (2024) - Action Horror Fantasy

There can never be too many movies set in the medieval fantasy period, especially if they're based on a blend of action and horror. Simply put, the same mix of genres always provides a level of fun and thrills that nearly guarantees a good time for cinephiles of these types of films. Devil's Knight is one such film, and this title only recently came out. Here's how the film describes itself:

In the realm of Veroka, an elite group of global monster hunters is summoned by King Samuel to vanquish the ancient Bone Devil, whose reign of terror threatens the Kingdom of Remény.

 

The movie is directed by Adam Werth and stars John Wells, Kevin Sorbo, Angie Everhart, and Daniel Baldwin. It also features the legendary Eric Roberts. It was written by Vincent V. Gelsomino and Adam Werth. Devil's Knight is produced by Michael Mahal and Sonny Mahal of Mahal Empire Productions.

For more information, check out the Devil's Knight IMDb page!

Enter the Gripping Myth of The Kiamichi Beast with The Quachita Beast Incident!

The legend of the Kiamichi Beast dates back over 200 years. Back then, in the area of the mountains in Oklahoma, the tales of the local Native American tribes tell of an elusive creature that is haunting the same wild woodlands. In that rugged terrain, this mythical creature has been accused of bringing fear into the hearts of men and even worse, disappearing into the night with their children. 

 

This story is the basis of a whole series of films from Master Hughes Productions. Behind them is Master Hughes, director, actor and producer who took on the legend of the Kiamichi. The series begins with The Kiamichi Beast Expedition, where Hughes, along with a veteran tracker Victor Inman, sets off into the mountains for a perilous mission. There, things that are not only dangerous for them, but also able to install unspeakable terror, lie in wait.

The successful title was followed by The Kiamichi Beast Expedition 2, Trail of the Kiamichi Beast and finally the latest entrance in the series, The Quachita Beast incident. All of the films were more greeted by the Bigfoot enthusiasts community, but also found their audience among other interested viewers. Through them, the crew around Master Hughes focused on creating the best possible experience for the audience of this series. In the foundation of each sequel was the unshakable desire of everyone involved to blend reality and imagination into an unforgeable cinematographic encounter.

Now, with The Quachita Beast Incident being available for online viewing, it is certain that a brand new generation of fans will learn about this series. If you're interested in Bigfoot and many other mysteries that our great world offers, check out the same film on TubiTv right now and watch it - it will be an unforgettable experience no matter what!

Two Paragraph Review: Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

Right from the start, it is easy to tell that Three Thousand Years of Longing is not going to be an ordinary movie. The directory, George Miller, offers his unique outlook on movie-making with a blend of colorful CGI and real-world locations that seem to be out of this world. Together with the fantastic Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton as the main characters of djinn and the scholar Alithea who listens to his tale, the film has all that it takes to be a work of art for the ages.

Yet, there is a clear fault line present throughout the plot that runs from the start until the very end. It stops us from fully connecting to either the main protagonists or the numerous, often silent supporting roles spanning three millennia of history. It might be ironic to say that the movie that is brimming with magic is sadly missing just a bit of its own to become truly great. Instead, it is entertaining and wonderful to behold, but not something that will last even 100 years, not to mention millennials.

Tales of Atonement Episode 2 Development News!

It’s been a couple of months since the first episode of Tales of Atonement, a new and very dynamic web-animated series that came out. Initially, the animated version of the book series from A.A. Moreland generated plenty of attention, especially from fans of indie animation and fantasy. Over the coming weeks, the attention attracted a substantial following on its YouTube channel, which now has well over 1,000 subscribers. But, more importantly, there is some big news coming from the team when it comes to new episodes.

Presently, the whole Tales of Atonement team is working hard on the new episode, which is Episode 2. The story so far set in medieval Scotland built its foundation of intrigue and mystery, with a local family welcoming refugees from England who is escaping apparent religious persecution. The same involves accusations of one of the family members being accused of witchcraft. This, along with many interesting characters, great hybrid animation, and excellent sound, music, and voiceover work, makes Episode 1 a joy to watch. If you didn’t see it before, watch the entire episode right here:

Now, the next installment of the series should come out somewhere in May 2023, so it's basically around the corner. Yet, one of the most important mechanisms that would speed up the entire production would be if the Tales of Atonement Patreon page got some supporters. 

 

This way, the team would be able to create episodes in a much faster manner and get it to their growing audience with a smaller gap between the installments. So, if you can, support this amazing creative effort and check the team on TikTok and Facebook as well. But, most importantly, subscribe to the Tales of Atonement YouTube channel and be among the first to watch Episode 2 when it comes out!

Tales of Atonement || Monomyth || Episode 1: The Day We Met - First Episode of a Promising Animated YouTube Series

Several months ago, Tales of Atonement promised to bring an innovative and engaging mixture of genres and storytelling approaches. Using a series of novels from A.A. Moreland, the animated adaptation, wanted to tap into the huge domain of digital tools that can create brand-new worlds of fiction.

Now, the first episode of Tales of Atonement is finally here and it more than lives up to the expectations. The story follows a family living in medieval Scotland, where a family greets a refugee couple and their daughter running from prosecution back in England. The Scottish family is somewhat shocked to hear that a member of the same family was accused of witchcraft, but still welcomes them with open arms. Watch the whole Episode 1 right here:

Almost immediately, the episode draws the viewers in, offering a range of interesting characters, all with their personalities and layered motives. The historical and geographical setting of the story gives it plenty of appeal, while the mystery of the plot is set up with great pacing.

From a technical standpoint, Tales of Atonement is also exceedingly effective. At its core, the series uses motion graphics of a standard coming book format. However, it adds to them fantastic voiceovers, with authentic accents, as well as a range of other elements. These include actual full-motion videos, short vignettes of things like doors opening, and other similar things that really help the world of Tales of Atonement come to life. Even the sound design, with sound effects and accompanying music score.

There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to this unique animated series. The future episodes will only expand on the great foundations that Episode 1 established and many fans of fantasy and animation will surely find a lot of enjoyment by following Tales of Atonement! If you’re one of them, subscribe to the channel now and be there for Episode 2 and the whole series!

Two Paragraph Review: Green Knight (2021)

 

There's a lot of things going on in Green Knight visually and on some hard-to-gauge high concept stage. People tell dramatic snippets of epic-sounding tales and heads do come off without actually killing their owners. For the Arthurian myth, that is all more than appropriate and the great cast runs with it from the initial setup when the hero's great adventure begins. Which is all well and good.

What's less so is the fact that the movie feels very improvised and somehow physically restrained. All of its locations seem like some kind of a failed site scouting job, where any old castle, forest, meadow, or field would do. The photography of Green Knight is not bad in the technical sense, but the emotional tone it emits is ringing hollow. In many ways, that ringing resonates with the whole film, giving it a nice-looking, but going-nowhere feel throughout.

Two-paragraph review: The Old Guard (2020)

I can see a pattern emerging in the way Netflix produces its high budget action movies. The Old Guard seems to be a perfect representation of this recipe. First of all, you need a famous lead, who is, in this case, the always solid Charlize Theron. Then you need a simple but engaging plot, which is here a story about a band of immortal warriors. You need a setting that suggests a lot of intrigue and geopolitical concepts behind someone hunting down those warriors in the present day, but which explores none of them. Finally, you need a lot of action, but none of it too much at any given time. Instead, it should be spaced out across the runtime of the film in neat chunks. Now shoot, edit, and there you go - you have your Netflix hit.

This film works in the same manner as The Extraction. Even with the fantasy element, it provides a similar viewing experience, where you emotionally barely connect with the characters, as well as their desires or needs. This goes for the plot itself, which might be predictable - still it is never becomes boring or stupid. What you end up with is a cookie-cutter action film that is neither good nor especially bad. If you took out the lead actress from the set-up, as well as a few other characters and one exotic shooting location, you'd have your run-of-the-mill SyFy film.

Indie Showcase: Did You See That? (2019)

The domain of horror, science fiction, and fantasy is something that had its golden age in the 1970s and 1980s with an array of amazing an amazingly bad movies. This naturally includes the weird and wonderful exploitation films that managed to influence entire generations of filmmakers and film fans. Did You See That? is a movie that has a strong sense of the very same sensibility. Here's how it describes its plot:

With the blood of her loved ones on her hands, Chaka, a young witch-in-training must team up with the Guardian Lamar (Powerman MC, Crossbones and Welfare to Millionaire) to stop a demonic entity, Thaddeus Ayromlooi (Dragon Dronet, Alien Resurrection) from mutilating the rest of her friends. Their only hope is the Riazza Themsla, a forbidden book of spells that released Thaddeus into their world in the first place. Time begins to run out as his tactics become more unpredictable, leading Chaka and her friends into doubting what is reality and what is an illusion.

Two Paragraph Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Copyright: Warner Bros. Pictures

I always tend to appreciate films that try something as opposed to those who try nothing. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a film that does try something new, even though it is actually two old things - a Peter-Jackson-like epic fantasy approach and the film’s own director’s signature street-hustling style that made Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels into a cult movie. But since his days in contemporary British gangster stories, Guy Ritchie began branching out and this film is one of those branches.

Of course, not all will or have appreciated the fast-talking, street-smart Arthur who is more than a reluctant hero. Epic fantasy, like porn, is often meant to be consumed in a predefined way where innovations are seen by many as something that takes pleasure away from the expected enjoyment. In spite of that collective wisdom, Ritchie did something interesting here and this might not lead to others trying to emulate his emergent fantasy style, but the film is unpredictable when it comes to its plot and rather well-acted; this especially applies to Jude Law as the main villain Vortigern. Finally, the film might not be the new Excalibur, but like the classic from 1981, it tries to mix it up.

Crowdfunding Push: Jenna The Great

Comedy films and the educational system are one of the great combos ever since the late 1970’s. Of course, everyone’s experience, including my own, shows why this is true - all those bad, weird and supremely boring times spent in school can hardly be forgotten. Now, a new independent film in the crowdfunding phase is trying to capture the same phenomena, but using an interesting and very original fantasy twist. The film in question is called Jenna the Great and here’s what its Indiegogo page states:

What on Earth would 'YOU' do if you had your last exam around the corner woke up with a genius that just happened to be a famous philosopher from Ancient Greece? A team of decorated filmmakers have teamed up to deliver this fun, wacky idea to the screen. The story sets up cocky student protagonist; Jenna waking up with our chosen favourite philosopher; Aristotle, to deliver you our funny hidden chapter of history about the most unlikeliest of friendships ever forged.

Aside from including one of the greatest philosophical minds in history as a teenager-helper to the main character, the film’s pitch is brimming with that old-fashioned down-to-earth positivity that is sorely lacking in modern sarcastic and too self-conscious films, both studio-based and indie-made. The video pitch for the crowdfunding shows a team of artists and producers who are eager to get to work on a script they clearly like and find funny and charming in equal measure. Because of all of this, there is little doubt that the end product will be a breath of fresh air that is both a lighthearted comedy about the educational system and homage to the important (if not crucial) role it plays.

The flexible campaign to raise money for Jenna The Great was designed to cover basic costs of filming and production, so any help would be very appreciated by the cast and crew. Learn more about the campaign and how you can help it out right here.

Film Review: Warcraft (2016)

Copyright: Universal Pictures

Great young directors will often be provided with a chance to enter the realm of huge Hollywood blockbusters and showcase their ability to tackle projects on this scale. Duncan Jones, whose talent after films like Moon is indisputable, got his break with the first feature-length movie adaptation of the Warcraft video game franchise.

Jones should have said no, but he instead tried to do the best he could, which wasn’t that great when all is summed up. In the film, the beginning stages of the orc invasion of the realm of Azeroth begins, all masterminded by Gul'dan – if this doesn’t mean a lot to you, you probably won’t enjoy the rest of the action-packed film which is not that action packed. 

Lead by a weird assembly of actors, some of which are both very good and poorly cast, which is presented perfectly with the case of Ben Foster, the Warcraft film is lacking clear direction and some final sense of purpose. 

Coming (Not So) Soon: Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is not going to be hitting the movie theaters anytime soon (the release date is in 2017), but the film does look both impressive and kind of idiotic at the same time. So far, it looks like the producers decided to combine the notion of King Kong with the first part of the Predator series and then put in a big chunk of Aliens from 1986, mainly with the current military aspect of the film. This will make the film either pretty fun or intensely bad.

Check out Kong: Skull Island trailer below.

Voices From The Mist - A short film by Vladislav Pantić

Vladislav Pantić is a visual artist and animator from Belgrade, Serbia. As a veteran of the gaming industry, Vladislav was included in the game development process for several years before he published his first short animated film called Voices From The Mist.

Featuring a combination of the classic frame by frame animation and CGI element, the short film tells about the relationship between humanity and the hidden world of the fairies.

With a brilliant voice over acting and plenty of atmosphere, the short piece really has that vintage fantasy feel that marked so many fantastic films from the 70's and the 80's. 

Film Review - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Copyright: Walt Disney Studios

George Lucas was the guy who invented the concept of the Force, and then 30 years later decided that the Force was actually produced by midi-chlorians, a type of microorganism in the blood of a person. After that, he apparently realized that he just doesn’t get these new kids, which is the reason why his last three films in the Star Wars franchise failed so miserably, even when it comes to selling a lot of merchandise (for some reason, not many people bought Hayden Christensen T-shirts).

At that moment, he did something unattainable for most despots through history and released the reins to someone else for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Lucas was done and many felt really happy that he was out of the picture.

The guy who filled his shoes was J.J. Abrams, a film industry veteran that must have been Cardinal Richelieu or someone like him in his past life because he continues to swim like a champion in the shark-infested waters of Hollywood. 

Crowdfunding Push: Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film

Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film crowdfunding project is definitely very self-explanatory. As the title suggests, it's aiming to raise money for the production of one of the first (if not the first) epic fantasy films which will be entirely created in the region of Southern Serbia. The project's official Indiegogo page states:

Crowdfunding Push: Black Angel

Epic fantasy is something that is currently really popular in many formats, especially video games. But, at the same time, apart from Peter Jackson’s not so brilliant Hobbit trilogy and many fringe, sort of fantasy young adult adaptations of successful novels, there aren’t many movies that delve straight into this territory. Now, there is a crowdfunding campaign aimed at funding a film called Black Angler that is going for the full epic fantasy feel. The film’s Indiegogo page states:

So bad it’s good: The Hobbit - The Battle of the Five Armies

Copyright: Warner Bros. Pictures

Yes, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies movie has a lot of things in it, or should I say a LOTR of things (I had to make that pun). It has a dragon, armies one, two, three, four and five, and possibly six and seven, but this is more a question for all those Tolkien strategy masters out there.

It has magical stones, magical rings and a whole bunch of magical riding animals, starting with wolves, and going all the way to riding mountain goats, moose and even riding pigs. In the story, characters fight evil Orks while they lose their footing, and then other characters also fight other evil Orks while they also lose their footing in a slightly different manner.

The film has all these things, including never-ending battles where swords are mostly used clubs or metal planks (hey, the budget of the film was enormous, but no one can make that many engaging/not silly sword fights) but in spite of all these things, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is about one thing, and one thing only – a character named Alfrid.

Film Review: Dracula Untold (2014)

Copyright: Universal Pictures

If you don’t like this film, and I sure wasn’t made into its fan after I watched it, its name offers many possible puns. Like, this movie is so bad that its story should be like its title and it should have remained untold. Or, doesn’t this film kill its own name by telling the story which is supposed to be “untold”?

Granted, these puns are not that great. But, truth to be told (not untold), this film isn’t that great either. But, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I felt as someone who was robbed of 90 minutes. The key issue and the slipping point of this film is the fact that its director, Gary Shore, simply didn’t know where to take it most of the time.

The movie industry is continuously drawn to the story of Dracula and vampires in general. Psychologically speaking, there are so many good things in these tales that they are simply irresistible – sexual allusion of dominance, clothing style, the notions of unstoppable power that comes at a great personal cost – vampire have it all, and they are easy for everyone to understand them.

Film Review: Dead in Tombstone

Copyright: Universal Pictures

I must say that I didn’t have very high expectations from this film. One look at the poster is enough for a decent plot summary, which includes a bandit coming back from hell to seek revenge on those who betrayed him.

But, honestly, I must say that I was pleasantly suppressed by the result. The director Roel Reine, who is no stranger to these kinds of films, quickly realized what the strong suits of this movie are: Danny Trejo and Mickey Rourke. First one plays Guerrero De La Cruz, the outlaw who gets killed and meets Lucifer, played by Rourke. With these two in a movie, it’s not possible to have a total flop.

Dead in Tombstone relies primarily on the western part of the story. The horror part, portrayed mainly by Rourke and his depiction of a soul-greedy Satan, staggers behind, and the action is mostly represented by gun, knife and fist fights. The production values of the film very solid for a DVD movie, and it was mostly filmed in Romania. The scenery is very nice, and the good people of Romania even built a little town in the prairie, which gets gradually destroyed in the course of the day which De La Cruz spends back among the living.