You can now catch Molly Parker, who plays Donna Cantwell in The Playroom, every Thursday night on NBC. She stars opposite Josh Lucas in the new legal drama The Firm based on the feature film and best-selling book by John Grisham of the same name. (more…)
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Molly Parker in NBC drama, The Firm
You can now catch Molly Parker, who plays Donna Cantwell in The Playroom, every Thursday night on NBC. She stars opposite Josh Lucas in the new legal drama The Firm based on the feature film and best-selling book by John Grisham of the same name.
Fun and Games: Behind the Scenes of The Playroom
It’s December, 1975. I am watching PBS’s “The Electric Company” on our RCA console television and wishing that Santa would bring me a Holly Hobbie doll and some Lincoln Logs. I wanted to say that back in the day, we played with real toys, not virtual ones. But Atari released “Pong” that Christmas season and sold $40 mil in video games. It’s no Call Of Duty Modern Warfare, but it’s also no Pet Rock. (Oh yeah, the Pet Rock people sold 5 million of those stupid things in 1975.)
I like to think that the 70s and 80s were the best time to be a kid.
It’s December, 1975. I am watching PBS’s “The Electric Company” on our RCA console television and wishing that Santa would bring me a Holly Hobbie doll and some Lincoln Logs. I wanted to say that back in the day, we played with real toys, not virtual ones. But Atari released “Pong” that Christmas season and sold $40 mil in video games. It’s no Call Of Duty Modern Warfare, but it’s also no Pet Rock. (Oh yeah, the Pet Rock people sold 5 million of those stupid things in 1975.)
I like to think that the 70s and 80s were the best time to be a kid. (more…)
John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene
John Hawkes, who plays Martin Cantwell in The Playroom, stars in the Sundance breakout Martha Marcy May Marlene, a psychological thriller that’s getting wide acclaim and praise. In wide release this Friday, the film stars Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, “a damaged woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, who struggles to reassimilate with her famiy after fleeing a cult,” led by John Hawkes’ character, Patrick.
John Hawkes, who plays Martin Cantwell in The Playroom, stars in the Sundance breakout Martha Marcy May Marlene, a psychological thriller that’s getting wide acclaim and praise. In select theatres starting this Friday, the film stars Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, “a damaged woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, who struggles to reassimilate with her famiy after fleeing a cult,” led by John Hawkes’ character, Patrick. (more…)
Molly Parker in Dexter
Molly Parker, who plays Donna Cantwell in The Playroom, is joining the sixth season of Dexter, Showtime’s serial killer drama.
More from Screenrant:
Molly Parker, who plays Donna Cantwell in The Playroom, is joining the sixth season of Dexter, Showtime’s serial killer drama.
More from Screenrant: (more…)
John Hawkes in VOGUE
Back in March, Vogue Italy featured a brief interview with John Hawkes. Now he’s gracing the pages of the venerable fashion magazine’s stateside publication, Vogue US, in a steamy, wintry photo spread shot by Peter Lindbergh.
Back in March, Vogue Italy featured a brief interview with John Hawkes. Now he’s gracing the pages of the venerable fashion magazine’s stateside publication, Vogue US, in a steamy, wintry photo spread shot by Peter Lindbergh. (more…)
The Shot List
I did something recently that I rarely get to do. I saw a movie in a movie theater! It was The Beaver – the Kyle Killen scripted feature that was directed by Jodie Foster and stars the uber-troubled Mel Gibson. Don’t send me hate mail, I was attempting to support Killen, a young Texas writer/producer, and was very curious to see how the top script from the 2008 Black List – Hollywood’s Hottest Unproduced Scripts – translated to the screen. It wasn’t bad. Gibson as a troubled man who uses a hand puppet to communicate was easy to believe, for what it’s worth.
By Angie Meyer, Producer of The Playroom
When scheduling a low budget movie like The Playroom, you have real restrictions on the amount of time you can spend on each scene. Capitalizing on every minute – from lighting to prop resets to the number of times you move the camera – is key to achieving the highest production value AND allowing the actors the maximum time possible to hone their performances. (more…)
John Hawkes and the Soul Patch
Good news! You don’t have to wait to see what Academy Award nominee John Hawkes will look like in The Playroom! Because he was shooting Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion at the same time that he was shooting The Playroom, you have the unique opportunity to preview his look (hint: mustache and soul patch) and see a brilliant actor at work. Contagion opens tomorrow, Friday, September 9!
Good news! You don’t have to wait to see what Academy Award nominee John Hawkes will look like in The Playroom.
(more…)
Hysteria is coming!
Hysteria is coming to the Toronto Film Festival! Not the panic kind, but the movie kind. Playroom producer Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer wrote the script for the new romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator. Hysteria stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy and brings Victorian London to life as a young doctor [...]
Hysteria is coming to the Toronto Film Festival! Not the panic kind, but the movie kind. Playroom producer Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer wrote the script for the new romantic comedy about the invention of the vibrator. Hysteria stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy and brings Victorian London to life as a young doctor (Dancy) struggles to establish himself while confronting the gutsy daughter of his boss (Gyllenhaal). Rupert Everett and Felicity Jones play supporting roles. (more…)
The Assistant Directors
I succumbed to the buzz a few weeks ago and threw down fourteen of my hard-earned dollars to see Super 8 at the IMAX theatre. I spent fourteen dollars! This may be why streaming Netflix is such a beautiful invention. But you can’t really duplicate the J.J. Abrams IMAX experience at home. I had that post-concert shell-shocked vibration for a couple of hours after I left. And while most people get up when the credits roll, I stick around to the bitter end – mostly to annoy Jody, but also to marvel at the hundreds of people it takes to make a feature film. Almost any non-film-industry lay person is familiar with a DP (Director of Photography) or a Costume Designer. But how many times have I been asked what a “Gaffer” does? Or better yet, what the heck is a “Best Boy” – and for those who know Cheryl Clarson, why isn’t she a “Best Girl”?
By Angie Meyer, Producer of The Playroom
I succumbed to the buzz a few weeks ago and threw down fourteen of my hard-earned dollars to see Super 8 at the IMAX theatre. I spent fourteen dollars! This may be why streaming Netflix is such a beautiful invention. But you can’t really duplicate the J.J. Abrams IMAX experience at home. I had that post-concert shell-shocked vibration for a couple of hours after I left. And while most people get up when the credits roll, I stick around to the bitter end – mostly to annoy Jody, but also to marvel at the hundreds of people it takes to make a feature film. Almost any non-film-industry lay person is familiar with a DP (Director of Photography) or a Costume Designer. But how many times have I been asked what a “Gaffer” does? Or better yet, what the heck is a “Best Boy” – and for those who know Cheryl Clarson, why isn’t she a “Best Girl”? (more…)
What exactly does a producer do?!
Welcome (back) to our blog! We took a short hiatus – went underground for a heaping dose of meditation, psychological counseling, donuts and countless hours in time-out. Now we are ready to give you all of the intriguing and enlightening behind-the-scenes details of our indie endeavor. I’m Angie Meyer and I will be your field [...]
Welcome (back) to our blog! We took a short hiatus – went underground for a heaping dose of meditation, psychological counseling, donuts and countless hours in time-out. Now we are ready to give you all of the intriguing and enlightening behind-the-scenes details of our indie endeavor. I’m Angie Meyer and I will be your field guide, the salty lieutenant impatiently running behind you whilst cat-calling and prodding you forward in your quest for knowledge and dirt. I’m producing the feature film “The Playroom” alongside the brother-sister team of Stephen and Julia Dyer. They have been faithfully pushing this film up the mountain for 15 years now. Thanks to their tenacity, gritty fortitude and with the help of sister Gretchen’s ever-present spirit, they have finally succeeded in getting it in the can. They invited me along on the crazy ride that is independent feature film producing, and I’m here to share some of our stories from the trenches… (more…)
