With character driven films such as Journey to Planet X and We are Wizards, duo Josh Koury and Myles Kane have carved out a reputation as observational filmmakers. Their Voyeur — which premiered at Nyff and is now streaming on Netflix — explores the unique relationship between famed writer Gay Talese and former motel owner/self declared voyeur Gerald Foos. Foos, who claims to have secretly watched guests having sex at his Colorado motel for several decades, sent Talese an anonymous handwritten letter detailing his “secret life” back in 1980. Intrigued by the subject matter, the writer agreed to fly up to […]...
- 11/30/2017
- by Cliff Benfield
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Ah, December. A time for sipping hot beverages, retail therapy, and gathering the family around the television. This holiday season, Netflix will add blockbuster comedies new and old to its collection, as well as some more artistic fare fresh from festival circuit. Next month on the streaming platform, home viewers can catch the comedic stylings of Chris Pratt in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” in case they missed it in theaters. If you prefer something a little darker, the Wachowskis’ dystopian epic “V for Vendetta” will also be available.
Read More:‘American Crime Story: Versace’ Trailer: Ryan Murphy’s FX Series Goes Back to the ’90s for Fashion World Murder
Jim Carrey may be recently known for his painting skills and red carpet nihilism, but back in the ’90s he was just “Ace Ventura.” Beginning in December, you can revisit both “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Read More:‘American Crime Story: Versace’ Trailer: Ryan Murphy’s FX Series Goes Back to the ’90s for Fashion World Murder
Jim Carrey may be recently known for his painting skills and red carpet nihilism, but back in the ’90s he was just “Ace Ventura.” Beginning in December, you can revisit both “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
- 11/20/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The pair of filmmakers featured in "Journey to Planet X" cite no major auteur directors or seminal works of cinema as their influences. Instead, Eric Swain and Troy Bernier want to blow things up and soar through space. Established geologists by day, Swain and Bernier churn out uber-cheesy genre pastiches for their own enjoyment. They may not realize it, but their commitment symbolizes the essence of the creative practice as a deeply personal act. It goes without saying that "Journey to Planet X" directors Myles Kane and Josh Koury (who previously directed the Harry Potter fandom doc "We Are Wizards") have made a better, more polished movie than "Planet X," the laser-and-spaceship odyssey that Swain and Bernier craft over the course of the documentary's 76-minute running time. But while "Journey to Planet X" contains virtually no dramatic conflict between its characters outside of practical on-set issues, it also makes an.
- 4/24/2012
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Josh Koury is a chronicler of art on the fringes. In 2002, he founded the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival (Buff), which he ran until 2006, screening weird and wonderful movies that had failed to find a home elsewhere, and in 2007 he directed the documentary feature We Are Wizards, which spotlighted Harry Potter fans who demonstrated their profound love of J.K. Rowling’s world by forming bands that performed “wizard rock.” Now Koury has teamed up with his frequent collaborator Myles Kane (the co-founder of Buff and Koury’s editor on Wizards) to co-direct Journey to Planet X, a non-fiction feature that focuses on Eric Swain and Troy Bernier, two scientists who spend their spare time working together on zero-budget genre movies and now take on their most ambitious project to date, Planet X.
Filmmaker: How did you first come across Eric and Troy? Did you immediately want to make a film about them?...
Filmmaker: How did you first come across Eric and Troy? Did you immediately want to make a film about them?...
- 4/23/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 11th annual Nevada City Film Festival, running Aug. 18-21, is four nights crammed full with short films, several feature-length documentaries, one dramatic feature, stand-up comedy performances and more surprises, all nestled within the rolling hills of Northern California.
The fest opens with the feature documentary Someplace With a Mountain, directed by Steve Goodall and narrated by Chevy Chase. The film tells the story of the embattled people of the Puluwat atoll who are besieged by the Pacific Ocean itself. Rising waters due to global warming are making their land slowly disappear beneath the waves.
Other feature docs include music-based films We Are Wizards, directed by Josh Koury, about the oddball phenomenon of rock bands that only craft songs about the world of Harry Potter; and Everyday Sunshine, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, which profiles the legendary ska punk band Fishbone that continues to bring their enthusiastic music to the masses.
The fest opens with the feature documentary Someplace With a Mountain, directed by Steve Goodall and narrated by Chevy Chase. The film tells the story of the embattled people of the Puluwat atoll who are besieged by the Pacific Ocean itself. Rising waters due to global warming are making their land slowly disappear beneath the waves.
Other feature docs include music-based films We Are Wizards, directed by Josh Koury, about the oddball phenomenon of rock bands that only craft songs about the world of Harry Potter; and Everyday Sunshine, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, which profiles the legendary ska punk band Fishbone that continues to bring their enthusiastic music to the masses.
- 8/17/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
We're all wizards, aren't we?
"We Are Wizards" is director Josh Koury's affectionate 2008 documentary that interviews several "Harry Potter" fans about how J.K. Rowling's creation has affected them -- and, in many cases, their music.
Unlike, say, "Trekkies," there's no sense of sneering condescension toward the subjects of the doc with this one -- "We Are Wizards" is a loving ode to fandom, an inspirational portrait of how a work of art can bring complete strangers together and a rollicking celebration of creativity. Yeah!
"We Are Wizards" was a hit at several major film festivals, including Austin's SXSW, but you don't have to worry about seeking out a screening -- just sit back and watch it right now on your computer, courtesy of Snag Films. Now that's some magic!
"We Are Wizards" is director Josh Koury's affectionate 2008 documentary that interviews several "Harry Potter" fans about how J.K. Rowling's creation has affected them -- and, in many cases, their music.
Unlike, say, "Trekkies," there's no sense of sneering condescension toward the subjects of the doc with this one -- "We Are Wizards" is a loving ode to fandom, an inspirational portrait of how a work of art can bring complete strangers together and a rollicking celebration of creativity. Yeah!
"We Are Wizards" was a hit at several major film festivals, including Austin's SXSW, but you don't have to worry about seeking out a screening -- just sit back and watch it right now on your computer, courtesy of Snag Films. Now that's some magic!
- 7/14/2011
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 about to hit screens and Part 2 in theaters next year, now would be a good time to look into Potter fandom’s Golden Age. Luckily, filmmaker Josh Koury captured the mania and the craziness in his entertaining documentary We Are Wizards, which is embedded in full above. The film specifically focuses on the multimedia aspect of fans’ engagement with the source material and with each other, particularly the music subculture called Wizard Rock. Warning: If you’re planning to watch this documentary with your kids — or if you are a kid — interview subject Brad Neely, unfortunately, colors his language with lots of expletives.
Although the documentary doesn’t get into the history of fandom in general, Harry Potter-inspired Wizard Rock isn’t an all too unusual expression of fan love. Star Trek has its fans dressing up like Klingons and singing drinking songs.
Although the documentary doesn’t get into the history of fandom in general, Harry Potter-inspired Wizard Rock isn’t an all too unusual expression of fan love. Star Trek has its fans dressing up like Klingons and singing drinking songs.
- 11/15/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
So you've read Harry Potter. You've seen the movies. How can you get your next fix? Try free-on-Hulu doc We Are WIzards. What's wonderful about Josh Koury's flick is that it shows off some of the boundless creativity that Harry Potter has inspired, whether it's 'wizard rock' as embodied by grandfathers of the genre Harry and the Potters and kid-band The Hungarian Horntails, or cartoonist Brad Neely's spoof Wizard People, Dear Reader, a terrifically funny alternative soundtrack to the first film. The flick is nicely shot and a little all over the place; bopping around from the wise words of Leaky Cauldron webmistress Melissa Anelli (who is the author of a book on Harry Potter fan culture, Harry: A History), to a fundamentalist woman fed up with Potter's witchcraft, there's no throughline there, and you'd be remiss to think that wizard rock is simply the provenance of boys...
- 7/16/2009
- TribecaFilm.com
Does Harry Potter draw children to the dark side of life, to "something that will ultimately destroy society"? Or does it inspire them to start "Wizard Rock" bands at the age of seven? Maybe it does both -- and more! With Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince rolling into theaters at midnight, it's a good time to check out Josh Koury's doc We Are Wizards which examines the Potter phenomenon (in part). It's available for free online viewing, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms, and you can watch it right here at Cinematical.
As Kim Voynar pointed out in her review from SXSW in 2008, it's "not so much a documentary about Harry Potter fandom in general, as it is about the 'Wizard Rock' bands that have grown up around the franchise, and a couple of the bigger Harry Potter fan sites." Though she enjoyed the segments that focus on the bands,...
As Kim Voynar pointed out in her review from SXSW in 2008, it's "not so much a documentary about Harry Potter fandom in general, as it is about the 'Wizard Rock' bands that have grown up around the franchise, and a couple of the bigger Harry Potter fan sites." Though she enjoyed the segments that focus on the bands,...
- 7/14/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
The release of 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' may signify the beginning of the end for the world's most famous wizard on the big screen; but for a culture of rabid 'Potter' fanatics, the adventures won't stop any time soon.
A documentary by Josh Koury, 'We Are Wizards' takes a closer look at the underground culture of die hard fans spawned by J.K. Rowling's bestselling novels and subsequent blockbuster film franchise.
'We Are Wizards' is a documentary for wizards, muggles, squibs and half-bloods alike. Watch the film in full, or snag it onto your own site, from SnagFilms.com.
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A documentary by Josh Koury, 'We Are Wizards' takes a closer look at the underground culture of die hard fans spawned by J.K. Rowling's bestselling novels and subsequent blockbuster film franchise.
'We Are Wizards' is a documentary for wizards, muggles, squibs and half-bloods alike. Watch the film in full, or snag it onto your own site, from SnagFilms.com.
Watch 'We Are Wizards' FreeFiled under: Documentaries
Continue reading Watch 'We Are Wizards'
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- 7/13/2009
- by Anthony Colarusso
- Moviefone
Holden And Darius Wilkins In Director Josh Koury'S We Are Wizards. Courtesy Brooklyn Underground Films. Despite his youth, 31-year-old Josh Koury has already carved out quite a reputation for himself within the world of independent film. Born and raised in upstate New York, Koury studied fine art at Munson Williams Proctor Institute in Utica and then film at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute, where he also ran a weekly multimedia event. Following his graduation, Koury made his debut feature, Standing By Yourself, a documentary about problem teens in upstate New York, which premiered in competition at Slamdance in 2002 and was released to acclaim later the same year. Koury's own experiences on the festival circuit also prompted him to co-found...
- 11/26/2008
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
By Aaron Hillis
Even if you're the rare bird who has never heard of a Muggle, Hogwarts or Lord Voldemort, you won't feel left out while watching "We Are Wizards," a heartfelt and hugely entertaining doc about the Harry Potter fan phenomenon. Directed by Josh Koury (of 2002's "Standing By Yourself"), the film isn't just about groupies but what the Potter-verse has inspired among a few chosen subjects, including wizard rock bands like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, and the pint-sized Hungarian Horntails. Self-made activist Heather Lawver chronicles her successful fight against Warner Bros. over their persecution of Potter fan sites, and eccentric artist Brad Neely explains his "Wizard People, Dear Reader," a hilarious audio commentary to be played in conjunction with the first "Harry Potter" film. Koury, who also teaches on the film faculty at NYC's Pratt Institute, spoke with me between classes about his own Potter fandom,...
Even if you're the rare bird who has never heard of a Muggle, Hogwarts or Lord Voldemort, you won't feel left out while watching "We Are Wizards," a heartfelt and hugely entertaining doc about the Harry Potter fan phenomenon. Directed by Josh Koury (of 2002's "Standing By Yourself"), the film isn't just about groupies but what the Potter-verse has inspired among a few chosen subjects, including wizard rock bands like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, and the pint-sized Hungarian Horntails. Self-made activist Heather Lawver chronicles her successful fight against Warner Bros. over their persecution of Potter fan sites, and eccentric artist Brad Neely explains his "Wizard People, Dear Reader," a hilarious audio commentary to be played in conjunction with the first "Harry Potter" film. Koury, who also teaches on the film faculty at NYC's Pratt Institute, spoke with me between classes about his own Potter fandom,...
- 11/20/2008
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
By Kim Voynar (reprinted from 03/17/08 -- SXSW Film Festival)
Quick, raise your hand if you're a Harry Potter fan. Yeah, there are a lot of boy wizard fans, which is probably why a documentary about Harry Potter fandom sounded like a great idea. We Are Wizards, though, is not so much a documentary about Harry Potter fandom in general, as it is about the "Wizard Rock" bands that have grown up around the franchise, and a couple of the bigger Harry Potter fan sites.
The film introduces us to some of these Wizard Rock bands, including Harry and the Potters (brothers Paul and Joe DeGeorge), Draco and the Malfoys (brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher), and The Hungarian Horntails, headed up by seven-year old punk rocker Darius and his four-year-old brother, Holden, who write songs they call "dragon rock."
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Theatrical Reviews
Continue reading Review: We Are Wizards...
Quick, raise your hand if you're a Harry Potter fan. Yeah, there are a lot of boy wizard fans, which is probably why a documentary about Harry Potter fandom sounded like a great idea. We Are Wizards, though, is not so much a documentary about Harry Potter fandom in general, as it is about the "Wizard Rock" bands that have grown up around the franchise, and a couple of the bigger Harry Potter fan sites.
The film introduces us to some of these Wizard Rock bands, including Harry and the Potters (brothers Paul and Joe DeGeorge), Draco and the Malfoys (brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher), and The Hungarian Horntails, headed up by seven-year old punk rocker Darius and his four-year-old brother, Holden, who write songs they call "dragon rock."
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Theatrical Reviews
Continue reading Review: We Are Wizards...
- 11/14/2008
- by Cinematical staff
- Cinematical
They're just wild about Harry Potter, and they go to great lengths to prove it.
The unfocused but fun documentary "We Are Wizards" - directed by Brooklynite Josh Koury - introduces viewers to superfans of J.K. Rowley's books and the films they've inspired.
In the forefront are the musicians, such as a group called Harry and the Potters, who have invented a brand-new musical genre called "wizard rock." (Sample lyrics: "My daddy's rich, and your daddy's dead.")
And there are the computer geeks who took on Warner Bros. (the films' distributor...
The unfocused but fun documentary "We Are Wizards" - directed by Brooklynite Josh Koury - introduces viewers to superfans of J.K. Rowley's books and the films they've inspired.
In the forefront are the musicians, such as a group called Harry and the Potters, who have invented a brand-new musical genre called "wizard rock." (Sample lyrics: "My daddy's rich, and your daddy's dead.")
And there are the computer geeks who took on Warner Bros. (the films' distributor...
- 11/14/2008
- by By V.A. MUSETTO
- NYPost.com
by Michael Joshua Rowin (November 13, 2008) [An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.]
Full disclosure: I have never read any of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. I have never seen any of the blockbuster movies based on her series. That I plan to never do so is not entirely because of any perceived intellectual and emotional poverty of these books and movies--i know plenty of smart people who enjoy the Harry Potter stories, and there could be, at extremely generous moments, a certain side of me that would consider giving them a shot. But not as long as there are movies like "We Are Wizards," and not as long as there exist the Harry Potter-crazed subjects who comprise this painful documentary's meretricious survey of kitschy fandom.
Full disclosure: I have never read any of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. I have never seen any of the blockbuster movies based on her series. That I plan to never do so is not entirely because of any perceived intellectual and emotional poverty of these books and movies--i know plenty of smart people who enjoy the Harry Potter stories, and there could be, at extremely generous moments, a certain side of me that would consider giving them a shot. But not as long as there are movies like "We Are Wizards," and not as long as there exist the Harry Potter-crazed subjects who comprise this painful documentary's meretricious survey of kitschy fandom.
- 11/13/2008
- by peter
- Indiewire
By Matt Singer
In honor of the new documentary "We Are Wizards," about people who take Harry Potter way beyond simply reading the books or watching the movies, we take a look this week at obsessive fan culture and the documentaries that chronicle their fandom. Fanaticism in these films takes on many different forms. Some fans only want to take what their idols give them; others want to give back by creating derivative works of their own, like fan fiction or fan songs. Some become unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Some -- like a dentist who turned his office into a "Star Trek" tchotchke paradise called "Starfleet Dental" -- willfully reject the distinction altogether. Some love to become lost in escapism; others obsess about it until they are trapped by it. On this list, we'll look at what makes these fans tick and find the exact point when...
In honor of the new documentary "We Are Wizards," about people who take Harry Potter way beyond simply reading the books or watching the movies, we take a look this week at obsessive fan culture and the documentaries that chronicle their fandom. Fanaticism in these films takes on many different forms. Some fans only want to take what their idols give them; others want to give back by creating derivative works of their own, like fan fiction or fan songs. Some become unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Some -- like a dentist who turned his office into a "Star Trek" tchotchke paradise called "Starfleet Dental" -- willfully reject the distinction altogether. Some love to become lost in escapism; others obsess about it until they are trapped by it. On this list, we'll look at what makes these fans tick and find the exact point when...
- 11/13/2008
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
by indieWIRE (November 12, 2008) Editors Note: This interview was originally published as part of our coverage of the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival.
Josh Koury's "We Are Wizards" had its world premiere at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival and has since screened in festivals around the world. The doc is a portrait of the unusual and passionate culture of Harry Potter fans. As the SXSW catalog described the film, "The 'Harry Potter' mythos allows the nerdy, the average, the young, the downtrodden, and the bored a chance to borrow a little inspiration and step out of their respective worlds to be a part of something 'big.'" The film opens in theatrical release this Friday, November 14th at the Cinema Village in New York City.
Josh Koury's "We Are Wizards" had its world premiere at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival and has since screened in festivals around the world. The doc is a portrait of the unusual and passionate culture of Harry Potter fans. As the SXSW catalog described the film, "The 'Harry Potter' mythos allows the nerdy, the average, the young, the downtrodden, and the bored a chance to borrow a little inspiration and step out of their respective worlds to be a part of something 'big.'" The film opens in theatrical release this Friday, November 14th at the Cinema Village in New York City.
- 11/12/2008
- by peter
- indieWIRE - People
By Neil Pedley
There is plenty of (semi)lighthearted fare at the art house this week with Danny Boyle tracking a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" whiz kid in Mumbai, Arnaud Desplechin looking at a family reunion in France and a Bollywood musical playing out in Miami, followed by films that are distinctively more "hardcore," whether that refers to Harry Potter fans or elderly curmudgeons. Oh, and there's also some globetrotting carnage with our man Craig -- Daniel Craig.
"B.O.H.I.C.A."
If this debut effort from "Melvin Goes To Dinner" producer turned writer/director D.J. Paul is to be believed, the best way to support our brave boys serving overseas is to send them some sunscreen and a truckload of Sudoku books. Marooned in the middle of the Afghan desert guarding a radio tower, four army reservists (Adam Rodriguez, Nicholas Gonzalez, Kevin Weisman, Brendan Sexton III) do battle with the...
There is plenty of (semi)lighthearted fare at the art house this week with Danny Boyle tracking a "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" whiz kid in Mumbai, Arnaud Desplechin looking at a family reunion in France and a Bollywood musical playing out in Miami, followed by films that are distinctively more "hardcore," whether that refers to Harry Potter fans or elderly curmudgeons. Oh, and there's also some globetrotting carnage with our man Craig -- Daniel Craig.
"B.O.H.I.C.A."
If this debut effort from "Melvin Goes To Dinner" producer turned writer/director D.J. Paul is to be believed, the best way to support our brave boys serving overseas is to send them some sunscreen and a truckload of Sudoku books. Marooned in the middle of the Afghan desert guarding a radio tower, four army reservists (Adam Rodriguez, Nicholas Gonzalez, Kevin Weisman, Brendan Sexton III) do battle with the...
- 11/10/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
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