AFI FEST 2020: Pink Skies Ahead

Pink Skies Ahead takes us back to the Los Angeles of the late 1990s when a college students drops out and moves back in with her parents. Aspiring writer Winona (Jessica Barden) drops out of college and gets diagnosed with an anxiety disorder after moving back home with her parents, Robert (Michael McKean) and Pamela (Marcia Gay Harden).  She’s in denial about Dr. Cotton’s (Henry Winkler) diagnosis.  After all, she’s never had a panic attack…

"AFI FEST 2020: Pink Skies Ahead"

Nicole Riegel and Jessica Barden talk Holler

Nicole Riegel and Jessica Barden spoke with Solzy at the Movies for nearly half an hour over Zoom on Thursday about Holler. Holler was originally supposed to premiere this past March during SXSW in Austin. The film screened for the first time in front of an audience during the Deauville Film Festival in France. Tomorrow, Holler will screen for industry attendees during the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival in the Industry Selects program. Holler is…

"Nicole Riegel and Jessica Barden talk Holler"

Holler: Jessica Barden Shines In Nicole Riegel’s Feature Debut

Holler, starring Jessica Barden, marks an impressive feature debut for writer-director Nicole Riegel in the Southern Ohio-set production. It’s no lie that manufacturing towns are among the first towns to take a hit when the economy takes a downturn.  Jackson, Ohio is certainly no exception.  For Ruth Avery (Jessica Barden), she’s willing to do whatever it takes to go to college and have a better future.  Working with her brother Blaze (Gus Halper), Ruth soon…

"Holler: Jessica Barden Shines In Nicole Riegel’s Feature Debut"

Toronto 2019: Jungleland

Jungleland is a film about about a pair of brothers traveling across the country while also touching upon themes of toxic masculinity. Stanley Kaminski (Charlie Hunnam) and Lion Kaminski (Jack O’Connell) are a pair of brothers living in Massachusetts.  They’re down on their luck with the only hope of making money being a boxing match in San Francisco.  Easier said than done.  Lion is a boxer and Stanley acts as his manager.  If Stanley had…

"Toronto 2019: Jungleland"

SXSW 2019: Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy breaks down this particular comedy genre beat by beat while showing clips of many rom-com films in the process. Elizabeth Sankey narrates and directs this well-made documentary.  Through her narration and interviews, Sankey breaks down everything we know about the genre.  This isn’t only limited to present-day rom-coms but Sankey goes back to the classics.  She grew up as any teenage girl does:  learning about romance through the romantic comedy genre. The 1930s…

"SXSW 2019: Romantic Comedy"

SXSW 2018: The New Romantic

The post-college fears are as real as ever in Carly Stone’s feature directorial debut, The New Romantic. How far would somebody go if it means taking home a journalism award that comes with a nice cash prize to boot?  This is the task at hand for college senior Blake Conway (Jessica Barden).  She’s writing for the school newspaper but with her being a hopeless romantic, the interest in her columns just isn’t what it used…

"SXSW 2018: The New Romantic"