Far Out
www.thehivefilms.com
Director: Phil Mucci
Slamdance Film Festival 2008
Review by: Luis Pedron of Fanclubx.com
As opposite as Phil Mucci's black and white short last year - horror/film noire
"The Listening Dead" this year Phil spinned a film so colorful, so deliciously scrumptious that you will say wow "I want to see a Phil Mucci feature film and I want it right now...."
So how delicious is candy colored "Far Out."
Firstly, Phil Mucci is a great story teller that he can get you
thinking, intrigued and salivating for the orgasmic
ending while enjoying the juicy and fruity center of the film.
If Phil Mucci was a cook he would be a 5 star chef.
A beautiful eye candy is lead actress Carly Trumbull
who plays Carmilla a coy new guest at the party. Everybody in their
slammed state gets intrigued by this saintly apparition.
You hear oohs and aaahs as she passes by. But is this saint really a
saint? The swirly ending will bite you in the ....
So saucey, so intriguing only Phil Mucci can execute with such
bravado, such precision, such enthusiasm... He truly loves his work.
High caliber filmmaking at its best. A party to die for. "Far Out" is
an exccellent short film, all film festivals should screen.
A sensational wetting of your senses.You will be tittilated.
This short film shows you what Phil Mucci can do. So producers,
investors and angels out there. Call this guy up. He is the next
best thing. Believe you me!
Sat Jan 19 at 830PM Treasure Mountain Inn (playing with FROST)
Wed Jan 23 at 10AM Treasure Mountain Inn(playing with FROST)
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Filmmaker Interview:
Phil Mucci (Dir: "Far Out")
Luis Pedron: Where does your love for horror films come from? Any influences?
Phil Mucci: I've loved horror films since i was kid. While the other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching Creature Double Feature and Chiller Theater. I just loved the fantasy elements of them, the monsters, the special effects, the escapism. As I've gotten older, my influences have changed. I'm more inspired by the work of Italian director Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, and to a lesser extent, the erotic horror films of Jess Franco.
Luis Pedron: What influenced you to go with the 70 's theme? ... wow Far Out man!
Phil Mucci: It's an era I always found visually exciting, full of colors and patterns. It was also an era that was as far removed from my first short film, THE LISTENING DEAD, as possible. I wanted to get away from what I did with that film, to show another side of my interests as a filmmaker. I love tackling time periods, not only from a costuming and set-design angle, but also from the technical side. FAR OUT is mostly influenced by Russ Meyer's BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and Mario Bava's 5 DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON.
Luis Pedron: Where did you discover Carly Turnbull, wow she will be a star?
Phil Mucci: Yes, she's quite lovely and talented. I was introduced to her through my photography contacts, by the agent Sean Ramsay at Michael Flutie's Talent Brand Management. She began as a model, but is now doing acting. She's done a feature film or two in the UK, where she's from originally.
Luis Pedron: What camera did you shoot this film? It has a very film like feel? Looks very expensive...
Phil Mucci: We shot on an Arriflex 16mm camera, with 500 speed Kodak Vision 2 film. To achieve the old look, we pushed the film one stop in processing, then in the color-timing session at Technicolor, we really worked on lightening the blacks, and adding red to them, to create a sense that the film had faded over time. We also de-saturated the colors, which were very vivid originally. Later, in After Effects, I added even MORE grain, and some softening filters.
Luis Pedron: What was your casting process like?
Phil Mucci: Very brief! We basically rushed the film into production because we had a very small window of opportunity to shoot it in late August of 2006. We used our contacts to lure talent, and posted ads in Backstage and on Craig's List. Again, Craig's List saved the day!
Luis Pedron: Was this shot on location or in a studio? The location is so photogenic....
Phil Mucci: Thanks- but it's actually a set that we built! We rented an upper floor of a warehouse run by 3rd Ward out here in Brooklyn. For a very reasonable price they rented us the entire upper floor of their warehouse space. They have a fully equipped wood shop on the bottom floor, so we built the entire set in 2 days! We shot for 2 days, then tore it down on the 5th day- without ever seeing our footage! No chance for re-shoots or pick-ups on the set- it was gone!
Luis Pedron: I really feel that you enjoy doing your work... what is your secret to spewing all these masterpiece works of yours?
Phil Mucci: Wow- you're too much! I think the important thing is to be a movie fanatic yourself, then just try to make the movies YOU would want to see...
Luis Pedron: What is the secret recipe for a successful film and a successful festival run? (You seem to be a festival hit each and every year)
Phil Mucci: I think you have to love making films. Beyond that, you have to love the entire process, which includes all the prep, the shooting, the editing , the sound mixing, all of it. If you enjoy every single aspect of the process, it will show in your finished film. A little love goes a long way, but a whole lotta love goes even further! When your film gets accepted into festivals, whenever possible, it's really important to attend. By doing so, you're not just supporting your film, but the whole film festival circuit. The people who run these events don't make ANY money doing it, so it's important to encourage and support their efforts.
Other than that, I guess the biggest "secret" is that filmmaking is a group effort. If you can get the most talented people you know interested in working on your project, you're halfway there!
Luis Pedron: Was Far Out an easier experience compared to your Listening Dead journey?
Phil Mucci: Yes, much! I think every film you make teaches you more and more about the process. I made a lot of mistakes on THE LISTENING DEAD that I was able to avoid on FAR OUT. It just comes with experience. I guess my biggest lesson was about scheduling. When you're working with a small crew, and with special effects, there are only so many shots you can get in a day!
Read Luis Pedron's interview with Phil Mucci about his film:
