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INTERVIEW : JANEY MAKES A PLAY’S JARED CALLAHAN

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Inspirational new documentary Janey Makes A Play premieres in LA next week (17th June at Arena Cinemas Hollywood) then opens wider a week later.  Janey, from director Jared Callahan, follows 90-year old Janey (Callahan’s own grandmother) as she writes and directs her latest original, socially relevant community theatre production for the small town in which she lives. Battling through the current recession, the colorful troupe of faithful townspeople cope with their own struggles by telling their story on stage.

How did you get involved in the film?
Janey is my grandmother. I was home for Christmas in 2011 and we were sitting outside talking before dinner. She started this theatre troupe when she was 80-years-old. Janey was telling me all about the play they had just performed. I asked, “Do you have any ideas for the next play?” Of course she did! Janey rattled off all these pieces of an incredible idea explaining how hard the recession had been on the farmers and folks from small towns. The villain was a slick businessman from the big city. Instantly I knew we had to film that play, because she was telling the story of her small town on stage. I typed the idea into my phone, and eight months later I was in their community theatre building filming auditions.

How did you pitch it initially?
I was at Sundance in 2012 to support a friend’s project. At night, fueled by the energy of the festival, I stayed up late and wrote out the treatment and funding proposal for this feature film. I then asked my parents if it would be appropriate to pursue the project. Then asked Janey, and then met with their community theatre troupe’s creative leadership panel. Once they gave me the green light we were good to go.

Do you recall Janey’s reaction when you told her you were going to do a movie on her?
Honestly, I don’t think any of them really knew what they were all getting into. Janey especially. She loves movies, but someone asking to do a movie about you? I just don’t think it clicked. When we finished filming some of the people asked if they could see the film in a month! I responded kindly that it might take up to two years. Once I cut a teaser and posted it online I think they began to realize the scope of the project.

Was she nervous? Or by the other token, did she turn it up for the cameras?
Neither. I think you get to a certain age where you are just going to be you regardless of the surroundings. Janey certainly never modified her actions in any way. I think it helped that we filmed on DSLR cameras. The subjects never totally forgot that we were filming, but they quickly became incredibly comfortable with us being around. Subconsciously having a couple of “photo cameras” around is wildly different than lugging big film camera. This film couldn’t have been made ten years ago. It’s a testament to the development of technology and our increased comfort level with it always being around.

What would you like to say to the readers on why they should come check out Janey Makes a Play?
This is a film about a small community doing the best with what they have. It will make you laugh and maybe tear up. Janey is inspirational, but not in a cheesy way. The best part is, the troupe doesn’t even see how amazing they are! They are real people doing extraordinary things and not even realizing it. This film provides a wonderful breath of fresh air amongst watching things explode in the summer blockbuster films.

I hope the film challenges you to think about the ways you are participating in your community. If this 90-year-old woman still has gifts to offer, what about you? I believe we are subtly accepting ageism in the United States, where we say, “Oh you’re retired, go drive around in an RV and then quietly die in a group home.” That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Janey’s life fights back against that. She is learning and starting new things in her 80s and 90s. What’s our excuse?

Though you’ve a background as a pastor you seem keen to pursue filmmaking. Can you do both?
Both ministry and filmmaking are about telling important stories and helping people see a broader view of reality. When people say “Christian filmmaker” they often picture someone working in a particular genre. I am a person of faith who is also a filmmaker, so I have a particular perspective that informs my work but I’m not aiming to make movies exclusively for that audience. In ministry and in filmmaking, I want to ask good questions and tell honest stories so people can see a bigger perspective and participate in lives of reconciliation, justice, and mercy.

I truly value all people, their journeys, and the things they believe about the world and our purpose here. I got a Masters of Spiritual Formation because I just wanted to know more about the human journey. In the end, I know my role on this earth is to love people so radically that they come to know themselves as fully loved and can live into that reality. It’s through this lens that I can tell stories as objectively as possible, not with the aim to convince you of any particular belief. My projects often serve as a way for me to grow as a person, and if watching that process on screen edifies the viewer, then it’s a bonus.

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‘Abigail’: Bite Me Harder Tiny Dancer

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A gang of misfit kidnappers find their tiny target far more bloodthirsty than they bargained for! 

So, unfortunately, the trailers gave it away and let’s be real that’s why most of us are here, the knowledge that the kidnap victim Abigail (Alisha Weir), codenamed by the would-be kidnappers appropriately as ‘tiny dancer’, is in fact, a vampire. Not a spoiler, point of fact, one of the film’s actual great selling points. And the reactions from the misfit club when faced with a real actual f*cking vampire, range hilariously from the blunt “no such thing as vampires” all the way to, “Are we talking True Blood or Twilight rules or what?” all while covered in buckets and buckets of blood. 

Anyway, the gang manages to subdue and abscond with the aforementioned Abigail, in a pre-prepared duffle bag, like you do, and converge to a new location, a house oddly similar to the one she was just taken from. Welcomed and given codenames by a man who introduces himself as Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), our misfit club is told to simply hold down the fort in this strange old house with the girl chained up in a room and one person to attend her, for twenty-four hours, and they’ll all get paid. 

As inevitable as the tides, the dopey druggie Dean (Angus Cloud) is the first to die, and we’re going to give that death-style points for inspiring terror right off the bat. The very controlling Frank (Dan Stevens, holy crap yes that is the guy from FXs Legion) is also of course the most suspicious – of everyone around him, sure, but also he himself is totes sus. We don’t learn terribly much about the musclebound tank who gets dubbed Peter (Kevin Durand), he’s your pretty typical little-brains-heart-of-gold muscle-for-hire any proper gang needs, right down to the bottle problem. Sammy (Kathryn Newton), well, even for being a purported hacker-type, she has, like, reality issues. Rickles (William Catlett), he’s arguably the most dangerous among them, ex-military and yet somehow here and involved in kidnapping for a few mills. Joey (Melissa Barrera) is our Final Girl, and though she has the inevitable problems in her recent past, she seems more capable of doing the hard thing and still somehow empathizing at the end of the day. Must be her burning desire to get back with her son. 

The fit hits the shan pretty quickly, and Abigail morphs from tiny dancer to tiny monster, though honestly, the way Abigail spoke the entire time in the film, if the ‘nappers had been paying close enough attention, would have been a solid clue. The performance from Alisha Weir as Abigail is incredible, as she literally dances a fine line between comedy, tragedy, and outright monstrosity. With a face full of makeup and the force of a tiny tornado to back it up, Weir brings to mind the great performances of the vampires in 30 Days of Night who saw the practicality in the need to trap their food, but also, play with it a bit first before feasting! Anything else would give away the absolute fun time that is Abigail, so you should go see it, out in theaters now!

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Scrubs Reunion: The Band Gets Back Together

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Fans of the beloved medical comedy series Scrubs were recently treated to a thrilling surprise when John C. McGinley, who portrayed the iconic Dr. Perry Cox, dropped a photo on Twitter hinting at a potential reunion project. The image, showing McGinley alongside his former co-stars, sparked a wave of excitement and speculation among fans who have been longing for more adventures with the beloved Sacred Heart Hospital staff.

While details about the reunion project are still scarce, the mere possibility of seeing the gang back together again has sent waves of nostalgia through fans who fondly remember the show’s original run from 2001 to 2010. Scrubs was not just a sitcom; it was a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and the chaotic world of medicine, all wrapped up in a quirky and often hilarious package.

At the heart of the show was the bromance between JD (played by Zach Braff) and Turk (played by Donald Faison), whose antics and deep bond served as the emotional anchor for the series. Their dynamic, along with the sage wisdom (and relentless sarcasm) of Dr. Cox, provided viewers with memorable moments that have stood the test of time.

As we eagerly await more news about the Scrubs reunion project, one thing is for sure: it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, rewatch our favorite episodes, and get ready to welcome back our favorite gang of doctors, nurses, and janitors for what promises to be a memorable reunion.

But Scrubs was more than just its main characters. The supporting cast, including the eccentric Janitor (played by Neil Flynn), the neurotic Elliot (played by Sarah Chalke), and the wise-cracking nurse Carla (played by Judy Reyes), each brought their own unique flavor to the show, creating a rich tapestry of characters that fans grew to love.

While the photo shared by McGinley has fueled speculation about what the reunion project might entail, whether it’s a one-off special, a new season, or something else entirely, one thing is certain: fans are eagerly awaiting any opportunity to dive back into the world of Sacred Heart Hospital.

In an age where reboots and revivals are commonplace, Scrubs stands out as a series that has the potential to recapture the magic that made it a fan favorite in the first place. With its blend of humor, heart, and unforgettable characters, a reunion project has the opportunity to not only satisfy longtime fans but also introduce a new generation to the joys of life at Sacred Heart.

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‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Rebellion with a cause

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The story of the rise of Coriolanus Snow, from teenage Capital City pawn to rising Dictator of the Hunger Games! 

Apparently no one out here in post-apocalyptic Panem has heard of irony and so they name their children things like Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), Tigress, and further off in Hunger Games lore, after swamp plants like Katniss. Corio’s father was a legendary general and that is pretty much the only reason young Snow and his meager family of grandmother called Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan) and sister Tigress (Hunter Schafer) are tolerated here in the Capital City at all. 

Most of the snotty youngsters at the academy won’t let Snow forget how far his family has fallen, but he’s generally not concerned with them. What is concerning is the strong disapproval of the drugged-up Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and the creepy attention of Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) as she lurks in the classroom sniffing out talent. The Dean feels very strongly the annual Hunger Games should end, while Gaul is violently adamant that not only do the Games continue, but that they get as much more attention as possible. And young Snow is stuck in the middle, when the yearly prize money normally awarded to the academy student with the best grades gets switched out for, you guessed it, the student that can make this years’ Hunger Games as entertaining as possible. 

Whilst the students are protesting this sudden change, the annual Reaping is about to commence, and big shock and surprise, Corio’s candidate from District 12 Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler) is chosen as a Tribute. This is where the film begins to really take off on musical wings, for as it turns out, Lucy Grey can sing. Boy, can that gal sing! She can sing, she can play guitar, she can work a crowd, she can calm things down, she can fire ‘em up too! And Corio, being no dummy himself, instantly plots ways to use his Tributes amazing voice to draw attention to her, and admittedly his own, plight! 

Though far too many people sneer at the idea, Corio takes his position as Mentor to his Tribute seriously enough to sneak onto the tram taking the Tributes to their habitat, which turns out to be a completely appropriate moniker, as this year the Tributes are held before the Hunger Games in a large zoo habitat so the weatherman ‘Lucky’ Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), host of this years games, can MC the hell out of everything up close and personal! 

What happens at this years Hunger Games and the subsequent consequences to both Corio and Lucy Grey is actually only half the story, and the movie. Coriolanus has always had to be opportunistic, but learning to be absolutely ruthless when necessary under the tutelage of Dr. Gaul, who basically thinks it’s always best to be merciless, is an eye-opening education indeed.  Even after they’ve both been consigned to military service and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andres Rivera) decides to finally rebel, Corio and Sejanus continue to deceive each other and themselves, to accomplish their separate goals. Not even the love Corio swears he feels for Lucy Grey can save him, or them, from the adamant absolute necessity of the Hunger Games continuing. And after all that’s happened, Coriolanus Snow has gotten a terrific education in the best way to be the absolutely ruthless next Hunger Games advocate, and oh yeah, President of Panem. 

The movie does itself no favors by trying to stuff not one but two major storylines and a bunch of side storylines sadly introduced and then ignored, into the film. It would have been entirely possible to turn Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes into two different movies, separated between feathers and scales if you like, and do justice to the major storylines in both. Blyth gives a fine  performance as a young Coriolanus Snow, but the fact that President Snow is played by Donald Sutherland in all three of the Hunger Games films means Blyth has incredibly large shoes to fill. Rachel Zegler as Lucy Grey is absolute fire, and yes the actress did sing the songs in the film herself, including the Hunger Games franchise epic song, ‘The Hanging Tree’. Every time Lucy Grey opens her mouth and sheer soul-searing music comes out, it provides a distinct counterpoint to the soul-crushing ambition of Coriolanus Snow and further demonstrates the District and Caste separation Hunger Games is known for. And if, by the end of the film, Coriolanus Snow has come to agree that the Hunger Games must continue but perhaps under his own auspices, he has no one but himself to blame when another younger but still rebellious female blows it all up in his face! 

Choose rebellion or conformity for yourself in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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