ROBERT NOLAN - ACTOR

FAMILIAR - Review by (Movie Cynics)

2012-02-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

"...a short film so dastardly, so devious that I can’t stop thinking about it."

From the mind of Richard Powell comes a short film so dastardly, so devious that I can’t stop thinking about it. As I went into the short film, I had no clue as to what it was all about, which is honestly the best way to go into any film, short or otherwise. So when Familiar switched from a very familiar-feeling short film to some extreme body-horror action, I was caught totally off guard. The feeling was wonderful.

Powell’s film tells the tale of a man named John, who is cursed with a wife, a daughter, and an everyday meaningless existence… in short, he’s an American male. Yet, something strange is going on. John might not exactly be in his right mind, which becomes painfully obvious as the voice in his head keeps encouraging him in his anti-social ways. Of course, not everything is as it seems, and the film takes a sharp turn… which is for the best.

Powell’s film is well-paced, and visually, it looks fantastic. Its crisp imagery and excellent use of lighting enhance the doom and gloom of the piece, and everything feels thought out and planned. It’s a technical gem, only marred by a canned feeling on some of the narration from the voice in John’s mind.

The cast is excellent here. Robert Nolan is a delightful monster as John. Nolan sells the role and were it not for his awesome performance, the first half of the film might not be nearly as effective.

As the film progresses, matters spiral out of control. The piece de resistance comes in the form of a dramatic showdown between John, his inner-voice, and a boxcutter. From there, the film becomes a squirmish delight as effects take over and limits are tested. It’s a joyful horror ode that most fans can appreciate.

The only real question I have is, “When is Robert Nolan going to make a full-length film because I’ll be one of the first people in line. Great work, great short, I hope that all horror fans get a chance to see this film one day.

Final Synopsis: It’s a great short. If you’re a Cronenhead like me, it really hits the sweet spot. Check it out if you can find it.

Points Lost: -1 for some canned-sound feeling to the narrative bits, -1 for not really using the other characters as well as it could have

Lesson Learned: Sometimes, we shouldn’t listen to the voices in our heads.

Burning Question: Seriously, when is Powell going to make a full-length flick?

Familiar 8/10

Rating: 8.0/10

Familiar – New Independent Film Reviews - Review by (Movie Cynics)

http://moviecynics.com/familiar-new-independent-film-reviews/

FAMILIAR - Review by (Mandy's Morgue of Horror)

2012-02-19T17:29:00.000-08:00

FAMILIAR - Review by (Mandy's Morgue of Horror)

"... This 20 minute horror short is definitely worth a watch for a horror fans."

Familiar Movie Review

Do you ever find yourself questioning your life and how you got to that point? The mundane everyday tasks can become repetitive and make you miserable to the point where you may just lose your mind and snap. In the horror short, Familiar, John Dodd comes to his breaking point but he soon realizes that his evil thoughts may not be his own.

Familiar follows the lives of John Dodd (Robert Nolan), his wife Charlotte (Astrida Auza), and their daughter Jordan (Cathryn Hostick) as they painfully trek along. The film mainly focuses on John's angry thoughts regarding his pathetic life and his hatred for his wife.

John is miserable with what he is has to deal with and is unhappy in his marriage, however, he doesn't ever express his feelings vocally; he keeps all of his emotions bottled up inside of him, letting them build and grow stronger.

When his wife becomes pregnant, he lets his evil thoughts coerce him into buying a medication to abort the situation, without telling his wife, of course. This later results in a worse situation for John, who must now deal with a depressed wife who just wants to try again for another baby. The pathetic sap doesn't want to have another child and he knows that his wife will never stop until she gets what she wants. He realizes that there's only one way to deal with the situation and make the problem go away for good.

John's mind insists that the only way out is to murder his wife but when he actually tries to do it, he can't. This results in his mind--which is filled with evil thoughts---to try to break away from his body completely. To his dismay, John wakes up one morning and finds that there's an evil growing inside of him, trying to get out and that only he can stop it.

I'm not particularly a fan of short films because I find that they are hard to get into and usually there isn't enough time for character development, so the audience doesn't get to know who they are watching. However, that wasn't the case with Familiar, which was extremely well done and enjoyable.

The protagonist, although slightly crazy, was very likeable and intriguing. I found him to have similar qualities to the character of Jack Torrance in The Shining and I couldn't look away from him while he was on the screen. The director and writer did a great job at creating sympathy for his character, feeling the pain he was going through, and I found myself rooting for him to get rid of his annoying wife!

I enjoyed the creativeness in the idea that the evil within John was actually a separate entity and it was fighting to get out. The final scenes where he takes action to remove the evil were super creepy and cringe-worthy.

The message I got from the whole film was that if you just sit there and let your anger build, without ever talking about your problems or taking legitimate (and legal) actions to fix them, then they're only going to build and become a lot worse. In John's case, he dug himself into a deep whole and couldn't get himself out because he let his anger pretty much get the best of him.

The performance by Robert Nolan was praiseworthy; he barely spoke on screen but he conveyed so much anger and resentment through his eyes to the point where you could see just how unhappy he was. His voice, which is mainly heard through his thoughts, was also very alluring as well. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him in more films in the future.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film, which didn't feel like a short film to me. The only problem that I had was that it wasn't a full length feature, because I would have enjoyed seeing the story fleshed out more and see just how far John was going to go. This 20 minute horror short is definitely worth a watch for a horror fans.

FAMILIAR - Review by (Mandy's Morgue of Horror)

WORM - Review by 'I Like Horror Movies'

2012-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

WORM - Review by 'I Like Horror Movies'Saturday, February 18, 2012

Short: Worm (2010)

"Director Richard Powell takes us on an unsettling trip through the mouth of madness in the critically-acclaimed WORM.

From the surface, Geoffrey Dodd appears to be a kind and unassuming educator, but inside, something dark is brooding... Each day, Dodd returns to teach a class of uncaring students, cursing their over-privileged existences and secretly wishing each of them ill. He hates his co-workers, and fails at every attempt to complete his own novel. His contempt for humanity slowly boils out of his head and into a briefcase filled with instruments of terror... Just as Dodd's insanity continues to grow, so does the suspense in WORM.

Powell's cynical humor provides a grim release for the negative thoughts and emotions that many have felt in the past. It asks dangerous questions that none of us hope to find the answers to: Are there teachers out there thinking the same thoughts? How many friends and neighbors feel like Geoffrey Dodd?

With the same effect that PSYCHO and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD had on the 1960's, WORM internalizes the horror, and brings it to the forefront of our daily realities. The open ending leaves much to interpretation, and perhaps foreshadows Dodd's fate for having crippled so many students' lives. WORM presents another fine work of thought-provoking Horror that will help to usher in the next generation of filmmaking."

Rating: 9/10.

Movies like WORM:
FAMILIAR, THE FINAL, BRAIN DAMAGE.

WORM - Review by 'I Like Horror Movies'

2012-02-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

WORM (Horror) screens tonight at 7 PM at the Royal Cinema as with the world premiere of MELISSA and other shorts. 608 College St. (just east of Ossington), Toronto, ON, Canada.

Basic Information

Release Date	2010
Genre	Drama
Studio	Fatal Pictures
About	Fatal Pictures presents "WORM" A new twenty minute dark drama detailing the fragile and increasingly terrifying mental state of misanthropic High School teacher Geoffrey Oswald Dodd.

Plot Outline	A day in the mind of Geoffrey Dodd, a seemingly kind, gentle and sane High School teacher. As we follow Geoffrey through the course of a typical school day we gain an eerie insight into the darkest corners of his soul and beyond. Beneath the carefully constructed veneer of Geoffrey Dodd lies something wretched, insidious and foul rotting him from the inside out.
Awards	"BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM" New York International Film and Video Festival (New York 2010) "AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCES" WILDsound Film Festival (Toronto 2010) "AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM" Night of the Living Film Festival (Toronto 2010) "BEST SHORT HORROR FILM" Night of the Living Film Festival (Toronto 2010) "BEST DIRECTING" The Late Night Horror Film Festival (2011) FILM FESTIVALS --------------------------------------- 2010 (Wildsound Film Festival) 2010 (Night of The Living Film Festival) 2010 (Regent Theater) 2010 (New York International Independent Film and Video Festival) 2010 (Atlanta Horror Film Festival) 2010 (Shortini International Film Festival) 2010 (Oklahoma Horror Film Festival) 2010 (Sydney Underground Film Festival) 2010 (Toronto Screamfest) 2010 (Dark Bridges Film Festival) 2010 (Waterloo Region - I, Scream HorrorFest) 2010 (National Film Board of Canada) 2010 (Horror Society Film Festival) 2011 (West Side Shorts) 2011 (Boston Screening) 2011 (Texas Frightmare Weekend) 2011 (Pittsburgh Horror Film Festival) 2011 (Fright Night Film Festival) 2011 (Cyphan Film Festival)

Plot Outline

A day in the mind of Geoffrey Dodd, a seemingly kind, gentle and sane High School teacher. As we follow Geoffrey through the course of a typical school day we gain an eerie insight into the darkest corners of his soul and beyond. Beneath the carefully constructed veneer of Geoffrey Dodd lies something wretched, insidious and foul rotting him from the inside out.

Awards

"BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM" New York International Film and Video Festival (New York 2010)

"AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCES"
WILDsound Film Festival (Toronto 2010)

"AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM"
Night of the Living Film Festival (Toronto 2010)

"BEST SHORT HORROR FILM"
Night of the Living Film Festival (Toronto 2010)

"BEST DIRECTING"
The Late Night Horror Film Festival (2011)

FILM FESTIVALS
---------------------------------------
2010 (Wildsound Film Festival)
2010 (Night of The Living Film Festival)
2010 (Regent Theater)
2010 (New York International Independent Film and Video Festival)
2010 (Atlanta Horror Film Festival)
2010 (Shortini International Film Festival)
2010 (Oklahoma Horror Film Festival)
2010 (Sydney Underground Film Festival)
2010 (Toronto Screamfest)
2010 (Dark Bridges Film Festival)
2010 (Waterloo Region - I, Scream HorrorFest)
2010 (National Film Board of Canada)
2010 (Horror Society Film Festival)
2011 (West Side Shorts)
2011 (Boston Screening)
2011 (Texas Frightmare Weekend)
2011 (Pittsburgh Horror Film Festival)
2011 (Fright Night Film Festival)
2011 (Cyphan Film Festival)

2011 (Horror Realm, Pittsburgh) 2011 (Tulsa International Film Festival) 2011 (The Late Night Horror Film Festival) 2011 (HorrorQuest Film Festival) 2011 (Little Terrors) 2011 (Sacramento Horror Film Festival) 2011 (Eerie Horror Film Festival) 2012 (Nevermore Film Festival) 2012 (Tri-Cities International Fantastic Film Festival) 2012 (The Royal Cinema) ---------------------------------------
Starring	Robert Nolan, Christina McLain, Kimberley Curran
Directed By	Richard Powell
Screenplay By	Richard Powell
Produced By	Zach Green

Website	http://www.fatalpictures.com http://www.myspace.com/wormthemovie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1500273 http://www.fatalpictures.blogspot.com

PROJECT BREAKWATER - Informant Interview

2012-02-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

PROJECT BREAKWATER (Mystery/Suspense) - Interview with the mysterious Informant. We can't tell you more as the Informant is mysterious - but this is what we got out of him. We may have to send him to Guantanamo for a little professional R&R. He'll talk. - from Handsome Robot Productions. WRI/DIR Brian Clement.

FAMILIAR - Review by Killer Aphrodite

2012-02-16T19:09:00.000-08:00

FAMILIAR - Review by Killer Aphrodite - "... Familiar is the best body-horror to have come out of Canada since Splice and sits comfortably in the tradition of the country that gave us Cronenberg."

"As a child, I learnt the phrase ‘less is more’ was usually a prelude to being ripped off. Short-changed. Pay full-dollar and only get 50 cents worth. Not in the case of Familiar. Coming in at just 23 minutes, it may be a horror short, but it gives you more in that time than a raft of tawdry full-length features ever deliver.

Familiar is the latest film from the team of producer Zach Green and writer/director Richard Powell. The pair have previous form in delivering impressive horror. Their short Worms having won high praise on the festival circuit. Punching way above its length and budget, Familiar is the best body-horror to have come out of Canada since Splice and sits comfortably in the tradition of the country that gave us Cronenberg.

The film tells the story of John, a man who feels trapped by the crushing orthodoxy and mundane nature of his life as a father and husband. He steps across a terrible dividing line when he begins to listen to a voice inside of him. It is a voice which knows all the buttons to press to push him from just an ill-tempered obsessive into someone in dangerous psychological freefall. We get a dark autopsy of a man’s disintegration and the brutal descent towards bloody madness, seeing the terror of psychosis manifesting in John’s actions, but also his body. The harsh and despotic voice not only invades his every thought, it takes visceral, visual shape in his flesh.

The more fantastical the plot, the more insane the concept being brought to life through smears of blood and bloating, bursting flesh, the more you need believable characters to anchor the story. Powell gives us a man so credibly suffocating in the conformity of suburbia you never think of him in such artificial terms as protagonist or lead. However, it is actor Robert Nolan’s performance that makes John not just feel authentic, but which gives Familiar a centre of plausibility around which its extraordinary and nauseating events can spiral towards their catastrophic conclusion.

Nolan is not only able to manifest one of the most mesmerizing man falling through the cracks of sanity performances you will come across in a recent horror, but also completely convinces in his delivery of his character’s starting point. This is essential in giving the movie its below the belt punch. John’s journey, from the worn-out suburbanite chaffing against the bonds of marriage and family duty to psychotic time-bomb has all the inevitability of a slow-motion car crash. However, the psychic impact that its blood-soaked ending causes in the viewer comes from completely believing he started out a regular guy.

One of the ways Familiar transcends its budget is through the stunning cinematography of Michael Jari Davisdon. He creates an atmosphere of hugely unsettling claustrophobia. It is there when showing us the dull suburbs and home John yearn to escape as much as it is in the scenes of actual conflict with his own body from which there can only be blood-soaked release. It is a magnificent achievement to see something on screen which feels flooded with the stifling darkness of an Edward Hopper painting.

Familiar will satisfy anyone with an appetite for blood and guts in their horror. The FX comes courtesy of Butcher Shop, who alchemises rubber and gunk into effects which are believably bloody and vile. None of what Butcher Shop puts on the screen ever looks cheap or less than repellent.

However, Green and Powell are not offering body-horror for the sake of trying to shock the furred-up palette. The effects disgust, repulse, but when they do it is underscoring and displaying the inner conflict. Every component in Familiar is tight, controlled and focussed. Everything propels you on a brutal journey through madness where the borders of reality have been well and truly crossed. Even the soundscape offers a sense of routine rusting, a man’s life breaking, a world falling apart.

Powerful, clever and visceral, Familiar may have enjoyed a low budget, but has really done more for less."
-- FAMILIAR - Revew by Killer Aphrodite

Victor Laszlo in CASABLANCA (Dinner Theatre) at Ranch Resort

2012-02-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

I play Victor Laszlo, the idealistic leader of the resistance to Nazi tyranny.

And yes (if you must ask) those scars ARE a result of my face transplant! And I didn't do it! General Strasser did (trust me!).

Ranch Resort

WORM & FAMILIAR - Review by Apocalypse Now (Hal C F Astell)

2012-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

WORM & FAMILIAR: "It's a pretty good sign that a film is a good one when you're still thinking about it two days later." - Review by APOCALYPSE LATER (Hal C F Astell)
TUESDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2012

Familiar (2011)

Director: Richard Powell
Stars: Robert Nolan, Astrida Auza and Cathryn Hostick

"It's a pretty good sign that a film is a good one when you're still thinking about it two days later. I watched Familiar on Sunday, then watched it again on Monday as a double bill with Worm, which was made a year earlier by the same director, producer and lead actor. Now I'm thinking about both of them, individually and together, not just because they're both highly recommended short films that carry a powerful punch, but because they work well as a pair. What's more, how you read the second affects how you read the first, which then affects how you read the second and, well, you see why I'm still thinking about them. Worm was hardly a minor short film, a deluge of bitterness unleashed through a bravado performance by Robert Nolan as a twisted teacher on the edge which takes us from initial sympathy to acute discomfort. It's a movie that stays with you and shapes how you see reality. Well, trust me,Familiar is even better.

Obviously more polished from moment one, it begans as a quieter replay of the same story. The title resonates: this is very familiar indeed, as Nolan plays a twisted teacher on the edge whose bitter inner monologues drive the film forward. His wife is a jailer, his daughter a parasite. Things are OK at night when everyone is asleep, but then 'they always wake up and ruin everything'. As excellent as Nolan was in Worm, he's better still here, with more subtle and guarded bitterness. His inflections are pristine, his sarcasm deep and his condescension deeper. His mouth twitches almost as subtly as his eyes. As the film begins he hardly moves, but his twitches develop with the story and his control slips along with the walls he's patiently kept up for decades. He's been waiting for Jordan to grow up and go to college, so he can put his savings into a truck and leave his worthless existence behind. With four months to go, it all turns to crud.

It's impossible not to look into the depths of these films, because there's back story that is only available outside the movies themselves, this world obviously being carefully crafted. We know that the lead character in Worm was Geoffrey Oswald Dodd, not by watching but because it tells us that on the poster, the initials for this petty tyrant also being very deliberately chosen. Initially Familiar feels like a continuation to Geoffrey's story, but no, the lead this time out is apparently his twin brother, John. They have a great deal in common, not least a similarly bleak outlook on the world, but that they're identical twins cannot be ignored: as we think about John, we have to think about Geoffrey too. While this story only ever follows John, that link makes it a progression for both characters, which is a neat trick indeed on the part of writer/director Richard Powell. In fact, what happens here forces us to reevaluate what we learned in Worm too.

There are a number of ways to read the story that unfolds. What we see may be metaphorical, John's bitterness eating him from the inside out. It may be a physical manifestation of guilt, as he gets to act on certain impulses here that Geoffrey never got a chance to act on in Worm, and the finalé is set up by a last ditch fight against those impulses. It could be schizophrenia or some other form of insanity: 'We've always been together,' the voice in John's head tells him. 'I'm your best friend.' The title suggests a literal reading, neatly morphing both Dodds from psychopathic to sympathetic with a single twist of plot. Yet I can't ignore that these are twins. It all could be about the bond between identical twins, thus making us wonder if one is affecting the other. We see benign characters exposed as rotten and twisted, only to be prompted to wonder if one isn't dominating the other. Does one deserve our disdain and one our pity? If so, which is which?

This tortuously playful nature is reflected in the titles of the flims, both of which carry multiple meanings and could even easily be reversed. While Worm was appropriate for a drama about the inner decay of an outwardly trustworthy figure of authority, especially given that the apple metaphor is obvious for a teacher, it's just as appropriate here in a horror based variation on the same theme with particularly gruesome special effects. Similarly, Familiar, which has an overt supernatural meaning in this horror tale, could also be applied to the overriding fear invoked by the first film, with its revelation that even the most familiar people may not be anywhere near who you think they are inside. So is this film, as much as it stands utterly on its own without any background whatsoever, also designed to be a layer on top of its predecessor that tells us that our expectations can be or should be turned on their heads?

Maybe I'm thinking too much. Maybe these are both straightforward monologues that deserve minimalist stage adaptations so as to emphasise how great the lead roles are for Robert Nolan, who is blisteringly good. These could be radio plays and he would be magnetic, but the physical changes he builds into these performances are a joy to behold. It's no surprise to see his credits proliferating exponentially. He is certainly not going to be wanting for work any time soon and you will see his name grow for sure. That said, while he dominated Worm to the degree that it was sometimes hard to acknowledge anyone else, much of that was because it was literally all about him. Here Astrida Auza gets the opportunity to build her own character as Charlotte, John's wife, and she plays off Nolan well. Cathryn Hostick is fine as his daughter, Jordan, though there's not much for her to do. We literally don't see anyone else in 23 minutes.

Behind the camera everything is very capable, Familiar feeling very much like Fatal Pictures felt so strongly after Worm that they could raise the stakes. This is not an effects film but there are special effects here and the animatronics and make up work is very professional indeed, more sophisticated by far than I'd have expected to see in a low budget Canadian short film from an up and coming production company. Powell's direction is gloriously slow and steady, with fluid camera movements and nothing flash, just a few neatly glitchy editing moments to highlight the more strained moments. The worst thing about the film is that presumably we have another year to wait before we can see what's next. Are we going to discover that the Dodds are triplets and Nolan can add another facet to his performance as all three of them, as what we think we know after two films is shaken up yet again in a third. Is this to be a delightfully twisted trilogy?"

CAST in CASABLANCA RANCH (Dinner Theatre - Ranch Resort)

2012-02-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

I'm playing Victor Laslo. Nice to be doing theatre again in a light comedy spin of the classic movie masterpiece.

- Berger: "We read five times that you were killed, in five different places."
- Victor Laszlo: "As you can see, it was true every single time."

Just one night (Valentine's Day) but its one-good-night! CASABLANCA RANCH (Dinner Theatre - Ranch Resort)

THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE - (Poster)

2012-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE (Poster) - A sparkling new horror film from the devious, sinister and delightful mind of WRI/DIR Josh Heisie. Coming Soon!

Release Date	May 2012
Genre	Horror
Studio	Sevmar Productions
About	A new film from Josh Heisie

Description	Two criminals disrespect the dying wishes of an old Prospector, and must face the horrific consequences for their sinful ways.
Plot Outline	Theodore “Tubby” Ellsworth and Jack Smith are two criminals on the run, lost in the untamed wilderness. When they discover a mutilated Prospector, dying on Indian Ground, they promise to give him a Christian burial. The fugitives break their oath and steal the old man’s gold…but that night, the Prospector's corpse returns to make them pay! Director of Photography Michael Jari Davidson Special Makeup Effects by Carlos Henriques
Starring	Dave Roberts, Johnny Quinn, Robert Nolan, Amanda Ives
Directed By	Josh Heisie
Written By	Josh Heisie
Produced By	Bruno Marino, Teodora Ilie, Anam Abbas Facebook Fan Page

FANGORIA MAGAZINE reviews WORM & FAMILIAR

2012-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

FANGORIA review by Kelly Stewart (Jan. 17, 2012)

As the horror film-festival circuit starts to ramp up for 2012, there’s a filmmaking team called Fatal Pictures, made up of producer/director Richard Powell and producer Zach Green, to watch out for. Their style is a mix of dark drama and fright that tends to deal with the horrors inside ourselves rather than the world around us.

The duo made their first short, CONSUMPTION, in 2008, and more recently completed WORM and FAMILIAR, both starring Robert Nolan. WORM has been out a little while now, screening at events like The Sydney Underground Film Festival, Dark Bridges Film Festival, Toronto Screamfest and The Horror Society Film Fest, but expect more play around the country this year, along with FAMILIAR (pictured above).

Much more of psychological study than a traditional horror film, WORM takes us inside the mind of high-school teacher Geoffrey Dodd (Nolan), whose inner thoughts are shared with us in disturbing detail. On the surface, Geoffrey is a seemingly kind, gentle and sane instructor; as we follow him through the course of an average school day, we assume he’s just a bitter man having a bad time. But beneath the carefully constructed veneer, something even more sinister is going on in his mind that could burst at any moment.

The glue that holds this film together (and FAMILIAR as well) is Nolan’s performance. There could have been a temptation to play the teacher in an overtly sinister way—regarding his students angrily and so on—but the detachment between his thoughts and actions is so great that it makes the film all the more disturbing. WORM is not a violent piece; in fact, very little actually happens during the course of Geoffrey’s day, but it always feels like something is going to happen. This is really a case study of inner emotional violence that could be set off at any moment into the real thing, and that is truly horrifying.

In FAMILIAR, Nolan plays John Dodd (no relation that we know of to WORM’s antihero), a middle-aged married man emotionally detached from his wife and the world. The film is basically broken into two sections: The first half has a similar structure to WORM, where we hear what’s going on in John’s mind. Despite having what appears to be a loving wife, a well-adjusted teenage daughter and a stable home life, John is falling apart from the inside. After hearing the news that his wife is pregnant with another child, he becomes convinced that this is a plot by her to destroy his life and contrives to destroy the unborn child—but then has to deal with a physical monster growing inside him.

At first glance, FAMILIAR‘s structure is quite similar to that of WORM—but it is only so on the surface. Once again, we see a man coming unraveled, but this time it results much more in actions than in thoughts. In fact, it’s best to view the films together if possible, because WORM sets up an expectation that FAMILIAR will go in the same direction (hence the title), but it doesn’t. The production values are taken up a notch in FAMILIAR as well, thanks to the addition of Michael Jari Davidson as director of photography and the special FX team known as The Butcher Shop (Ryan Louagie, Carlos Henriques and Steven Dawley).

Director Powell has taken the influence of David Cronenberg and mixed it with the inner torment of TAXI DRIVER to create a unique style in these films. Both go so well together and complement each other, one hopes they make a third “Dodd film” starring Nolan, because it would make a great anthology. For more information on these movies, check out www.fatalpictures.blogspot.com.

BOTH MOVIES:

FAMILIAR - REVIEW by Knifed In Venice

2012-01-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

FAMILIAR - REVIEW

- by Knifed In Venice

Certificate: Unrated

Running time: 24 mins

Director: Richard Powell

Starring: Robert Nolan, Astrida Auza, Cathryn Hostick

Genre: Horror

Format: DVD

Country: Canada

In 2008 Richard Powell and producer Zach Green delivered their atmospheric horror Consumption which deals with the unique and difficult subject of voluntary cannibalism. Two years later they offer up the first half of the disturbed Dodd brothers (Geoffrey) played by Robert Nolan who is a gentle and quiet high school teacher with something dark and malevolent rotting inside of him. Familiar sees Geoffrey’s brother John (also played by Robert Nolan) as he survives a suburban existence with wife Charlotte (Auza) and daughter Jordan (Hostick) which he has come to detest. With an increasingly forceful voice inside his head demanding he breaks free from this life he slowly comes to suspect that the voice is not his own. It’s only after a series of traumatic events at home that John comes face to face with his conflict.

One of the most amazing things about Familiar is the cinematography, rarely do you see an independent film, let alone a short film with such a high caliber look to it. The slow, stillness of the camera allows the audience to ease their way into the film. It connotes the almost stationary suburban world which we have come to know in North American cinema but it is also a stylistic visual representation of John’s ‘psychosis’ as it slowly sneaks up on him in a non confrontational way. It’s only later in the film, the final third, that the cinematography takes on more of an offensive edge and visually attacks the audience. The use of the camera to represent the unrepresented is not a new device in cinema, it has been used for as long as cinema has existed. When adapted to literature it can be compared to the structuring of the sentence in showing just how old and affective tool this style is. That should take nothing away from Powell’s eye as it’s actually an incredibly difficult stylistic to achieve as left to the wrong director it can appear as showy and forced. The subtly of the camera is beautiful.

Powell’s script is also perfectly balanced. The initial encounter of John shows him in a particularly dislikeable light yet at the same time you can relate to his disillusionment and though not condone his attitude to his family can at least understand…to a point. It is only with his wife’s loss that your allegiances are truly tested. Credit must be given to Powell for his ability to write human characters. So many horror films have believable and complex antagonists and monsters but all too often where they fall down is the writing of the ordinary decent protagonist. Powell has crafted not just a family in crisis but a family that is, excuse the pun, 'familiar'. There is enough in the quiet moments that will allow the audience to fill in the blanks with their experiences rather than the usual clunky horror exposition. It is this confidence, not just in the writing and the cast but also in the audience is a breath of fresh air for those of us that have been all too often been talked down to by horror films through the use of plodding dialogue and manipulative music.

Robert Nolan is perfect in the role of John. He has a quiet, almost broken, surface presence of a man that has drifted through the recent years of his life but it is behind the eyes that you can see the cogs of Nolan crafting what you think at first is rage and anger but soon becomes conflict between him and the voice. His interaction with Auza is one of a man that doesn’t know his own emotions and is both tragic and menacing and gives the film an unbelievable tension that can’t be scripted or forced.

*Spoiler Alert*

The effects in the final third of the film are what set Familiar apart from the vast majority of short films. It has the vision of an early David Cronenberg or Brian Yuzna. The initial emergence of the ‘parasite’ is like a blistering tumor that pulses with John’s heart, as the conflict advances it takes on the aesthetic of scar tissue as its burns deeper and deeper into his being in an attempt to break his will and gain full control and in the final scene, once trapped by John, creates the presumed texture of rock as it takes its last stand against a father, a husband, determined to win. The shooting of the extraction is beautifully constructed as the audience is presented with enough gore to kick start their imagination but not enough to come across as low brow or horror porn. It’s sat this point I’d love to heap more praise on aspects of the film but there’s been enough given away so I won’t.

*Safe again*

There have been few horror cinematic pleasures of late that come even close to watchingFamiliar. Powell and Green have achieved what all great horror films strive to do, it has tapped into real and common human issues and in doing so have molded them into an alternative (and frightening) manifestation of the fears we all have. Familiar is a deeply atmospheric body shocker that will get under your skin. You’ll claw your own flesh away trying to overcome the affect the film will have on you.

FAMILIAR - TEASER TRAILER

Knifed In Venice

FANGORIA INTERVIEWS: “SICK: SURVIVE THE NIGHT”

2012-01-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

FANGORIA MAGAZINE:
VIDEO SET REPORTS: “SICK: SURVIVE THE NIGHT”
Posted by Kelly Stewart Jan 05, 2012

Fango recently visited the set of the Canadian shocker SICK: SURVIVE THE NIGHT, from director Ryan M. Andrews. Most of the 15-day shoot took place in and around a house just outside Toronto, but our trip took place on day three, where the outdoor action sequences were being lensed on a farm in Pontypool, Ontario.

SICK: SURVIVE THE NIGHT stars Christina Aceto, Richard Roy Sutton, Robert Nolan, Jennifer Polansky and Fango’s own Debbie Rochon (pictured above with Andrews). Written by Andrews and Chris Cull, SICK takes place two years after a zombie infection has killed off billions, governments have collapsed and the human race is on the brink of extinction. This writer spent the better part of the day watching gunfights and zombie attacks, interviewing the cast and crew between setups. First up is a chat with director Andrews, introducing me to his new leading lady Aceto. Make note of the awesome zombie-killing truck in the background!

During the lunch break, I chatted with director of photography Michael Jari Davidson. This was Andrews’ first film with Davidson as DP, and you can sense palpable chemistry between the two.

While on set, I noticed some of the cast members taking a rest on one of the stunt crash mattresses in the middle of a farmer’s field where they were filming. It was too good to resist lying down myself for a quick interview with co-stars Sutton, Christopher Thompson and the beautiful Sandra DaCosta.

Of course, being on the set of a zombie film, I couldn’t turn down the offer to do a quick cameo myself. So after an amazing hour in the makeup trailer (thanks to artist Mela Bayraktar), I shot a few quick inserts. But I had one more interview to do with actor Robert Nolan, still not looking quite myself!

SICK just began postproduction; expect a release most likely late in 2012. In the meantime, check out a preview of the film in Fango #310, on sale later this month, and if you’re in the Toronto area Friday, Jan. 13, you can see the world premiere of Andrews’ new short film THE DEVIL WALKS AMONG YOU (along with his most recent feature, BLACK EVE). A Q&A with Andrews and actors Nolan and DaCosta will take place after the screening. Click here for more details.

FAMILIAR - REVIEW by TheBloodSprayer.com - (8/10)

2012-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

FAMILIAR - REVIEW by TheBloodSprayer.com - (8/10)
('I Stand Alone' meets 'Videodrome' meets 'Falling Down')

The team at Fatal Pictures consisting of writer/director Richard Powell, producer Zach Green, and actor Robert Nolan came to us with a previous endeavor of theirs’ known as Worm. Worm got to me. I was genuinely intrigued by the up and down emotional trek it took me on. I would liken their previous film to that of a Fugazi song with its build up, drop off, build up, etc. Naturally, after being contacted by producer Zach Green about the next chapter in this team’s history, it stirred up curiosity wondering what they could’ve concocted this time around. Worm took the route of punishing the mind. My assumption was that Familiar would take a similar route. I was half right…

Familiar is the story of John Dodd, a middle-aged married man. He has a normal day job, a teenage daughter, and fair amount of animosity towards his own life. John’s psyche is on shaky ground. He’s clearly fighting some frightening compulsions…and he’s barely strong enough to hold them back. But what we initially think are John’s tragic demons bubbling to the surface of his mind, end up being a much more sinister (and LIVING) “thing”.

This Canadian filmmaking team has taken the short film and made it something of an art form. I’ve always considered this format a trying one. To convey each emotion possible in a fraction of the time is a feat. Fatal Pictures has not only upstaged their previous work, they’ve done it AGAIN in a very little amount of time! You see, Familiar is a very tricky movie. At first glance, I assumed I’d be getting a mental beating ala’ Gaspar Noe’s I Stand Alone. Familiar starts off on that sort of path, with us being audience to John Dodd’s inner monologue. But just when Powell masterfully builds you up to (what you assume will be) an explosive moment, he takes a hard right into a body-based trauma that would make David Cronenberg giggle. At the point in which the audience learns that the “monologue” isn’t necessarily his own, it already feels to be too late. The train to Fucked Town has left the station. It goes without saying, this can only lead to horrible, nasty, awful things.

Considering this was the first indie flick I was tackling for the new year, I was more than pleased that it came from the consistently rockin’ Fatal Pictures. Personally, I have yet to be disappointed with this indie company’s output. This team is careful to present their work in ways a lot of self-funded filmmakers do not. Familiar is gorgeously shot, strongly acted, and doesn’t rely on generic trickery to invoke its suspense. It is another successful outing from Toronto’s Fatal Pictures. They’ve trumped their previous work with a film that exceeds the idea of them being promising-it proves they’ve got what it takes to stick around. Now, let’s see a feature length, guys!

FAMILIAR - TEASER TRAILER

FAMILIAR - TEASER TRAILER

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

FAMILIAR - TEASER TRAILER

FAMILIAR

FATAL PICTURES is proud to announce FAMILIAR, a new Horror short starring Robert Nolan, Astrida Auza and Cathryn Hostick as the seemingly idyllic yet ultimately doomed Dodd Family.

"Through a series of tragic events a middle aged man grows to suspect

the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own."

Written/Directed by Richard Powell - Produced by Zach Green (FATAL PICTURES) - Cinematography & Co Producer: Michael Jari Davidson - Shot on RED Digital Cinema - Special FX for the film provided by Ryan Louagie, Carlos Henriques & Steven Dawley (The Butcher Shop) - Sound by Adam Clark - Music & Sound Design by Bernie Greenspoon.

FULL CAST & CREW

FATAL PICTURES

Official Website - On Twitter

Texas Frightmare Weekend (Apr. 29-May 1) - WORM (Fatal Pictures) to screen

2011-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

The horror short WORM (Fatal Pictures) has been selected to screen - and in very good company! It's Dallas. It's Texas. It's BIG! - Stars in attendance include Roger Corman, Robert Englund, Deiter Laser, Sid Haig, Clive Barker, Malcolm McDowell, Don Coscarelli, Cary Elwes. Eihi Shiina, Angus Scrim, Tom Six and many more! --WORM producer Zach Green, writer/director Richard Powell.

LIVE SHOW NIGHT at CAFE MIRAGE

2011-04-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

The 2nd LIVE SHOW NIGHT at CAFE MIRAGE (April 21, 2011 - watch for the next one in early summer!). Produced by Ashley Hallihan - full of music, comedy and a few surprises! Katie Uhlmann and I did a scene from NORTHERN EXPOSURE. With Beth Moore, Eric Paul & Allie Walker, Katherine Wilson, Mack Flynn, Shawn KirkPatrick, Anna Ross, Ali Hassan, Kris Hagen & Group, Kelly-Marie Murtha, James Jabbour, Will Bonham.

TEACH'ER world premiere at Montreal World Film Festival, Aug. 18-28, 2011

2011-04-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

TEACH'ER, the latest film from writer/director Cody Campanale starring Robert Nolan, Katie Uhlmann and Cameron Rufelds will be having its world premiere between Aug 18-28 at prestigious Montreal World Film Festival. Often recognized as one of "The most highly attended film festival in the Western world." See trailer below. Join the TEACH'ER FAN PAGE

FAMILIAR (FATAL PICTURES) - Join the Fan Page!

2011-03-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

FAMILIAR (FATAL PICTURES) - 'A middle-aged man grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own.' Join the FAMILIAR FAN PAGE! -- Produced by Zach Green, Written & Directed by Richard Powell, DOP Michael Davidson -- Starring Astrida Auza, Cathryn Hostick & Robert Nolan.

FAMILIAR (Fatal Pictures) - Wrapped!

2011-03-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

WRAP on FAMILIAR (FATAL PICTURES) - 'A middle-aged man grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own.' - Join the FAMILIAR Fan Page! -- Produced by Zach Green, written & directed by Richard Powell -- Starring Astrida Auza, Cathryn Hostick and Robert Nolan. -- DOP Michael Davidson and a stellar CREW: 1st AD Mike Klassen, Camera Op. Steve Szolcsanyi, 1st Asst. Cam. Ryan Prouse, 2nd Asst. Cam. Samra Tangestanian, DMT Adrian Daniels, Camera Trainee Kate Heming, Stedicam Op. Mike Heathcote, Key Grip Andrew Tays, Swing Grip John Mauch, Swing Grip Sam Wong, Hair/Makeup Amanda Burritt, Boom/Mix Adam Clark. Lead SFX Ryan Louagie of The Butcher Shop (with Carlos Henriques) with help from Steven Dawley, Kevin Hutchinson and Indiana Allemang.

2011-03-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

WORM - Review by Cinema Head Cheese

"It's not easy being a Jim Van Bebber, Douglas Buck or Nacho Cerda; directors who've all shown that unique ability to make a short film that's actually going to stick in your memory like a well-made feature does. Filmmakers Zach Green and Richard Powell (are) damn close. Their short Worm is an unforgettable, horrifying journey into the mind of teacher, Geoffrey Dodd (Robert Nolan)" - - Review by Cinema Head Cheese

Scott Geiter interviews Actor Robert Nolan (podcast)

2011-02-24T00:24:00.000-08:00

Scott Geiter interviews Actor Robert Nolan (podcast)

Scott Geiter does a fine radio interview. His style is conversational and engaging. Here we discuss several recent, current and upcoming films I have been involved in including...

2007 Babykiller (short)
2009 Chop Chop... You're Dead (short)
2010 Eyes Beyond (short)
2010 Worm (short)
2010 Red: Werewolf Hunter (TV movie)
2010 Severance

2010 Starvival
2011 The Devil Walks Among You (short) (post-production)
2011 Familiar ( Short )
2012 Battleground (post-production)

ROACHFAR - Trailer just released!

2011-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

"A re-imagination of the cult hit 'Cerritosis'. Roachfar suffers from Cerritosis, a crippling disease which causes dementia and paranoia. As his condition worsens, Roachfar is thrust into a nightmarish world overflowing with his past and present fears."

- Produced by Enity Films - written, edited & directed by Steven Cerritos.

TRAILER CREDITS
Voice Actress: Vanessa Sandoval
Photographer: Alberto Martinez
Music by Craig Saltz
Illustrator, Editor and Compositor: Steven Cerritos
FILM CREDITS
Starring Peter Bloch-Hansen, Robert Nolan, Christopher Lee Grant, Jamie Sampson, Doug Millar, Charles Lo Manto and Nancy Gray
Costume Designer: Daniela Pizarro
1st AD: Alfredo Arcilesi
Music by Craig Saltz
Digital Matte Painter: Paige Reynolds
Sound Designer: Ana-Teodora Popa
Cinematographer: Rob Tosh
Associate Producer: Holly Prine
Producer: Alberto Martinez
Written, Edited and Directed by Steven Cerritos
For more info, please visit enityfilms.com/roachfar
Film's Release date: Spring 2011

'A DATE WITH FEAR' (Thriller Feature) - Premiere Screening

2011-01-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

'A DATE WITH FEAR' (Thriller Feature) - First Theatrical Screening will be this Saturday, February. 5 at 4:00 pm at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto, Canada.

'Have you ever gone on a blind date where things went wrong? Yes? No, I mean very very wrong'

- Come on down, meet the producer, writer, director, cast & crew!

- Brought to you by Dashing Entertainment - Directed by Asit Kaul - Produced by Sukhwinder Sekhon - Starring Ashley Kranz, Amar Agha, Paul Nicholls and Robert Nolan.

'STANDER' - Screen shots from the new film by Max Kosc.

2011-01-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

‎'WORM' - review by Mister Mist (Chateau GRRR)

2010-12-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

‎'WORM' - review by Mister Mist (Chateau GRRR) - "...every moment impeccably acted, gorgeously shot, and with crystal clear audio. If you can find this little gem screening somewhere, don't miss it." -- FATAL PICTURES - Written and directed by Richard Powell, produced by Zach Green - Robert Nolan Fans

'WORM'

"Ever wonder what it's like inside the mind of a madman? A psychopath on that very slim verge between sanity and insanity?

At the time I'm writing this review, it's nearly Christmas. Utterly ignorant drivers choke every highway and byway. Narrow-minded seasonal shoppers rudely shove me for ill-planned gifts. Congregated family members grin painful smiles through painful family moments while a cherished plane ticket burns a hole in my pocket. The inside of my head is beginning to look a lot like that of Geoffrey Oswald Dodd (Robert Nolan), the antihero of Richard Powell's short film Worm.

Worm isn't exactly an all-out horror film. More of a brief psychological thriller with the intent to horrify. The beauty of owning a site though: you get to decide what goes up and what doesn't qualify. I found Worm to be psychologically horrifying enough to merit a review on the GRRR, so here it is.

Worm offers a beautifully-edited glimpse into the mind of a normal working man, a high school teacher, who by all outward appearances is an organized, calm citizen leading what seems to be a very tranquil life. Almost immediately though, we hear the inner-dialogue of Dodd. As we follow Dodd through a typical day at work, the pitch of his disgust grows exponentially, spewing venom either aloud when alone or as a voice-over when in the presence of co-workers and students.

This seemingly mundane high school teacher is twisted with rage, loneliness, and abysmal thoughts towards every other human being in his life. While speaking casually to colleagues, Dodd is viciously cutting them apart in his mind. Plotting, planning his imminent break-down when he takes out everyone around him in the most disturbing and graphic manner.

In this man's loveless, lonely, and truly pathetic life, his one ray of sunshine is an under-aged female student Lillian (Samantha Nemeth). Of course, even this one positive aspect in Dodd's life is fathomlessly disturbing. An undelivered letter in Dodd's briefcase, adorned with girlish hearts and frilly inks, proposes that the two run away together, this man in his mid-50s and this girl who is at best 16.

It's beautiful to see how Nolan handles the character. Eerie really. It makes one question what the person next to you in the checkout line is thinking, or what atrocities that seemingly pleasant person at the post office might be moments away from committing. Even scarier is running into Nolan in person at the 2010 Horror Society Film Festival and finding him to be disturbingly similar to his character in Worm; that is to say his friendly quirkiness had me second-guessing his every comment and intention. But a friendly fellow and excessive fun to watch on screen.

The highlight of the short was a diatribe Dodd delivers against his students while calmly sitting at his desk in front of the class. As Dodd's rage ramps up, he's interrupted by a question from a student. And the question is actually an intelligent one and for a moment, I thought it would diffuse Dodd's anger, but in a tribute to his madness, Dodd plunges right back into his tirade with some terrific quotable social comments.

Keep an ear out for them.

My only criticism of Worm is also my highest praise. Worm has a succinct runtime of twenty minutes. And it's a beautiful twenty minutes during which we see Dodd spew his unhappy venom at everyone, even the young object of his affection.

What we don't see though is any ultimate SNAP! What a gnawing dichotomy this creates for the viewer. We're conditioned to some horrific pay-off, especially in the horror genre. We expect to see Dodd bury an axe in his co-worker's skull, or let six rounds loose into the back of a classroom of screaming bloody children, or toss a limp trashbag full of adolescent flesh into his trunk.

But we get none of this. The film ends as eerily and quietly as it begins. A bloody insane payoff is clearly not the point, so don't be disappointed. The beauty is in the build-up and the fact that Powell is able to make you feel so much anxiety. I almost felt an empathy at times with Dodd. I was impressed to feel and enjoy so much in such a short film.

A director should know his or her limits. Creating a beautiful short film within means and abilities is so much more satisfying for all involved rather than the excruciation of a sprawling full-length mess with good intentions but lackluster execution. Powell's created a tremendously emotive piece exactly as long as it needs to be, every moment impeccably acted, gorgeously shot, and with crystal clear audio.

If you can find this little gem screening somewhere, don't miss it."

'TEACH'ER' - The new trailer from Lesser Men Productions.

2010-12-17T02:55:00.000-08:00

'Exploring the ruthless ambition and competitive nature of some people in the arts.' Starring Katie Uhlmann, Cameron Rufelds and Robert Nolan. Written and directed by Cody Campanale.