Shortlist Mgmt will represent MPC LA to agencies and directly to brands for commercial work on the West Coast. Shortlist founder Charlie McBrearty, partner Vanessa McLean and team will work hand in hand with MPC LA managing director Andrew Bell and EPs Elexis Stearn and Mike Wigart to showcase MPC’s diversified capabilities and talent in VFX, direction, design, content creation and grading. MPC maintains studios in London, Vancouver, L.A., New York, Bangalore, Montreal, Amsterdam, Mexico City and Shanghai….
Dawn Clarke has joined Los Angeles-based The Traveling Picture Show Company (TPSC) as head of sales. Clarke brings over 15 years of sales experience in broadcast, digital and editorial to the TPSC team. Her background includes terms at Get Reehl/Get Davis, Aero Film, Beast Editorial and Community Films. She began as a staff rep at The Artists Company. In her new position, she will concentrate on building the TPSC brand and its roster of directors. She will develop and maintain long-term relationships with major ad agencies. Clarke will work closely with EP John Noble to promote TPSC as a leading production and directorial shop. Clarke will manage all West Coast representation; she will work closely with current indie rep firm partners Schaffer/Rogers (East Coast), Asprodites Reps (Southwest), and MoButler (Midwest) for a directorial staff that includes Paul Street, Chris Woods, Gus Black, Sam Crawford, Joe Schaak, Julian Pugsley, KN+SAW, PR Brown, Jeannette Godoy, Justin Shipley and Jonathan Parkinson….
Santa Monica, Calif.-based production house Detour Films has secured independent rep James Bartlett of Mr. Bartlett in New York for East Coast representation….
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More