Stand-up comedian Nina Geld throws up after every set. That’s just one of the painful details we learn about the wonderfully complex character Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays in “All About Nina,” a striking and at times uncomfortably personal feature debut from writer-director Eva Vives that makes good on its title by not shying away from the emotional damage that makes its protagonist so compelling.
It takes guts to be this brutally honest onstage, and even more to do so on-screen, where the movie serves as a fossil record of the enormous weight its creator needed to get off her chest, but Vives gets it: If you’re going to unload this kind of baggage, you might as well do it through comedy — or in this case, through an unusually turbulent romantic comedy, wherein New Yorker Nina flees to Los Angeles to escape an abusive lover (Chace Crawford) and pursue...
It takes guts to be this brutally honest onstage, and even more to do so on-screen, where the movie serves as a fossil record of the enormous weight its creator needed to get off her chest, but Vives gets it: If you’re going to unload this kind of baggage, you might as well do it through comedy — or in this case, through an unusually turbulent romantic comedy, wherein New Yorker Nina flees to Los Angeles to escape an abusive lover (Chace Crawford) and pursue...
- 9/28/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
In the hyper-intelligent comedy Punching Henry, a journeyman comedian is lured to Los Angeles by a TV producer who wants to make him a reality star. As reality sets in, he must decide whether his legacy will be to tell jokes for a living or become the butt of them. With an all-star cast, including Henry Phillips (Punching the Clown), stand-up comics Tig Notaro, Jim Jefferies and Doug Stanhope; Clifton Collins Jr. (Pacific Rim), with Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back) and Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons (Best Supporting Actor, Whiplash, 2014),
Punching Henry is a hilarious and heartwarming glimpse behind the curtain of the weird world of comedy. The film debuts on Blu-ray™ April 18 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
Now you can own Punching Henry. We Are Movie Geeks has two copies of the Punching Henry Blu-ray to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this...
Punching Henry is a hilarious and heartwarming glimpse behind the curtain of the weird world of comedy. The film debuts on Blu-ray™ April 18 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
Now you can own Punching Henry. We Are Movie Geeks has two copies of the Punching Henry Blu-ray to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this...
- 4/12/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With the likes of Sarah Silverman and Moby singing the film's praise, Punching Henry (formerly titled Punching the Clown) certainly is a huge industry in-joke, yet it is also accessible for general fans of comedy. Aspiring -- and frankly hopeless -- comedian Henry Phillips (as himself) plays the lamest and most inappropriate venues for his specific form of dark comedy folk music. He moves to La and in with his brother (Matt Walker), a wannabe actor -- think Batman at kids parties -- picks up an amiable agent and gets noticed for all the wrong reasons at a high profile event. Before long he is caught up in a lie even he is not fully aware of as he commits to record contracts and gets...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/23/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.
This Past Weekend:
Presidents' Day weekend was an interesting one at the box office, and as with most holiday weekends, it was particularly difficult to figure out how things might fare, other than The Lego Batman Movie, which remained at #1 with almost $45 million over the four-day weekend. Fifty Shades Darker followed with $21.3 million, about a 50% drop. Last week, I thought that the Ice Cub comedy Fist Fight would beat The Great Wall, although it seemed like it could be a close race. Nope. Matt Damon’s action epic came in third place with $21.6 million, which is a couple million more than my original prediction, but The Fist Fight fell short of my prediction by almost $10 million, grossing $14.5 million in its first four days.
This Past Weekend:
Presidents' Day weekend was an interesting one at the box office, and as with most holiday weekends, it was particularly difficult to figure out how things might fare, other than The Lego Batman Movie, which remained at #1 with almost $45 million over the four-day weekend. Fifty Shades Darker followed with $21.3 million, about a 50% drop. Last week, I thought that the Ice Cub comedy Fist Fight would beat The Great Wall, although it seemed like it could be a close race. Nope. Matt Damon’s action epic came in third place with $21.6 million, which is a couple million more than my original prediction, but The Fist Fight fell short of my prediction by almost $10 million, grossing $14.5 million in its first four days.
- 2/22/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
"I think I'm failing very well doing what I love." Well Go USA has debuted a quirky trailer for an indie dramedy titled Punching Henry, a semi-autobiographical look at the life of comedian Henry Phillips. Henry is self-described as a "rambling troubadour extraordinaire" who combines folk music with stand up comedy in an awkward little act. Lured to Los Angeles by a veteran TV producer, Henry ends up making tough decisions about chasing fame and success. The cast includes J.K. Simmons, Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Jim Jefferies, Doug Stanhope, and more. This looks like a heartwarming, amusing little gem that hopefully profiles Henry Phillips in the best light, even if he doesn't achieve success. It's worth a look. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Gregori Viens' Punching Henry, direct from YouTube: In this semi-autobiographical, hyper-intelligent comedy, a journeyman comedian (played by Henry Phillips himself) is lured to L.
- 2/3/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Hapless satirical songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to La by renowned TV producer Jay Warren, who wants to make a show about the life of a struggling performer. When Jay sees Henry bomb at a local club, he is convinced that this story must be told. It's time to feel sorry for comedians in the trailer for Punching Henry! I think there is an interesting story to tell about comedians. Some of... Read More...
- 2/2/2017
- by Sean Wist
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Jack Campbell’s Octane brings nine titles to Afm
Former Premiere Entertainment Group executive Jack Campbell has launched Octane Entertainment with nine titles for Afm buyers led by This Is Your Death starring Josh Duhamel.
Backed by a Silicon Valley-based investment fund, Octane plans to finance and produce one to two cast-driven, globally appealing features a year and acquire 15-20 third-party titles a year.
This Is Your Death from producers Great Point Media centres on a lethal game show. Giancarlo Esposito directs and stars alongside Duhamel and Famke Janssen. Great Point represents Us rights.
The slate includes comedy And Punching The Clown with Henry Phillips, Sarah Silverman and J.K. Simmons, action title Cops And Robbers with Michael Jai White and Tom Berenger, and thriller Tell Me How I Die starring YouTube comedy sensation Ryan Higa.
Company president Campbell will be joined at the Afm by vice-president Tamara Nagahiro and acquisitions executive Tanya Thanadpojanamart.
“With so many...
Former Premiere Entertainment Group executive Jack Campbell has launched Octane Entertainment with nine titles for Afm buyers led by This Is Your Death starring Josh Duhamel.
Backed by a Silicon Valley-based investment fund, Octane plans to finance and produce one to two cast-driven, globally appealing features a year and acquire 15-20 third-party titles a year.
This Is Your Death from producers Great Point Media centres on a lethal game show. Giancarlo Esposito directs and stars alongside Duhamel and Famke Janssen. Great Point represents Us rights.
The slate includes comedy And Punching The Clown with Henry Phillips, Sarah Silverman and J.K. Simmons, action title Cops And Robbers with Michael Jai White and Tom Berenger, and thriller Tell Me How I Die starring YouTube comedy sensation Ryan Higa.
Company president Campbell will be joined at the Afm by vice-president Tamara Nagahiro and acquisitions executive Tanya Thanadpojanamart.
“With so many...
- 11/2/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
World premieres of the Noomi Rapace and Willem Dafoe sci-fi from Snd M6 Group and Gaumont’s animation featuring Elle Fanning will screen at the Santa Monica market next month.
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne is also on the world premiere line-up with Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age drama Coming Through The Rye with Alex Wolff and Chris Cooper; and HanWay Films’ Their Finest from Lone Scherfig...
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne is also on the world premiere line-up with Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age drama Coming Through The Rye with Alex Wolff and Chris Cooper; and HanWay Films’ Their Finest from Lone Scherfig...
- 10/11/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
World premieres of the Noomi Rapace and Willem Dafoe sci-fi from Snd M6 Group and The Exchange’s crime mystery starring Benjamin Walker, Stephanie Sigman, Wyatt Russell and Rainn Wilson will screen at the Santa Monica market next month.
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Gaumont’s animation Ballerina featuring Elle Fanning is also on the world premiere line-up, with Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne, and Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age...
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Gaumont’s animation Ballerina featuring Elle Fanning is also on the world premiere line-up, with Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne, and Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age...
- 10/11/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
World premieres of the Noomi Rapace and Willem Dafoe sci-fi from Snd M6 Group and The Exchange’s crime mystery starring Benjamin Walker, Stephanie Sigman, Wyatt Russell and Rainn Wilson will screen at the Santa Monica market next month.
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Gaumont’s animation Ballerina featuring Elle Fanning is also on the world premiere line-up, with Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne, and Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age...
Afm top brass said on Tuesday there will be 71 world premiere screenings and more than 250 market premiere screenings from November 2-9, with more likely to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Gaumont’s animation Ballerina featuring Elle Fanning is also on the world premiere line-up, with Sc Films International’s Charming 3D featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Ashley Tisdale and Avril Lavigne, and Vmi Worldwide’s Swing State with Taryn Manning, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Angela Kinsey.
There are market debuts for: Protagonist Pictures’ recent Toronto hit Lady Macbeth starring Screen Star Of Tomorrow Florence Pugh; Little Film Company’s animation Ethel & Ernest voiced by Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway; Bleiberg Entertainment’s coming-of-age...
- 10/11/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Here’s a first look at And Punching The Clown, the comedy starring Henry Phillips, Sarah Silverman, J.K. Simmons, Jim Jefferies, Tig Notaro and Ellen Ratner. It makes its world premiere during next month’s SXSW in Austin in the fest’s 24 Beats Per Second section. Co-written and starring Phillips, the pic centers on the comedian-songwriter who is lured to L.A. by a renowned TV producer (Simmons), who hopes to create a TV series about the life of a struggling performer…...
- 2/24/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: Nearly six years after Punching The Clown won Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival, a sequel is in the works. Henry Phillips returns to star in Still Punching The Clown, which he again co-wrote with director Gregori Viens. David Permut, Matt Ratner and Rick Rosenthal are producing the pic, which also stars J.K. Simmons, Sarah Silverman, Mike Judge, Jim Jefferies, Derek Waters, Ellen Ratner, Ginger Gonzaga and stand-up comedians Tig Notaro, Nikki Glaser and Doug Stanhope.
Still Punching The Clown follows Phillips’ misadventures as a stand-up comic attempting to make a name for himself amid myriad trials and tribulations as he tries to balance success with artistic integrity. Watch the trailer for the original 2009 pic above.
The film is a co-production of Permut Presentations, Tilted Windmill Productions and Whitewater Films, in association with Tunnel Post, Kandoo Films and Lola’s Productions. It’s the second teaming of Permut,...
Still Punching The Clown follows Phillips’ misadventures as a stand-up comic attempting to make a name for himself amid myriad trials and tribulations as he tries to balance success with artistic integrity. Watch the trailer for the original 2009 pic above.
The film is a co-production of Permut Presentations, Tilted Windmill Productions and Whitewater Films, in association with Tunnel Post, Kandoo Films and Lola’s Productions. It’s the second teaming of Permut,...
- 12/12/2014
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline
With the likes of Sarah Silverman and Moby singing the film's praise Punching the Clown certainly is a huge industry in-joke yet it is also accessible for general fans of comedy. Aspiring - and frankly hopeless- muso comedian Henry Phillips (as himself) plays the lamest and most inappropriate venues for his specific form of dark comedy folk music. He moves to La and in with his wannabe actor - think 'Batman at kids' parties - brother (Matt Walker) , picks up an amiable agent and gets noticed for all the wrong reasons at a high profile event. Before long he is caught up in a lie even he is not fully aware of as he commits to record contracts and gets booked into packed gigs....
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/8/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Winner of a 2012 Audience Award at Sundance, comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote, directed and stars in this sincere and hilarious film, based on his off-Broadway show and bestselling book. It’s also the first movie co-written by Ira Glass and co-produced by “This American Life.” The story: when an aspiring stand-up fails to express his true feelings about his girlfriend and his stalled career, his anxiety comes out in increasingly funny and dangerous sleepwalking incidents.
Sleepwalk With Me features Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), Carol Kane (“Taxi”), James Rebhorn (“Meet the Parents”), Cristin Milioti (star of Broadway’s “Once”), plus comedians Marc Maron, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, Jesse Klein, Henry Phillips and David Wain.
“A funny and insightful movie. I could have watched it for ten hours.”
- Judd Apatow
IFC Films and Wamg invite you to enter to win passes to the advance screening of Sleepwalk With Me in St.
Sleepwalk With Me features Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), Carol Kane (“Taxi”), James Rebhorn (“Meet the Parents”), Cristin Milioti (star of Broadway’s “Once”), plus comedians Marc Maron, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, Jesse Klein, Henry Phillips and David Wain.
“A funny and insightful movie. I could have watched it for ten hours.”
- Judd Apatow
IFC Films and Wamg invite you to enter to win passes to the advance screening of Sleepwalk With Me in St.
- 9/6/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Director Gregori Viens' indie comedy/future cult film "Punching the Clown" won the audience award for best narrative feature at Slamdance in 2009 before a small self-distributed theatrical release in 2010. The film, which Viens co-wrote with star Henry Phillips, is loosely based on Phillips' life as a writer and performer of comedic songs, and follows him as he navigates sudden showbiz success and a just as sudden fall from grace in Los Angeles. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Punching the Clown" is being developed into a TV series at Showtime, with Viens, Phillips and Chuck Martin ("Arrested Development") serving as writers, and all three attached as executive producers alongside Sarah Silverman and David Permut ("Youth in Revolt"). Viens and Phillips have been working on variations of this story for years -- before "Punching the Close" was a narrative feature, they reportedly made...
- 8/30/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Showtime is developing Slamdance Film Festival winner Punching the Clown for the small screen. The comedy from writer-director Gregori Viens had focused on comic singer-songwriter Henry Phillips, whose dumb-luck rise to Hollywood fame and fortune quickly goes bust. In the TV iteration, Phillips will be living with his struggling-actor brother and dealing with various romantic entanglements. Photos: The Hollywood Reporter Celebrates 'The Mindy Project' Viens, Phillips and Arrested Development's Chuck Martin will serve as writers and executive producers on the project, with comedian Sarah Silverman and David Permut (Face/Off, Farce of the Penguins) attached as EPs.
read more...
read more...
- 8/30/2012
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Many already know Mike Birbiglia from his stand-up specials and comedy tours, but his first feature, Sleepwalk With Me, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Stepping into the acting spotlight, while also writing and directing the film, Birbiglia makes first-time filmmaking look seamless and easy. Sleepwalk With Me also debuted at South By Southwest where Birbiglia and the producer of the film, Brian Bedol, were kind enough to sit down with me to discuss this very endearing and funny film. Check out our conversation below.
Can you tell us more about the script writing process?
Mike Birbiglia: The script process was about two years. There was a bunch of shifts. My brother Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish, who directed the one man show, and Ira Glass, who I developed a lot of stories with over the years for This American Life. Yeah, it was interesting because as...
Can you tell us more about the script writing process?
Mike Birbiglia: The script process was about two years. There was a bunch of shifts. My brother Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish, who directed the one man show, and Ira Glass, who I developed a lot of stories with over the years for This American Life. Yeah, it was interesting because as...
- 8/22/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Here's a funny ass trailer for an autobiographical romantic comedy from comedian Mike Birbiglia called Sleepwalk With Me. Birbiglia co-wrote, directed, and stars in the film that tells the story of an aspiring comedian who's been in a long relationship, feeling the pressures of marriage, and to top things off... he sleepwalks.
The movie won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and it also stars Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, and Marc Maron.
Here's the synopsis:
Winner of a 2012 Audience Award at Sundance, comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote, directed and stars in this sincere and hilarious film, based on his off-Broadway show and bestselling book. It’s also the first movie co-written by Ira Glass and co-produced by “This American Life.” The story: when an aspiring stand-up fails to express his true feelings about his girlfriend and his stalled career, his anxiety comes out in increasingly funny and dangerous sleepwalking incidents.
The movie won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, and it also stars Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, and Marc Maron.
Here's the synopsis:
Winner of a 2012 Audience Award at Sundance, comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote, directed and stars in this sincere and hilarious film, based on his off-Broadway show and bestselling book. It’s also the first movie co-written by Ira Glass and co-produced by “This American Life.” The story: when an aspiring stand-up fails to express his true feelings about his girlfriend and his stalled career, his anxiety comes out in increasingly funny and dangerous sleepwalking incidents.
- 7/21/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Good things come to those who wait and for those who feel as though they've suffered through a year of largely uninspired films up to now will likely breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of names like Darren Aronofsky, Sofia Coppola and Peter Weir. 'Tis the season for Jim Carrey to take a pay cut to star in a gay romance like "I Love You Phillip Morris" or Javier Bardem is whispering sweet nothings to spirits in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu's "Biutiful" rather than Julia Roberts.
There is the naughty -- Kristen Stewart stripping in "Welcome to the Rileys," the would-be terrorists of the Brit comedy "Four Lions," or the evil Santa in "Rare Exports" -- and the nice -- the tap-dancing lovers in "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench," the glory of James Franco's daredevil surviving "127 Hours" and Colin Firth's verbally-challenged royal conquering his stutter in "The King's Speech.
There is the naughty -- Kristen Stewart stripping in "Welcome to the Rileys," the would-be terrorists of the Brit comedy "Four Lions," or the evil Santa in "Rare Exports" -- and the nice -- the tap-dancing lovers in "Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench," the glory of James Franco's daredevil surviving "127 Hours" and Colin Firth's verbally-challenged royal conquering his stutter in "The King's Speech.
- 10/22/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
And so it continues . The second portion of our Punching the Clown interview with writer-director Gregori Viens and his co-writer and the film.s star Henry Phillips is here and it picks up right where the first part left off; the lengthy pre-production stage is behind us and now filming is underway. Again, Viens and Phillips approached this portion of the production in an unconventional manner designed according to their minimal resources. Even more notable, the guys discuss what would have happened to Punching the Clown had they gone the Hollywood route as originally planned and their take on the issue is particularly noble in relation to the creative process. But wait, there.s more: Phillips didn.t only show up to the interview with coffee in hand, but his guitar, too! Check out the first part of interview here and the second part below as well as a clip...
- 10/21/2010
- cinemablend.com
The singing comedian is a rarefied niche, not much seen since the last days of vaudeville and the decline of the candy-gram. The potential flipside of nichehood, however, is that if there is an audience out there -- or if one can be created -- it is being hopelessly underserved. They Might Be Giants and Flight of the Conchords have helped keep the form alive, and in Punching the Clown Henry Phillips does his bit, playing his deadpan folk tunes about stone-cold bitches and privileged poverty on the coffee house circuit, entertaining America one incredulous micro-batch at a time.
- 10/20/2010
- Movieline
Are there any movies that go from the development stage to the big screen with zero problems along the way? Absolutely not, but it.s a particularly bumpy ride for filmmakers flying solo, without the assistance of a production company and that.s exactly how Punching the Clown came to be. The film stars Henry Phillips as Henry Phillips, a singing comedian who can put anything from trying to sharing drugs with hookers to school nerds taking revenge with guns to a catchy tune. Of course this doesn.t jibe with everyone.s sense of humor and a particularly rough performance compels Henry to leave the open road behind and settle down in La to try to build his career. In honor of the movie.s October 22nd release at the Quad Cinema in New York City, Phillips and his co-writer and the film.s director, Gregori Viens, sat down...
- 10/20/2010
- cinemablend.com
Henry Phillips possesses a sharp wit that is both endearing and crude, a somewhat cynical wit he has honed by performing for too many years in front of too many bored drunks in too many one-horse towns. He suffers the self-imposed misfortune of being an intelligent man who has chosen to travel the American heartland as an itinerant singer-songwriter, even though his talents in that area are mediocre at best. As he himself clearly acknowledges in the wonderful film Punching the Clown, he is no Bob Dylan or Paul Simon. Nor would we want him to be. His goofy, second-rate songs and his naive quest for success are what endear him to us. We can relate to every frustration and every fledgling hope. Henry's forte is the edgy, bawdy, irreverent, and (he hopes) funny acoustic ballad, and unwittingly performing such material...
- 10/19/2010
- by Joseph Smigelski
- Huffington Post
Title: Punching the Clown Directed By: Gregori Viens Starring: Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Matthew Walker, Audrey Siegel, Guilford Adams, Evan Arnold, Mark Cohen, Mik Scriba Punching the Clown grew from a documentary director and writer Gregori Viens made with co-writer and star Henry Phillips back in 1997. The plan was to turn it into a fictionalized narrative feature and while they did find a super chic production company to fly them to London and Paris to secure financing, that’s about as far as they got. From there it was a typical indie filmmaking experience resulting in maxed out credit cards and the entire thing being shot on a semi-professional Panasonic Hpx [...]...
- 10/18/2010
- by Perri Nemiroff
- ShockYa
Punching The Clown Directed by Gregori Viens The very best independent films somehow avoid the pitfalls of a low budget--showcasing great performances or beautiful cinematography against all odds. Punching the Clown achieves something nearly as impressive: it works despite its limitations. Writer and lead actor Henry Philllips has crafted a pseudo-autobiography so genuine and likable that the sometimes stiff acting and unglamorous aesthetic serve as essential elements of the film's ramshackle charm. Phillips plays, and is, a down-to-earth satirical folk singer who often has trouble describing exactly what it is he does ("it's like folk music--well, uh, not like real folk music...") but is nevertheless compelled to do it. Tired of the unreceptive audiences and meager pay on the road, Henry decides to crash with his brother, an L.A. actor who specializes in children's birthday parties, and see what kind of success awaits him. He becomes a regular and...
- 11/12/2009
- by Emmet Duff
- SoundOnSight
The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival is coming to a close and the award winners were announced Sunday night in a presentation hosted by Fliff president Gregory von Hausch.
Among the big winners was "Entre Nos," the new immigrant drama which picked up 4 awards, including The Seashell Award for Best Film of the festival, Best Actress in a Foreign Film for star Paola Mendoza, who also co-wrote and co-directed the film, The Special Jury Award for Debut by a Child, and The President's Award for Best Feature Film. "This film is close to our hearts and was a labor of love. We couldn't be more thrilled," said co-director and writer Gloria La Morte.
"Punching the Clown," a comedy about a satirical singer/songwriter, scored Best American Indie Film, Best Actor in an American Indie for star Henry Phillips and Best Director of an American Indie for Gregori Viens.
"Trucker," starring Michelle Monaghan and Nathan Fillion,...
Among the big winners was "Entre Nos," the new immigrant drama which picked up 4 awards, including The Seashell Award for Best Film of the festival, Best Actress in a Foreign Film for star Paola Mendoza, who also co-wrote and co-directed the film, The Special Jury Award for Debut by a Child, and The President's Award for Best Feature Film. "This film is close to our hearts and was a labor of love. We couldn't be more thrilled," said co-director and writer Gloria La Morte.
"Punching the Clown," a comedy about a satirical singer/songwriter, scored Best American Indie Film, Best Actor in an American Indie for star Henry Phillips and Best Director of an American Indie for Gregori Viens.
"Trucker," starring Michelle Monaghan and Nathan Fillion,...
- 11/10/2009
- icelebz.com
The Austin Film Festival and Conference, which runs Oct. 22-29, released a sampling of its feature lineup Wednesday.
The 16th annual screenwriter-focused fest will screen several documentaries, including Peter Hanson's "Tales From the Script," Barry Levinson's "PoliWood" and Robert Townsend's "Why We Laugh."
World premieres will include Gary Lundgren's "Calvin Marshall," Todd Berger's "The Scenesters" and Mark Potts and Cole Selix's "Simmons on Vinyl."
The centerpiece film will be Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon's "The Messenger."
Also screening are Robert Byington's "Harmony and Me," Peter Bratt's "La Mission" and Gregori Viens and Henry Phillips' "Punching the Clown."
This year's fest will honor Steven Zaillian with the Distinguished Screenwriter Award and Ron Howard with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award.
The rest of the program -- including competition titles, shorts and the opening- and closing-night films -- will be announced mid-September.
The 16th annual screenwriter-focused fest will screen several documentaries, including Peter Hanson's "Tales From the Script," Barry Levinson's "PoliWood" and Robert Townsend's "Why We Laugh."
World premieres will include Gary Lundgren's "Calvin Marshall," Todd Berger's "The Scenesters" and Mark Potts and Cole Selix's "Simmons on Vinyl."
The centerpiece film will be Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon's "The Messenger."
Also screening are Robert Byington's "Harmony and Me," Peter Bratt's "La Mission" and Gregori Viens and Henry Phillips' "Punching the Clown."
This year's fest will honor Steven Zaillian with the Distinguished Screenwriter Award and Ron Howard with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award.
The rest of the program -- including competition titles, shorts and the opening- and closing-night films -- will be announced mid-September.
- 8/26/2009
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
2009 Gen Art Awards 2009 Gen Art Film Festival: April 1-7, 2009 In David Lee Miller’s comedy My Suicide, Gabriel Sunday (above) stars as teenager whose final school video project will be his own suicide. Also in the My Suicide cast: David Carradine, Mariel Hemingway, Brooke Nevin (above), Nora Dunn, and Joe Mantegna. Acura Grand Jury Award for Best Feature: My Suicide, by David Lee Miller Acura Grand Jury Award for Best Short: Adelaide, by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders Audience Award for Best Feature: My Suicide, by David Lee Miller Audience Award for Best Short: Adelaide, by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders “Stargazer Award” for breakout acting: Gabriel Sunday, My Suicide Special jury prize for best use of music: Punching the Clown, directed by Gregori Viens, music by Henry Phillips Feature Jury: Kevin Corrigan, Matt Dentler, Mike Landry, Moby, Ted Sarandos Short Jury: Cary Fukunaga, Dana Brunetti, Kurt Keunne, Matt Stein, Terry Kinney Stargazer Jury: Izabella Miko,...
- 4/9/2009
- by Deborah Arthur
- Alt Film Guide
David Miller's "My Suicide" copped the grand jury award for best feature at the 14th annual Gen Art Film Festival, which handed out its prizes Tuesday at a closing-night party at New York's Club Blvd. The award for best short film went to Liliana Greenfield-Sanders' "Adelaide." Both films also took home the fest's audience awards.
The Stargazer Award honoring breakout talent for excellence in acting went to Gabriel Sunday from "My Suicide."
Musician Moby presented a special jury prize for best use of music in a feature film to "Punching the Clown," directed by Gregori Viens, with music by Henry Phillips.
"Finding Bliss," directed by Julie Davis and starring Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Donnamarie Recco, Denise Richards, Kristen Johnston and Jamie Kennedy, had its U.S. premiere as the closing-night film.
The Stargazer Award honoring breakout talent for excellence in acting went to Gabriel Sunday from "My Suicide."
Musician Moby presented a special jury prize for best use of music in a feature film to "Punching the Clown," directed by Gregori Viens, with music by Henry Phillips.
"Finding Bliss," directed by Julie Davis and starring Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Donnamarie Recco, Denise Richards, Kristen Johnston and Jamie Kennedy, had its U.S. premiere as the closing-night film.
Part comedy, part dive bar concert film, there's a reason why Punching the Clown won the audience award at this year's Slamdance Film Festival (and has a chance to do the same at the Gen Art Film Festival): quite simply, it's just a damn good time. Based on the very real, very uncomfortable and very unfortunate life of up-and-coming comedic folksinger Henry Phillips, Punching the Clown is a low-budgeted ball of squishy hilarity that's easily digestible and destined to become an audience favorite. Following the screening I attended, director Gregori Viens said they were talking with different cable networks about making a deal to air the film on television with it cut up into episodic form. While I'm all in favor of getting this tasty nugget out there for all to see, someone has to pony up a little cash and chuck this sucker into theaters for at the very least a limited run.
- 4/7/2009
- by Erik Davis
- Cinematical
The Slamdance competition is open only to under-$1 million budgeted films from first-time filmmakers and runs at the same time as Sundance (in Utah) to show a more truer "independent" film style. This year they've got some great looking films, including a sweet looking vampire flick which has the Karate Kid Ralph Macchio himself, Rosencantz and Guildenstern are Undead. I Sell the Dead which was well received at Tad will be opening the fest. Also playing will be The Broken Lizard's latest film The Slammin' Salmon, and Mum and Dad.
Checkout the full lineup after the break!
Narrative Feature Competition
The Ante
Max Perrier (Director), Danek S. Kaus, James Chancellor & Simon Perrier (Writers)
West Coast Premiere, Black Comedy/Thriller, 2006, Canada, 82 minutes
An innocent man becomes the killer everyone wants him to be when he gambles with his freedom in order to save it.
A Quiet Little Marriage
Mo Perkins (Director/Writer)
Utah Premiere,...
Checkout the full lineup after the break!
Narrative Feature Competition
The Ante
Max Perrier (Director), Danek S. Kaus, James Chancellor & Simon Perrier (Writers)
West Coast Premiere, Black Comedy/Thriller, 2006, Canada, 82 minutes
An innocent man becomes the killer everyone wants him to be when he gambles with his freedom in order to save it.
A Quiet Little Marriage
Mo Perkins (Director/Writer)
Utah Premiere,...
- 12/8/2008
- QuietEarth.us
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.