Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Tribeca Film Festival Brings ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX – Director Ethan Silverman Interview
    • FRANK & PENELOPE: Caylee Cowan (Penelope) and Donna D’Errico (Mabel) On Cannabalistic Horror Film
    • THE ROAD TO GALENA: We Talk To Director Joe Hall, Plus Actors Aimee Teegarden, Ben Winchell And Will Brittain About Personal Fulfillment Over Traditional Success
    • Producer And Tribeca Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal Talks Online Viewing With At Home Festival Pass
    • Amazon Prime’s Thriller CHLOE: Talking With Series Stars Erin Doherty, Pippa Bennett-Warner, And Brandon Micheal Hall
    • Jay Aston Of GENE LOVES JEZEBEL’s US TOUR 2022
    • Randy Rhoads: Reflections Of A Guitar Icon: Traciii Guns and Director Andre Relis (Interview)
    • Phil Tippett Talks Stop-Motion Film MAD GOD, Opening June 22nd
    AMFM Magazine.tv
    • Features
    • Movies
      1. Movies – Indies
      2. Movie Reviews
      3. Movies- Wide Release
      Featured
      May 5, 20220

      THE OFFER: Miles Teller, Juno Temple, Matthew Goode, Burn Gorman, Patrick Gallo, Dan Fogler and Givanni Ribisi Talk About The Fantastic New Series Based On The True Story Of The Making Of The Godfather

      Read More
      Recent
      June 28, 2022

      FRANK & PENELOPE: Caylee Cowan (Penelope) and Donna D’Errico (Mabel) On Cannabalistic Horror Film

      June 28, 2022

      THE ROAD TO GALENA: We Talk To Director Joe Hall, Plus Actors Aimee Teegarden, Ben Winchell And Will Brittain About Personal Fulfillment Over Traditional Success

      June 24, 2022

      Producer And Tribeca Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal Talks Online Viewing With At Home Festival Pass

    • Photography
      1. Event Photos
      Featured
      December 7, 20210

      Nat Geo Photographer Joel Sartore Founds Photo Ark Project To Document All The World’s Species – Before They Disappear

      Read More
      Recent
      February 11, 2022

      NAT GEO EXPLORER Gabby Salazar Documents Conservation Around The Globe

      December 15, 2021

      Nat Geo’s Photographer Gordy Medroz On Ski And Snowboard Illustrated Guide ‘100 Slopes Of A Lifetime’

      December 7, 2021

      Nat Geo Photographer Joel Sartore Founds Photo Ark Project To Document All The World’s Species – Before They Disappear

    • ABOUT US
    • Music
      1. Indies
      2. Majors
      3. Reviews
      Featured
      May 9, 20220

      Paul Humphreys Talks ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK North American Tour Hits Dallas, Houston 5/10 and 5/11

      Read More
      Recent
      June 29, 2022

      Tribeca Film Festival Brings ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX – Director Ethan Silverman Interview

      June 23, 2022

      Jay Aston Of GENE LOVES JEZEBEL’s US TOUR 2022

      June 23, 2022

      Randy Rhoads: Reflections Of A Guitar Icon: Traciii Guns and Director Andre Relis (Interview)

    • THE WIRE
    • Literarians
    AMFM Magazine.tv
    You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Indie Pick of the Week: SYNCHRONICITY

    Indie Pick of the Week: SYNCHRONICITY

    0
    By christine on January 23, 2016 Uncategorized

    SYNCHRONICITY director Jacob Gentry says his fascination with the future of scientific discovery kicked into high gear when the Large Hadron Collider began accelerating particles and trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe. At the same time, he dove deep into other mysteries, specifically the Film Noir classics of the 40s and 50s. He imagined his own private dick, in this modern age, as a scientist trying to unravel clues left by in the trail of the very science he created.

    A SciFi punch to the brain, SYNCHRONICITY follows scientist Jim Beale’s corporately funded experiment to open a wormhole and see what comes through. This sort of irresponsible science is the bedrock of thrillers, but in this case, it also serves as a backdrop for a tantalizing love story in which scientist Jim falls for the ‘bad girl’ Abby, who may or may not be involved with the CEO funding his work, then goes back in time to warn himself not to fall for her, only to fall further for her himself. It’s a delicate balance, because on the one hand, this is a film that actually slows down enough to explain the concept of jumping parallel timelines to the audience (which is like cotton candy to me), and yet allows itself to hijacked by the love story so much one of the characters actually says ‘this is all about a girl, isn’t it?’ It was one of my very favorite films at Fantasia last year and it is getting its theatrical release today, as well as on VOD and iTunes.

    Arthur C. Clarke famously remarked that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Time Travel, while theoretically possible according to the laws of physics, is so far beyond our current technology, that often films with at its center become exercises in wish fulfillment. But director Gentry’s scientist is different. He actually had no plans for anything on the other side of the wormhole, he just wanted to get there to prove he could. “As much as we’d all like to imagine ourselves saving the world by killing Hitler,” considers Gentry, “we would probably do something more akin to finding the girl or guy that got away.” And when presented with an impossibility, wouldn’t a scientific genius attempt to use physics to solve the problem? “What is the mathematical equation for feelings like jealousy or longing?” asks Gentry.

    I had a chance to speak with director Jacob Gentry about the film and film noir and femme fatales and this particular mix of genre grit he has stirred up, to create one of the most satisfying mind-bender SciFi films in year.

    The Wormhole OpensBEARS: I always love time travel stories that loop back on themselves and you see the same scene from a new perspective. Tell me a bit about the writing process. How did you approach structuring that and what to reveal, and how to make it fascinating both (or all three times) through?

    Gentry: It involved charts, graphs, schematics, and whole lot of coffee. You have to map out the logistical math of the structure on one side, and on the other side you have to chart the emotional math of the character’s journey. There was a constant back and forth between the two, but ultimately if there was a stalemate the emotional side won out. We also had to be careful to not get too repetitive, so if the audience sees a scene all over again it had illuminate something new each time.

    BEARS: Horror is fascinated with the “Cabin In The Woods,” but it seems like your film has found a great SciFi equivalent – warehouse in the urban jungle. Can you talk about the use of place in the film? Did you have these locations and write to them? Or if not, how did you set the film and what were you looking for.

    Gentry: It was a bit of both. The exteriors were based around a section of Atlanta designed in the late 70s by architect John Portman to be a vision of the future. Which became our primary design principle in creating this world. It was as if the movie was made in the late 70s early 80s but set in 2016 and what they thought the future would look like. So we built most of the interiors on a sound stage to match that idea – a sort of retro-futurist analog scifi-noir.

    BEARS: Speaking of noir, the film feels more stylized than most SciFi films. I’m guessing you have some pretty strong inspirations outside of the typical SciFi canon (i.e. PRIMER or such). What was on your mind writing and on your mind shooting? What did you draw from them that we could be on the look-out for?

    Gentry: One of the biggest influences from both a narrative standpoint as well as an aesthetic standpoint was Alexander Mackendrick’s SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. A later period film noir that the plot isn’t crime related. Everything from the crackling dialogue and character dynamics to James Wong Howe’s revolutionary cinematography. One of the first movies of its kind to shoot on location. Simply one of the best movies ever made. It contains a very grim worldview, but truly compelling nonetheless.

    Deal With The DevilBEARS: I love Brianne Davis’s performance. I wrote my original review: “as the film progresses and we realize that she is dealing with two very different Jims, her performance reveals itself as even more of a triumph. It’s a bit like watching Carrie Ann Moss in MEMENTO for the first time: you are desperate for a second view because you know you are being toyed with by a master.” Can you talk about directing her and dealing with that issue, where the opposite character is constantly giving you energy that in your character’s world, makes no sense? It’s not an easy task by any means. And did you and she discuss her place in the pantheon of Femme Fatales?

    Gentry: Casting Brianne fundamentally changed the character of Abby. She was always meant to appear as a traditional femme fatale at first, and then we would upend the basic tenets of that trope once the time travel afforded a parallax view of the character. She was originally written as brash and aggressive with much more of a sailor’s mouth, but Brianne brought a sort of elegance and grace that actually heightened the mystery and made that reveal much more compelling.

    Here is the trailer for SYNCHRONICITY:

    BearsAMFMshotBears Fonte covers indie film for AMFM Magazine and programs and consults for film festivals nationwide. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival as well as the former Director of Programming for Austin Film Festival. His short The Secret Keeper played at 40 festivals, his feature iCrime was released in 2011 by Vicious Circle.

    Share this:

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • More
    • Print
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp

    Related

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleSHORTSHD™ THE SHORT MOVIE CHANNEL TO RELEASE OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2016 IN THEATRES ON FRIDAY JANUARY 29
    Next Article IGGY POP TO RELEASE ‘POST POP DEPRESSION’ MARCH 18TH
    christine

    Related Posts

    Tribeca Film Festival Brings ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX – Director Ethan Silverman Interview

    Read More

    THE ROAD TO GALENA: We Talk To Director Joe Hall, Plus Actors Aimee Teegarden, Ben Winchell And Will Brittain About Personal Fulfillment Over Traditional Success

    Read More

    Composer Lorne Balfe Talks Scoring TOP GUN: MAVERICK

    Read More

    Comments are closed.

    SEARCH BY CATEGORY
    • MOVIES
    • Music ICON
    • AUTHORS
    June 24, 2022

    Amazon Prime’s Thriller CHLOE: Talking With Series Stars Erin Doherty, Pippa Bennett-Warner, And Brandon Micheal Hall

    June 19, 2022

    Phil Tippett Talks Stop-Motion Film MAD GOD, Opening June 22nd

    June 9, 2022

    Composer Lorne Balfe Talks Scoring TOP GUN: MAVERICK

    September 8, 2017

    GLEN CAMPBELL: ICON Pays Tribute With “Glen Campbell Live”

    May 6, 2017

    ICON PRESENTS: The Eagle’s Greatest Hits Volume 1

    March 3, 2017

    ICON SEASON FIVE: Get Ready To Rock And Roll

    June 14, 2022

    Author Angie Thomas on THE HATE U GIVE And CONCRETE ROSE

    June 6, 2022

    CONFESSIONS OF A DORK LORD And Book #2 GRAVE DANGER: Interview With Author Mike Johnston

    May 29, 2022

    SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF: Breakout Debut From Author A.F. Steadman (Interview)

    Hulu

    [instagram-feed]

    Recent Posts
    • Tribeca Film Festival Brings ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX – Director Ethan Silverman Interview
    • FRANK & PENELOPE: Caylee Cowan (Penelope) and Donna D’Errico (Mabel) On Cannabalistic Horror Film
    • THE ROAD TO GALENA: We Talk To Director Joe Hall, Plus Actors Aimee Teegarden, Ben Winchell And Will Brittain About Personal Fulfillment Over Traditional Success
    • Producer And Tribeca Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal Talks Online Viewing With At Home Festival Pass
    • Amazon Prime’s Thriller CHLOE: Talking With Series Stars Erin Doherty, Pippa Bennett-Warner, And Brandon Micheal Hall
    Archives
    Featured Music
    June 29, 20220

    Tribeca Film Festival Brings ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX – Director Ethan Silverman Interview

    ANGELHEADED HIPSTER: THE SONGS OF MARC BOLAN & T. REX (Spotlight Documentary) - A leader of the glam-rock movement and an early champion of punk, Marc Bolan was always ahead of the curve. This was both an advantage and a stumbling block for the mop-headed T. Rex bandleader, whose unique approach to pop songcraft is

    Share this:

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • More
    • Print
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    Read More
    Movie Reviews
    June 28, 20220

    FRANK & PENELOPE: Caylee Cowan (Penelope) and Donna D’Errico (Mabel) On Cannabalistic Horror Film

    Interview by Paul Salfen The feature is being compared to classics such as True Romance and Wild at Heart, and is a horrifying thriller about Frank (Billy Budinich) and his girlfriend, Penelope (Caylee Cowan), who find themselves miles from civilization while traveling along a deserted stretch of dirt road. As darkness falls, they come upon a small motel and diner and

    Share this:

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • More
    • Print
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    Read More
    Movie Reviews
    June 28, 20220

    THE ROAD TO GALENA: We Talk To Director Joe Hall, Plus Actors Aimee Teegarden, Ben Winchell And Will Brittain About Personal Fulfillment Over Traditional Success

    Interview By Paul Salfen The Road to Galena follows one man’s pursuit of personal fulfillment over traditional success. Cole Baird (Ben Winchell) has everything – a beautiful wife, successful career, large home and fancy toys. Behind the facade, however, is a man trapped by his surroundings and falling ever behind in the pursuit of his

    Share this:

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • More
    • Print
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    Read More
    Documentary
    June 24, 20220

    Producer And Tribeca Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal Talks Online Viewing With At Home Festival Pass

    Interview by Paul Salfen Tribeca At Home Link From now until June 26th you can experience the Tribeca Festival from the comfort of your own home withTribeca At Home pass and from now until June 26th, you can stream films and events from this year’s Tribeca Festival. Catch celebrity panels such as Late Night’s Seth

    Share this:

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • More
    • Print
    • Reddit
    • WhatsApp
    Read More
    Copyright AMFMSTUDIOS LLC
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (US)
    Copyright AMFMSTUDIOS LLC
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (US)

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.