News

Last year, we heard that Spyder Dobrofsky – who worked on the scripts for such flicks as The Housewives of the North Pole and One Christmas Wish, as well as Mom’s Day Away, and made his feature directorial debut with the mystery thriller Spiral – was making a holiday horror movie called Down Below and had assembled a solid cast for the project: the legendary Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) stars alongside Bai Ling (The Crow), Alexis Knapp (Pitch Perfect), and Doug Jones, who is best known for his creature (or heavily made up) performances in films like The Shape of Water, Hellboy, and Hocus Pocus. Now, Down Below has been sent out into the world, as it was given a digital release this week and is available to rent or purchase on Amazon’s Prime Video at This Link.

Down Below tells the following story: On the 20th anniversary of the...

Spyder Dobrofsky is probably not a name you would expect to see credited on Christmas-themed TV movies, but that’s exactly how Dobrofsky got started out, working on the scripts for such flicks as The Housewives of the North Pole and One Christmas Wish, as well as Mom’s Day Away. When he made his feature directorial debut, it was on a movie called Spiral, which was something you’d expect to see a Spyder credited with: a mystery thriller. Now Deadline has broken the news that Dobrofsky is working on a holiday horror movie called Down Below… and he has assembled a solid cast for the project. The legendary Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) stars alongside Bai Ling (The Crow), Alexis Knapp (Pitch Perfect), and Doug Jones, who is best known for his creature (or heavily made up) performances in films like The Shape of Water, Hellboy, and Hocus Pocus.

Sissies Willam Belli, Matthew Scott Montgomery, Luke Stratte McClure & Emerson Collins

Religion and homosexuality have always had a tough relationship and leave it to Del Shores to address the issue head-on in the film version of his renowned play, Southern Baptist Sissies.

Like the play, which has been staged countless times since Shores wrote it in 2000, the film takes a look at four young boys – all Southern Baptists – and their journeys into adulthood and sexuality, with their parents, God and the Church watching closely over them to stop any missteps. While Sissies is filled with great laughs and musical performances, there’s a heavy dramatic message here, too, that unfortunately still applies in 2014.

TheBacklot checked in with Shores to talk about making the film (including Willam Belli’s joining the cast) as well as getting some scoop on his gone-but-not-forgotten series, Sordid Lives, which, we found out, may not be gone after all!

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," a Western-style film set in the south two years before the civil war, features a star-studded ensemble. "Django Unchained" opens in theaters on Christmas Day. One of the heaviest ensembles in a film this year, Django Unchained is Quentin Tarantino’s latest work. Quentin has always utilized a substantial number of actors in his films, and this film does the same. Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio headline this tale of Southern revenge. Franco Neri, the original Django, makes an appearance. James Russo and James Remar had a brief reunion during frigid filming in Lone Pine, California. Dennis Christopher, Don Johnson, Walton Goggins, Dana Gourrier, Nichole Galicia, Laura Cayouette, David Steen, Ato Essandoh, Sammi Rotibi, Clay Donahue Fontenot, Escalante Lundy and Miriam F. Glover, all joined Django Unchained when the production made its way to a warmer location: New Orleans,...

One of the many feature films on Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer's upcoming slate of films, is the film adaptation of Del Shores’ 2003 critically-acclaimed, award-winning play titled The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, which our theater world readers will likely be familiar with. The film, which has a different title - Blues for Willadean - stars Beth Grant, Octavia Spencer, Dale Dickey and David Steen. The film premiered at the Shout Film Festival as the Closing Night Selection, and won the Best Narrative Audience Award, and will now be making its commercial theatrical premiere, this Friday, October 5, running for 1 week in...

One of the many feature films on Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer's upcoming slate of films, is an adaptation of Del Shores’ 2003 critically-acclaimed, award-winning play titled The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, which our theater world readers will likely be familiar with. The film, which has a different title - Blues for Willadean - stars Beth Grant, Octavia Spencer, Dale Dickey and David Steen. The film premiered at the Shout Film Festival as the Closing Night Selection, and won the Best Narrative Audience Award. Its full synopsis reads: From writer/director Del Shores (Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s...

Allison Strong, Union City, N.J.My boots were made for walkin.' Power walkin', that is. No matter what I'm wearing—boots or sneakers—I'm always headed somewhere and burning rubber while I'm at it. If you thought that after I retired my character shoes last month my power walking—and sometimes power running—days were over, you'd be wrong. All that's changed is the scenery. Now, instead of my former mission of making it to the job on time, I'm walking feverishly to University Hall for two-and-a-half-hour lectures like it's my job. Rather than dodging starry-eyed tourists armed with oversized cameras in Times Square, I'm dodging hazy-eyed college kids armed with backpacks so heavy they could probably squish my toes on my way to the theater building. Oh, and there are trees and dining halls with meal plans, instead of skyscrapers and overpriced delis. It's nice and normal...

Right off, let me say that "Sordid Lives," the new sitcom on Logo, has the makings of a great show.

It has great stars - Bonnie Bedelia, Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea, Leslie Jordan and Olivia Newton-John for starters.

It has great characters - three crazy, big-haired Texas sisters, their crazy mother, their lunatic brother who channels Tammy Wynette, a son who hasn't come out yet, and a bunch of psychiatrists.

What "Sordid Lives...