Gravitas Ventures

In our ongoing column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Graham and Parker Phillips, co-writers/directors of The Bygone, about brotherly backup, a different kind of bat cave, and steering clear of future cinematic water-based worlds.

TrunkSpace: The film and television business is one that isn’t exactly known for its loyalty. As brothers, do you feel like you have an advantage going into a project together knowing that each of you has the other’s back at all times?
Parker Phillips: Often times it does feel like it’s us against the world. We’ve joked that if one day we win any sort of award we will read off the list of people we would like to not thank, but the truth is we were lucky enough to be surrounded by very supportive producers and collaborators on this film and yes, having a brother as your co-writer/director is about as good of support as you can hope for. I’d hate to go at it alone.

TrunkSpace: That being said, disagreements surely happen both on set and off. But creatively do you feel like you two are aligned with similar artistic POVs?
Graham Phillips: Our vision was always so closely aligned that often times what felt like a big deal just wasn’t as it could work effectively either way. When those disagreements were in pre-production they were usually resolved on the tennis court, but with the time crunch of shooting we couldn’t exactly break away for a quick hit, so we stepped aside with our Director of Photography and 1^st AD and made them the tie breakers.

TrunkSpace: Your new film The Bygone hit VOD on November 12. It’s never easy getting a film made, never mind getting one distributed. Throughout the process – and looking beyond creative – what was the most difficult aspect you faced in seeing your vision become a reality in this way?
Parker Phillips: Well, because of financial constraints, not everything we wrote in the screenplay could make it onto the screen. With the exception of one location, we shot the entire film within 45 miles of Oklahoma City, which presented it’s own challenges.
Graham Phillips: The exception being Alabaster Caverns, which is where we shot the ending of the film. The script called for an abandoned gold mine location and we found ours near the Kansas border in northern Oklahoma. The one rule we had while shooting there was to not wake up the nine thousand hibernating bats. As unfortunate as it is unsurprising, after shooting blanks from my character’s shotgun, the bats rose from their slumber and proceeded to fly around our heads for the remaining four days at that location.

TrunkSpace: Independent film requires creative sacrifices at times, both for budget and time-based constraints. With that said, would you have made a different version of The Bygone if you had an unlimited budget, or was it always supposed to be THIS movie?
Graham Phillips: Sure, a larger budget would have been great but we knew we could make this movie for a small amount. More money gives you more shooting days which is all any director wants, but at the end of the day we got it done. It was a subject that was really important for us to tell in the right way and we hope we succeeded in that regard. Then again, there’s a saying that you never really finish a film, you simply abandon it when you run out of time and money. There is obviously some truth to that.

TrunkSpace: What is a lesson learned throughout the process of making The Bygone that you’ll apply to the next project and all future projects moving forward?
Graham Phillips: To really scrutinize the script. Make sure you absolutely need every scene and trim as much fat as you can before you begin shooting. So much is lost on the cutting room floor, so you really want to protect against that. We cut 20 percent of the lines and 10 percent of the scenes in the film. Part of that was unavoidable as certain things just didn’t work the way they should have, but when you think about where that time and money could have been reallocated, you can’t help but fixate on how to make the next one even more streamlined.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the film?
Parker Phillips: The performances. What we were able to get out of our talented cast and all that they were able to give to our film. We consider ourselves “actors directors” in that we feel without the actor properly invested, the audience will never be, and everyday seeing them in the wardrobe of the characters we created was a real treat.

TrunkSpace: If someone came to you tomorrow and said, “Okay, guys, here’s a blank check… go out and make whatever type of project you want,” what kind of film or series would you put in development?
Parker Phillips: Probably something with armor, castles, and trebuchets.

TrunkSpace: Two part question. What is the most fun aspect of DIY’ing your own concept from start to finish and getting a film made, and on the opposite side of that coin, the least fun that you would just as happily do without moving forward?
Parker Phillips: The film was entirely our vision from start to finish, which is an amazing experience. But film is also so much about the power of collaboration and we look forward to wearing fewer hats on projects in the future. For instance, our next film, Rumble Through the Dark, is written by Michael Farris Smith and based on his own novel, The Fighter, and we are loving working with a writer. It frees us to work from a mindset of creative interpretation rather than translation of our own material.
Graham Phillips: That’s true. There are far less arguments happening between the two of us now that we have a writer. At this stage in The Bygone we were critiquing each other’s dialogue and driving each other crazy. Working with a talented writer allows you to hold the perspective of a director from the beginning, focusing on what will actually be in the frame, as opposed to wading through the trenches of literary doubt with your laptop and coffee.
Parker Phillips: Or bourbon in some instances.

TrunkSpace: What has been the highlight of your careers thus far?
Parker Phillips: For me, watching my brother gallop out of a barn on a horse bareback and thinking how amazing it was shooting something we had begun writing together at a bar two years prior.
Graham Phillips: Probably not falling off that horse.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Parker Phillips: I don’t think I’d chose to take the ride. So much of this business is the path you take and what you create along the way. There are certain projects that we want to make in the distant future when we can command a higher budget, but I’m far more interested in how we get there than the final result.
Graham Phillips: Totally disagree. If we’re making the next Waterworld, I want to know now so I can change our path and stick with the indies.

The Bygone is available now on VOD.

Even with his successful run as Jonathan Morgenstern on the fan-favorite fantasy series “Shadowhunters,” Luke Baines continues to want to push himself artistically, working to strike a balance between large-scale commercial projects and the kind of smaller independent films that feature characters not typically seen in mainstream productions. His latest project is just that, the dramatic “A Dark Place,” which the English-born actor admits to having reservations about prior to accepting the role of Alex.

“I was really kind of scared because the material was so intense at times,” he said in an exclusive interview with TrunkSpace. “I just didn’t want to do it and not be able to pull it off.”

We recently sat down with Baines to discuss the indie leap of faith, growing comfortable in his own skin, and why he’s looking forward to laughing a little on-camera.

TrunkSpace: You’re enjoying success on “Shadowhunters,” but we’re curious how important it is for you as an artist to continue to pursue projects like “A Dark Place” to appease your own creative hunger?
Baines: It’s really interesting because going into this I was really scared to do this film because it’s such an ambitious project in terms of the writing, and how much time we had to actually shoot it…

TrunkSpace: Twelve days, right?
Baines: Yeah.

TrunkSpace: Crazy.
Baines: Yeah, it really was. So, there were days, just because of the way that filmmaking works, that I was jumping between suicide and the happiest moments of my life, and they were scenes that were scheduled back-to-back. So I’d be crying and then they’re like, “Okay. Great. We’re going to rush you over to the next set, and you’re on your first date with Jas.” I’m like, “Okay. Yeah. Uh-huh. Give me one second?” So, that was really difficult. But it’s obviously  a lot different when you’re doing an independent film like this, and all of the decision makers, essentially, are in the room and they’re on set with you. So, there’s so much more freedom to be creative, and to make different choices, and to throw out ideas and to collaborate. That’s not something you always get an opportunity to do, obviously, on a large scale Disney production. So, that was really nice.

And moving forward, it’s totally something that I would love, to be able to create a balance between doing the larger commercial projects that definitely are important, because a lot of people get to see them and you, and they’re good from that perspective, while also doing this kind of indie smaller budget creative stuff.

TrunkSpace: With that said, there must also be a bit of a leap of faith for you as a performer, because in those early stages of a project like this, you don’t really know what kind of distribution you’ll have when all is said and done?
Baines: Yeah. 100 percent. It is something that is really scary as an actor. These projects come up, you read them, and then you have to try and make a decision with your team whether or not this is going to be something that is good. With this, with Chris (Piñero), this is his first film, and the fear part of it is that it’s my face at the end of the day. So, if the film is crap then I’m the one that looks bad. I was really kind of scared because the material was so intense at times. I just didn’t want to do it and not be able to pull it off. But I met with him and we had a coffee, and I just remember he’s just so full of passion, and he’s so enthusiastic, and there was just something about it where I was like, “You know what? Yeah. I want to do this.” And then going into it I said to him, “Look, it’s not my job to decide whether or not what I’m doing is good. I’m putting all my faith and trust in you. I’m going to go all out, you tell me if it works, and you tell me if doesn’t, and I hope that whatever we get on camera is something interesting.”

TrunkSpace: Well, and there’s certainly plenty of examples of performers doing 100 million dollar movies that don’t work out, so in a way, as intense as those 12 days probably were, you can also justify a leap of faith like that by saying, “Well, it is 12 days and I’m going to take a gamble on the material and hope that it pays off?”
Baines: Yes. And that was kind of my thought process was, “It’s 12 days, and it may never come out…” But I’m proud of Chris and what he’s accomplished. He wrote, directed, edited and produced this film, and it’s good. I’m really proud of it.

TrunkSpace: You mentioned that the role and the writing in general were ambitious and that you wanted to make sure that you could do it right, but was part of the desire to embrace the character of Alex the fact that a role like this would not be available in terms of the types of projects that are being made in the mainstream?
Baines: Totally. And that was something that was 100 percent another draw to doing something like this. I also really loved the fact that it was so grounded in reality. A lot of the stuff that I’ve done in the past is in the sci-fi/horror space. So, to be able to play real human relationships – real human situations – obviously, they’re a little bit heightened because it is a film and not a documentary, but it was nice to actually not have to visualize the demon coming for my head, and just actually play an emotion that I understand.

TrunkSpace: For the audience the end product is always the most memorable, but we would imagine it goes a lot deeper for those involved in a project. For you, what is something from your time making “A Dark Place” that you’ll carry with you through the rest of your career?
Baines: Good question. I think the thing that I’m proudest of with this film was not self-moderating. A lot of the times, as an actor, you come up with the character, or the situation, and you have an understanding of what it is, and then you put out there what you want to put out there. With this it was the first project where I really said to myself, “Listen, the director’s job is to paint this picture, your job is just to bring some color, and he gets to decide what he wants to use.” And so, I really did put a lot of faith in Chris to be able to make sure that it did look good, and it was really, really scary. And so, for me, it was like a personal challenge that I overcame, and I’m happy about that.

TrunkSpace: In terms of your craft as a whole, do you enjoy acting as much today as when you first stepped foot onto a set?
Baines: Yeah, I really do. I actually think that I love it more, to be honest. Earlier in my career I was more focused on doing good work and pleasing people, I guess, and now I feel like I have a little bit more freedom where I can just go and live in the character’s moment, and explore that. And so, I feel like there’s more of a sense of freedom that comes with that, and I think it’s just from having done different projects, and knowing that sometimes they turn out great and sometimes they don’t turn out great. And a lot of that is out of my control. So, I’m better off just focusing on the character and enjoying it more, and I think that I’m doing that now.

TrunkSpace: Is part of that too, just as we age – as humans – we get more comfortable in our own skin?
Baines: Yes. 100 percent. It’s funny, I remember having an agent, God, like six years ago now, say to me that after every major life event you become a different actor. Whether you get in and out of a relationship, have a child, or buy a house, or whatever it is… and it’s so true. I think that, as actors, we can play all emotions, but the ones that come better to us are the ones that we’ve experienced ourselves. And so, the older I get, and the more that I grow, and the more life experience I have, and the more comfortable I am in my own skin, and the more confidence I have, the better I am as an actor.

TrunkSpace: If somebody came to you tomorrow and said, “Luke, here is a blank check. Go and green light any kind of project you want for yourself.” What would you throw into development?
Baines: It would be a comedy, because no one is going to cast me in that. Yeah. If someone’s giving me a blank check I’m going to do some kind of extremely elevated comedy so that I get a chance to actually have some fun and not cover myself in fake blood for one project.

“A Dark Place” is now available on iTunes, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand.

In our ongoing column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Christopher Piñero, writer, director and producer of the suspenseful new film “A Dark Place” about riding the creative roller coaster, keeping on-set emotions in check, and embracing preparedness.

TrunkSpace: “A Dark Place” is your feature length directorial debut. Although audiences have already had a chance to view it at festivals, it will be released on VOD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 13. What emotions are you juggling with as you gear up to its release?
Piñero: It’s like that scared, excited feeling when you are approaching the drop on a roller coaster. More excited than scared, but still a bit of fear, which I’m okay with. I think, more than anything, I hope people connect with the characters and are moved on some level by the story.

TrunkSpace: As a director, what is more nerve-racking, waiting for a wide release like you’re on the eve of, or sitting in with a live audience during a screening?
Piñero: Without a doubt a live audience. There’s no place to hide, you’re stuck with a few hundred people for two hours praying they enjoy it. I remember our first screening for the movie – my heart was jumping in and out of my chest and my inner monologue was screaming, “They hate it!” But, there was a moment early on in the movie that the audience had a strong, positive reaction to and I knew I had them after that point. At least with a wide release like this I can go hide in my closet and turn off my phone.

TrunkSpace: Not only did you direct “A Dark Place,” but you also wrote, produced and edited the film. Was there ever a point throughout the production that you had wished you had taken on less? Did it ever get overwhelming?
Piñero: Absolutely. I went from doing a thirteen-page short to a hundred-plus-page feature and one thing I didn’t anticipate was how relentless the schedule was. We shot this in 12 days, and I remember on day six we were shooting the party sequence. There was at least 60 people on set – extras, crew and main cast included. After we broke for lunch I went into an empty bedroom and didn’t know if I was going to vomit or pass out. I hadn’t realized how overwhelmed I was and I couldn’t share with anyone, but my DP, because if the crew senses weakness, you’re done.

TrunkSpace: Did what writer Christopher wanted on the page ever contradict what director Christopher could achieve on set? Did the two creative yous ever butt heads?
Piñero: For the most part we were in sync. I had this story beat in the script that the director in me was never really happy with, but the writer side of me said, “No, this needs to happen.” When it came time to shoot that scene, we completely forgot to grab what was in the script. We were at the penultimate day of shooting when I had to rework that story beat on the fly and it wound up working so much better than what I had written.

TrunkSpace: What is a lesson you learned throughout the process of making “A Dark Place” that you’ll apply to future productions you involve yourself in? What will you do differently with your follow-up?
Piñero: I’ve learned preparedness in all facets is key to making a movie. A lot of the shots you see in the movie were decided on the day of shooting, because of the restrictions we had on the locations. Another thing I get better at every time I direct is communicating what I want concisely. And I get that way by painstakingly studying the script in pre-pro then throwing it all away when we start shooting!

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with the film?
Piñero: I’m most proud of the film we created under the circumstances we were shooting in. We made this with money from my family and friends and I couldn’t be prouder of the results. At times we shot 11 pages per day, which is a little insane, but we pulled it off. And that was down to the cast and crew going above and beyond for the movie.

TrunkSpace: Do you think that bringing “A Dark Place” to life has altered your path? Has making this film changed how you look at your career as a whole?
Piñero: Yes, absolutely. The wealth of experience I’ve gained from going through that shoot is going to help me tremendously for the rest of my career. It was like boot camp for me. My hope from the beginning with this was, we get distribution and that will afford me an opportunity to tell a story on a bigger scale. We’ve achieved half of that goal so far.

TrunkSpace: What would 12-year-old Christopher think about his future directorial debut? Would the boy who dreamed of making movies be surprised by the film or your choices in it?
Piñero: I grew up in a military town and the thought of being a director was so foreign to me. Although, movies were everything to me when I was a kid, almost a religion, I was completely ignorant to the film-making process. I believe 12-year-old me would be ecstatic that I even made a movie to begin with. I strive to make movies that I would want to see on screen so I think he would be happy.

TrunkSpace: If someone came to you tomorrow and said, “Christopher, here is a blank check, green light any project you want for yourself,” what kind of movie would you make and why?
Piñero: Funny you ask that. I’ve just completed my next script, “Rosemont Forest,” and I’ll be looking to shoot that next. It’s a coming-of-age thriller, with horror elements that’s set in the ‘90s.

TrunkSpace: Time machine question. If you could jump ahead 10 years and get a glimpse of what your career looks like a decade from now, would you take that journey? If not, why?
Piñero: I wouldn’t. As much as I like to try to anticipate and visualize things, I don’t want any spoilers. It would be like cutting out the first and second act of a movie and missing out on what makes the adventure so special.

“A Dark Place” is now available on iTunes, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand.

In our ongoing column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Sam Upton, writer, director, producer and star of the new hard-hitting boxing drama “12 Round Gun” about going all-in to bring his creative vision to life, the timelessness of film, and why he hopes audiences will be able to feel his soul when watching the movie.

TrunkSpace: As you were gearing up to the official release of the film, what emotions were you juggling with?
Upton: Really, I’m just thrilled that the lion is finally being let out of his cage. I’ve been working on this project for nine years, so the fact that it is now available in theaters and On Demand for audiences is quite special.

TrunkSpace: The film is your directorial debut. You also wrote, produced and starred in the film. Throughout the process, how have you compartmentalized your various duties? On set, did you focus exclusively on creative?
Upton: Yes. It was actually the most creatively fulfilling thing I have ever done. Ideas are inside all of us. They are our own potential floating in the air. Some of us galvanize these ideas into reality, and some of us don’t. For me, “12 Round Gun” is this exact thing. It is the actualization of all of my ideas. All the pieces, uncombined, are mere potentiality – so through arduous years of effort, the precise combination that you see in this film – the images, dialogue, music, sound and light – is essentially me. The making of this film is a synthesis of all of the art I’ve ever created.

TrunkSpace: Do you think you feel extra pressure for the film to find an audience and be accepted by moviegoers because you had your creative hands in so many facets of the production?
Upton: Yes. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want everyone to love the film. I killed for it. I bled for it. I died for it. I bet the house on it. This film represents the truest form of independent filmmaking. This was an all-hands-on-deck venture. There are so many people, whom without their hard work and dedication, we wouldn’t be talking today. Needless to say, I’m beyond proud of the film, and I hope it will affect people somehow.

TrunkSpace: You called wrap on the film last year. Have you had to resist the urge to tinker with it further or have you continued to play with the final cut of film over the course of this last year?
Upton: There comes a time when you have to say “this is the movie” and you have to live with it. There is no digging the body back up out of the grave and trying to resurrect him from the dead. Movies last forever, so actually, in essence they never die. They live on – and the great movies are actually timeless. They hold up. No matter how much time has passed. You can watch Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” tonight, and you will be completely floored by it. You won’t care that it’s in black and white. It’s forever.

TrunkSpace: We noticed that you have a number of projects in development where you are wearing both the director and writer hats, though producing is not a listed credit. Did your experience on “12 Round Gun” make you want to trim down on the responsibilities during production so that you could focus on creative?
Upton: My passion lies in the creative. I have these three parts of myself, and each one of them requires attention. I write, I direct and I act. I love ALL THREE equally. They actually all fuel and support one another. Each one helps the other, and yet each one possesses a monumental amount of time, energy and focus. I look up to the great multi-hyphenate filmmakers like Orson Welles, Jerry Lewis, Clint Eastwood, Sly Stallone – the list goes on.

TrunkSpace: What is the biggest lesson that you learned in bringing this film to life that you will apply to every project you work on in the future?
Upton: NEVER GIVE UP.

TrunkSpace: What are you most proud of with your work on the film?
Upton: I once heard a great director say this about making a film…

“The stories you have in the very core of your heart are actually the only stories you can make. And when you have cultivated one of these stories in a film, both you and the audience will be able to feel your soul in it.”

So I am most proud of the fact that whoever watches this movie, they will be able to feel my soul in it.

TrunkSpace: Chicken or the egg question. Which love came first… was it working in front of the camera or behind it?
Upton: My first love was acting. I’ve been an actor since I was in middle school. I live to perform. There is nothing like it. It’s almost like having a very severe disorder. You can’t get rid of it. I’m on a life sentence with no parole. However, my undying love for acting is really just one way I express my unquenchable passion for movies. So really, acting was merely the diving board into the magical waters of filmmaking.

TrunkSpace: Can you see a day where you’re writing projects for other directors, or stepping behind the camera to shoot a script written by another writer?
Upton: Sure. I’m open to anything as long as it wakes me up in the middle of the night with excitement.

TrunkSpace: If someone came to you tomorrow and said, “Sam, here’s a blank check. Go out and develop whatever project you want for yourself.” What would you greenlight and why?
Upton: My current script. Without hesitation. Why? Again, as we’ve discussed, if you are not willing do die for something, than you have nothing to live for… and this current thing I’m writing is just that.

“12 Round Gun” is available now in select theaters and on Digital HD!

In our ongoing column Deep Focus, TrunkSpace is going behind the camera to talk with the directors, writers and producers who infuse our world with that perennial pop culture goodness that we can’t get enough of.

This time out we’re chatting with Jenna Laurenzo, writer, director and star of the new comedy “Lez Bomb,” about the catch-22 of getting a movie made, why the film was so personal, and the reason declaring yourself a vegetarian at a family gathering can be so stressful.

TrunkSpace: You first started writing the film eight years ago. That’s a long journey to see your vision become a reality. Was there ever a point where you thought it wasn’t going to happen?
Laurenzo: Well, yeah. I had about six years trying to attach a star and a director. And you don’t have money and then it’s like, well what comes first –  the cast or the director or the money? Or the money bringing the cast and the director? It’s this catch-22 to fill this kind of puzzle, and I just figured I had to do both if it was ever going to happen. But see, that whole time everybody kept telling me how it was going to happen and sometimes it’s hard to not see those pieces of advice as if they are facts. I think only after a while do you realize that nobody has the answer. You have to figure it out. There’s no set path.

TrunkSpace: No two films are made the same exact way.
Laurenzo: Yeah. And you’re a novice or looking for advice every which way, and then you just have to learn which advice to take and which advice to let go. You just have to do it, there’s really no other way to figure it out except to figure it out.

TrunkSpace: In writing the script, you drew heavily on your own coming out experience. This being your first feature, and because your own story is woven into the narrative, do you feel exposed in that you’re putting yourself out there in multiple ways?
Laurenzo: Oh my gosh, absolutely! (Laughter) I had this moment where I was like, “What have I done?” I really just thought it was important for me to make this. It was so important – I had to do it. I felt like I needed the story and I felt there’s somebody out there that also needed it. That kept my passion very much alive throughout the process.

But then the moment, the day, we released the trailer… that day I texted my friend who has made a bunch of projects and has been in the public eye, and I was like, “What have I done? Is this how you feel?” It just dawned on me that all of a sudden that I don’t… I can’t articulate it. I felt very exposed and vulnerable.

TrunkSpace: It makes total sense. You wore so many hats in bringing the film to life. As far as judgment goes, the audience will be looking at all of these different elements of your creative self. Once the opening is over though, you’ll probably be able to enjoy it all more.
Laurenzo: Yeah. I was having this talk with my friend last week. And we were just talking about life lessons and putting everything in perspective. I was talking about how I was on this ship once and almost died. And she was like, “Look, nothing will be as bad as that.” I was like, “That’s a good way to think about it.”

TrunkSpace: Sometimes success is scary, especially for artists.
Laurenzo: Yeah. And I think that in general, my strength as a writer comes from the fact that I’m a very sensitive and vulnerable person. So yes, that’s my strength as a writer, but that’s also what makes me a sensitive soul in life. (Laughter) I think sometimes our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses. It just sort of depends on which side of the pendulum we’re on.

TrunkSpace: Because so much of Lauren’s story is your own, was it important for you to portray her on camera?
Laurenzo: I ultimately was planning on finding an actress to play that role. It just never happened without the financing or a director attachment. And that’s how I ultimately made the decision to play that role. Now, in looking back, I’m glad that decision was made. I felt like it was invaluable. It was an invaluable lesson on a lot of different fronts, but I had thought very longingly about playing the role, or the girlfriend.

TrunkSpace: Knowing what you know now, would it have been odd to see somebody else take on Lauren?
Laurenzo: Yeah. I think in looking back I’m glad I ultimately played that role because the story journey and the arc of that character’s emotions is very much grounded in my personal journey. I am glad that I was able to bring that to the role.

It was definitely an interesting process, falling back into those emotions that I had gone through years earlier. I even felt my body taking on these habitual tensions that I had gotten over. And all of a sudden I was like, “Oh yeah, I remember when my shoulders used to be tense this way. Oh, isn’t that interesting?” I thought it was an interesting journey as an actor, and spiritually, as I felt like I learned a lot about myself as a person and storyteller.

TrunkSpace: Do you think part of that return to old habits like the tension was because you shot the film at your childhood home?
Laurenzo: I think there is something wonderful about the fact that we shot in the house because it was just so colored with nuance in a way that I think is sometimes challenging to fake, particularly since the actors were playing a lot of real people from my real life. And I wrote this script around the locations I had access to, which made the execution a lot easier.

TrunkSpace: Which is a smart way to do it because then you make your job easier when you get further into the process.
Laurenzo: Yeah. When grandma rounds the corner, I knew what corner I was talking about. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: As far as your director’s vision, did you achieve your creative goals with the film?
Laurenzo: I kept thinking about who the audience was that I was trying to communicate with and make the film for them. I had a mentor of mine who kept asking me how I wanted to push the LGBTQ narrative forward. The tradition of those films… how did I want to push them forward? And it was important for me that the film was funny, that this film had a happy ending and that the aspect of coming out that was being explored was felt in acceptance versus the external pressures. I felt oftentimes the assumption is the external pressures is what make that journey ultimately the most challenging, and it’s self-acceptance that is sometimes overlooked. But the self-acceptance is ultimately what’s relatable to those who have not had to come out.

I really wanted to tell this story in a way that people who have not necessarily had to go through this journey can relate to while also serving as a dysfunctional family comedy that would expand beyond the built-in audience that I had in mind. And that families could potentially enjoy it together and maybe it would spark a dialogue if there was one that was needed. If not, just a lot of laughter. And in looking back and looking at the dreams we had, and the conversations, and Q and A’s, I feel happy because I think that I executed that.

TrunkSpace: Well, placing the story at Thanksgiving was a perfect way to make it relatable because everyone can connect to coming home to a big family function and the stresses that go along with that.
Laurenzo: Absolutely. And there’s just something so relatable, in my opinion, about coming home with any news to the family because you always wonder how the family is going to receive the news. I remember thinking about that when I wanted to switch my major. Or when I wanted to talk about my major or – and I joke about this in the movies – when I came home and was like, “I’m a vegetarian.” That was this whole thing. So sexuality… just coming home with any news is always eventful!

“Lez Bomb” opens in select theaters and on digital HD tomorrow.

Movie: Survivors Guide to Prison

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Documentary

Release Date: February 23, 2018

Running Time: 1h 42m

Featuring: Susan Sarandon, Patricia Arquette, Danny Trejo, Jesse Williams, Ice-T, Quincy Jones, Tom Morello, Danny Glover, and more

Directed By: Matthew Cooke

Written By: Matthew Cooke

Reason We’re Watching It: Featuring commentary and insight from a who’s who of high profile activists and social commentators from the worlds of film and music, including Sarandon who not only executive produced the film but narrates alongside of Trejo, the brutally honest documentary is a pull-no-punches look at the American justice system and the overcrowded prisons that exist from sea to shining sea.

What It’s About: By delving into the stories of two men who were wrongfully convicted of murders that they didn’t commit, the film serves as an informational tour guide into the inner workings of our criminal checks and balances. As Trejo offers up at the start of the film, the United States may be the land of the free, but there are more people imprisoned here than anywhere else in the world. In fact, there are so many laws on the books that, according to a terrifying tidbit by the Wall Street Journal, the average American commits three felonies a day without ever realizing it. If you end up being wrongfully (or rightfully) sentenced for a crime that you didn’t (or did) commit, “Survivors Guide to Prison” breaks down the 411 you’ll need to get through life on the inside.

Whoah! Rewind That!: Some of the not-so-fun facts that are shared throughout the course of the film are, at times, hard to come to terms with and often require a rewind just to make sure you heard them correctly. For example, did you know that 13 million Americans are arrested every year? That’s more than the combined populations of Los Angeles and New York City. Most people would agree that’s far too many Miranda Rights in need of being read, but what solution can be reached? Is there one? And if so, how do we clean up the mess we’ve already made? Correspondingly, if you are ever unlucky enough to find yourself accused of a crime, then it is crucial that you seek legal guidance as soon as possible. Whatever the crime, hopefully, you’ll have people on the outside who will be able to pay your bond so you can be free from jail until the court date. If not, there are always qualified bail bond companies who provide bail bonds in Newport Beach, for example, (location varies depending on where you live) so at least that’s an option, especially for a crime you did not commit. As well as this, hiring an experienced criminal lawyer could make the difference between successfully defending yourself or ending up in prison. To learn more about the importance of working with a criminal lawyer when accused of a crime, try researching some of the most popular criminal lawyers bucks county has to offer online.

Watercooler-Worthy Tidbit: Prior to beginning his acting career, Trejo spent a span of 11 years moving in and out of cells, including a stint in the infamous San Quentin State Prison in California. He knows firsthand how the system works, adding an extra layer of credibility to the core concept of the film and its unfiltered honesty.

And that’s why we’re giving it…

Movie: 7 Guardians of the Tomb

Rated: NR

Genre: Action, Adventure

Release Date: February 23, 2018

Run Time: 1h 30m

Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, Stef Dawson, Chun Wu, Li Bingbing, Yasmin Kassim

Directed By: Kimble Rendall

Written By: Gary Hamilton (story), Jonathan Scanlon (story), Kimble Rendall, Paul Staheli

Reason We’re Watching It: You had us at Kelsey Grammer, but we certainly stayed for the action and adventure aspect of the movie. The truth is, it’s hard not to enjoy a story that involves chasing after a sought-after artifact in China while dodging danger and solving potentially deadly puzzles in an ancient tomb.

What It’s About: Luke (Wu) is on an archaeological dig for businessman Mason (Grammer) when a discovery gives way to a horrifying past that was best left buried in the tomb. Mason alerts Luke’s sister, Jia (Bingbing) about her brother’s sudden disappearance and Jia joins Mason and a crew of adventurers to find him… though Mason has ulterior motives that are soon revealed.

Whoah! Rewind That!: Spiders… why did it have to be SPIDERS!? There is a climactic scene that involves hundreds of spiders and one very massive boss-looking spider that literally rips another large spider in half. How can you not rewind that a few times and cringe in ooey-gooy awesomeness?

Watercooler-Worthy Tidbit: Lutz came up with a game during the last week of filming for the cast and crew to play that involved throwing a toy spider into a hole in a box, Cornhole style. If the spider made it in, they won a prize like on TV or in video games. Google is suddenly not the most fun place to work anymore. Thanks Lutz!

And that’s why we’re giving it…