ALMOST THERE, ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, CLOSE RANGE, THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT: EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS START DECEMBER 11 AT ARENA CINEMA HOLLYWOOD
Almost There. Directed by Dan Rybicky. Produced by Rybicky and Aaron Wickenden. Color, 2015, USA, 94 minutes, not rated. From Factory 25. Documentary.
ALMOST THERE is a coming-of-(old)-age story about Peter Anton, an elderly "outsider" artist living in at-risk conditions whose world changes (and maybe not all for the better) when he's discovered by two filmmakers. Shot over eight years, ALMOST THERE documents Anton's first major exhibition and how the controversy it generates forces him to leave his childhood home. By highlighting the people in Anton's community compelled to help this hilarious and heartbreaking character survive,
ALMOST THERE explores the responsibilities we have to those in need and the ethical complexities and potential conflicts inherent in every subject-filmmaker, artist-curator, helper-helpee relationship. The filmmakers will appear in person on opening weekend.
Orion: The Man Who Would Be King. Directed and written by Jeanie Finaly. Produced by Finlay and Dewi Gregory. From Sundance Selects. Color, 2015, U.K./USA, 86 minutes, not rated. Documentary/ Music. ORION: The Man Who Would Be King, a film by Jeanie Finlay tells the story of Jimmy Ellis - an unknown singer plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that had him masquerade as Elvis back from the grave. With a fictional identity torn from the pages of the best selling novel
Orion by Gail Brewer Giorgio, the backing of the legendary birthplace of rock 'n' roll Sun Records and a voice that seemed to be the very twin of Presley's himself, the scheme - concocted in the months after Presley's death exploded into a cult success - and the "Elvis is alive" myth began. The story of Orion proves that fact is indeed 'stranger than fiction'. This is the story behind that story. Who was that masked man?
Winner-Nashville Film Festival.
"An intriguing portrait of a complicated man."---Eye For Film.
Close Range. Directed by Isaac Florentine. Written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor. Produced by Ehud Bleiberg. From XLrator Media. Color, 2015, USA, 80 minutes, not rated. Action/ Crime. Starring Scott Adkins, Nick Chinlund, Caitlin Keats, Jake La Botz, Tony Perez and Madison Lawlor. After unwittingly making off with a mysterious flash drive during the rescue of his young niece from a powerful drug cartel, Colton MacReady is thrust into a relentless fight to save his family as the cartel descends upon his sister's home in search of it and their own brand of south-of-the-border justice. In tow is a corrupt local sheriff and his crew of deputies, ensuring that help won't be coming any time soon. What ensues is a non-stop assault, a blow-by-blow survival marathon for Colton to protect his loved ones and save his own life while keeping the drive from falling back into the wrong hands.
"Adkins is on the brink of the Hollywood machine."---Cut Print Film
The House That Jack Built. Directed by Henry Barrial. Written by Joseph B. Vasquez. Executive producers: Renee Lantner and Delilah Tomba Patel. From Vega, Baby! Color, 2013, USA, 90 minutes, not rated. Family. Starring E.J. Bonilla, Melissa Fumero, Leo Minaya, Flor De Liz Perez, Saundra Santiago and John Herrera. Jack Maldonado is an ambitious young Latino man who fueled by misguided nostalgia, buys a small apartment building in the Bronx and moves his boisterous family into the apartments to live rent-free. His parents, Carlos and Martha, sister Nadia, brother Richie and his wife Rosa, Grandmother/Abuela and cousins Hector and Manny, all under one roof. Tension builds quickly as Jack imposes his views on everyone around him, including his fiancee, Lily. All the while, he hides the fact that his corner store is a front for selling marijuana but soon has to deal with new unwanted competitive forces. It's only a matter of time before Jack's family and 'business'lives collide in tragic fashion.
Won- Phoenix Film Festival.
Won- Queens World Film Festival.
"Solid ensemble acting."---New York Times.
December 11 - December 17, 2015. Contact venue for show times. Admission: $12 each feature. Information:
(323) 306-0676
. Online ticketing:
http://arenascreen.com
At Arena Cinema Hollywood, 1625 N. Las Palmas Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Discounted parking is available with validation at lots adjacent to the venue and across the street. Arena Cinema is Hollywood's new home for independent films, powered by Voltaire Media. Ranked among Top 5 Indie Movie Theatres in Los Angeles by CBS2.