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Wannabe highlights the virtues of enduring tough times together rather than alone < Back Wannabe highlights the virtues of enduring tough times together rather than alone Breach, 2020 11 minutes Director/Writer: Dorothy Allen-Pickard / Dorothy Allen-Pickard, Billy Barrett, and Ellice Stevens Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Wannabe K-Whut? (RY5O5CKHQHXAS99J) 00:00 / 03:52 Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Oolong Movies and TV shows that make you laugh or involve physical activities like dance and exercise Reba Chaisson 2023-02-15 You may remember the 1997 film, The Full Monty , about six unemployed men in Britain who make the big decision to strip for money. Similarly, Wannabe is a story of five older female friends, also in Britain, who come together to help Anita, a member of their group who is struggling financially. Initially unbeknownst to her, Anita’s four friends decide the five of them will team-up and put on a show as an older version of The Spice Girls. Still working at age 75, Anita, played by Anita Donaghy, falls “in the red” when her hours are cut at work, making it difficult to keep up with her bills. When she visits Anita to ask why she has not been attending their regular line dancing outings, Joan, played by Joan Brigden, stumbles upon “a demand letter” and is sworn to secrecy. Anita’s desire to keep her financial struggles to herself exemplifies how shame and embarrassment are internalized when individuals are challenged to keep up with their bills. This is particularly the case for those who are older and expect to be past the stage in their lives where they are unable to meet their everyday obligations. The capitalist ideology of individualism - responsibility for self and pulling oneself up by the bootstraps - intensifies the sense of guilt a person feels when he or she falls short of this ideal. We blame ourselves when we can’t pay our light bill, are late on our car note, or cannot pay the full amount due on our credit card, even though we have little if any control over what got us to that point (i.e. hours being cut, being laid off, the rising cost of food and gas, falling ill, caring for family members). These events are disruptive to our lives and largely beyond our control; yet, we carry around a deep sense of shame about their consequences because of the overarching idea that each of us is responsible for ourselves. And thus, asking for help is a sign of weakness. Given this reality, it is no wonder Anita wants to keep her struggles private, even from her closest and most trusted friends. As Anita’s friends brainstormed ways to help her, I thought about how creative people in challenging circumstances have always had to find ways to make things work. Back in the day, people in some working-class neighborhoods held “rent parties,” where friends would get together and play cards for money and give the winnings to the host to help with their bills. Young kids would offer to wash cars and run errands for neighbors, or take glass bottles to the store to get 2-5 cents for each. (Today, bottles are deposited into recycling bins, so now, companies get the money!) Anita’s friends putting on a Spice Girls show was an interesting idea given their age group, and it promised to make for a fun and enjoyable 11 minutes. Not surprisingly, there are indeed some hilarious moments. But what you are most likely to be left with are the poignant ones. Throughout the film, I couldn’t help but admire the group’s dedication to their friend, their commitment to the project, and their willingness to do what was necessary to help – short of what they viewed as “embarrassing [themselves]” that is. If you have just a few minutes, this one could be worth your time. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Dani Abraham A Conversation with Murder, Anyone? Producer Dani Abraham Cup of Tea Critiques has a chat with Murder, Anyone? producer Dani Abraham Chris Chaisson 2023-06-13 Reading time: 14 minutes Producers frequently have to wear multiple hats and perform numerous tasks. The versatility required makes the role hard to define from project to project. Additionally, many producers are strictly asked what it is like to work with star actors and directors rather than the actual responsibilities of their jobs. To get a better idea of what a producer actually does, Cup of Tea Critiques had a conversation with the producer of indie comedy Murder, Anyone? Dani Abraham. She shared with us her specific tasks in the fast-paced production, how working in film differs from working in branded short-form content, and what skills and personality traits have enhanced her producing abilities. Dani began our conversation by contextualizing the director's motivation for Murder, Anyone? and why she considers it to be her first "true" experience producing a feature-length film. [ Murder, Anyone? ] was my first feature where I was involved in the whole movie. I did a feature in 2021 called Tales from the Other Side , and it was a feature anthology. There were a bunch of different segments that made up one feature film, and I did one of those segments. In a sense, that was my first feature. But this one was my first real cohesive story feature. The director of [ Murder, Anyone? ] made it and dedicated it to his dad. His dad passed away a few years ago, and his dad wrote this movie as a play originally. It ran in L.A. for a little bit, and [director James Cullen Bressack] wanted to bring his dad's work to life, kind of immortalize it and put his own little footprint on it as well. So this was really a passion project for James. That in and of itself was already a different experience than something I was expecting. Because ultimately, it was just making this movie so that the director was happy. We weren't making anything for a studio or a distributor. It wasn't for anyone else. I think that's what made it so special. It was really scrappy, as a low budget movie. A lot of people pulling strings in a million ways to make things work. I think that made it different than anything I've ever worked on. I come from a world of branded content, like commercials; that's the stuff I do. There's 3,000 people who are putting all of their expectations on your shoulders; but also, they all have different expectations. This one wasn't that. Everyone knew what they were doing. I think that's what made it so fun, and so magical. The final product was something that everyone was so happy with, because we all knew that's what we were trying to achieve. I hope I get that kind of experience again. Dani gave her insight into the pressures of working on a shoot with a small team (roughly 30 people) with tight timeframes for shooting, as well as how producer responsibilities were divided up. According to Timehop [a smartphone application that collects old photos and distributes the past], we started shooting the same week exactly a year before it came out. We shot for 6 days, which is really short for an 80-minute feature film. Everyone did what they needed to do to make an 80-minute movie in six days with special effects, visual effects, improv and everything else, which made it a very fun 6 days. We're actually doing another one of those this summer and I'm scared, but I feel like if this taught me anything, it's that if enough people who are stoked about something come together, we can make it happen. You just have to work really hard and also be ready for compromise. There were a couple of producers on the project. I was a co-producer. Jarrett Furst was our main producer. He's the guy who was striking all the deals with all of the actors. He's the reason why we got Academy Award nominated actress Sally Kirkland in the movie. She is a riot, she's so fun. She's got so many stories. Jarrett took care of all of that stuff: finding all of the crew, finding people who were willing to work on such a tight budget. Jared is a wizard. What I was doing was managing the logistics of the day. That was everything from figuring out call times for our actors, making sure that they had enough time between makeup and their scene so that no one felt rushed. Basically, my job was to make sure that there were no wasted minutes, which was hard because again, it was a 6-day shoot. You don't know how things are going to shake out. So that was part of my day-to-day, the little things. Making sure everyone is fed and happy. I went to Costco on a Saturday for this thing; I hate Costco. But I made sure we had enough craft services [catered food], so it was a great experience. Dani shared an anecdote exemplifying the producer’s experience. I always joked even back in school that a producer's job is just everything that you didn't have the budget to pay someone else to do. That never felt more real than in this moment, because sometimes you just need this thing done. If there's no one to ask, then it falls on you. For instance, we needed color contact lenses for a scene. And for whatever reason, we just didn't have them. The only place on this day that we could find them was in downtown L.A., and we were shooting [about 40 miles away] in Simi Valley. We don't have runners because we're that small of a crew, so one of my producers gets in a car to drive from Simi Valley to downtown LA to get a pair of contact lenses from one of those little stores in the fashion district, and then drive all the way back. Being a producer is a thankless job in that when things are going well, no one notices, which is a great thing. You don't want people to be noticing when things are happening like that. That was such a learning experience for me too. I come from a digital world. I come from branded entertainment, where I was making stuff for clients like Nike or Sony Entertainment, which was huge, because that was in the movie industry. But it wasn't making a movie, and this was a complete pivot in so many ways. I love branded content, I think it's really cool and unique and special when it's done right and done well. But there's nothing like making a passion project and working with people who care so deeply about a story. Being involved at all was really cool. Being well-rounded in hobbies and character traits allows creatives to take skills from one discipline and apply it to another. Dani dished on what aids her most in producing. Producing is problem solving. And there are problems that come up in your day-to-day life. Every single day. How you deal with those problems are very much derivative of who you are as a person, what your personality is, and how you can handle bigger problems with bigger stakes, like when money is attached to it. I think what's funny is becoming a producer has made me a more patient person in life. Things that would have made me upset or irritated or given me a more emotional reaction have actually made me take a step back and say, “Look at the larger picture. Does this matter in the grand scheme of things?” If the answer is yes, then we deal with it. If it's not a big deal, you can figure it out later, and that's kind of what producing is. It’s problem solving in the moment and being okay when things have to be compromised or when something is ultimately not the biggest deal. We make Tik Toks and social media all the time, right? And you always have to have that foresight of, “What kind of response are you going to get on the internet?” You always have to think two steps ahead of everything. So maybe that's made me a better producer; just learning to think ahead and be two steps ahead. Managing personalities can be tough in any leadership role, especially for amicable people who have to deliver disappointing news. Dani shared her experience with making a difficult decision. I am a nice person. I don't like to make people cry. I will never probably make anybody cry. I’m a people pleaser; I try to make it all make sense for everyone. Sometimes that's not right for the project. Something I'm battling with right now is letting someone know that we went in a different direction. I never want to be that person who ghosts someone on a job. Ultimately, we picked someone else for that job, and the other person is also a friend. Sometimes you have to put friendships aside, and it is what it is. It's nothing to do with their work at all. It has everything to do with the person that we're going to go with; [they’ve] worked with our director before. They're both really talented; just one of them has a rapport already. While writers and directors can dream big, producers frequently have to be the voice of reason. Their job occasionally consists of vetoing certain requests that do not fit within the budget or time constraints, but Dani says that a good producer should first aim to compromise. I typically don't say no; I just say, “Okay, well, how can we make it work?” And then we figure it out. Then you find people who are passionate and excited. I owe a lot of favors, but also a lot of people owe me favors. So sometimes this is a very interesting industry. It's a very favor-based industry. As long as you're a good person to work with and want people to work with you again, you usually can make stuff happen. The project I'm doing this summer is a micro-budget feature. It's a $7,000 budget. It's very small to make a feature film. And I still said yes, and we're still going to make it happen somehow. In spite of her inclination, Dani did have to pass on a particular project. I got offered my first feature script during COVID. And it was an even smaller budget than what I have right now. And they said, “You can do it for $2,500.” And I said, “Let me read the script. And if the script is good, I'll do it. 2500 bucks; it was COVID, we weren't working, and it would have been me and two other people. So it would have been totally COVID safe. No one would have invested anything but our time and during COVID, we had all the time. So I said, “Sure, let me read the script.” And I was so insulted by the script. It was offensive. There were [derogatory terms] in it. On top of that, it kind of insulted my intelligence because there were just typos everywhere. I said, “You know, I think the next one will be it, but not this one.” The guy who gave me the script said, “Well, I will find someone to do it.” That was his response, his little Hail Mary to see if I would still do it. And I said, “Godspeed.” And he did; he found someone to do it… So someone else did it and good for them. And I hope that the movie turned out well.” On occasion, personalities and egos can clash on a film set. Dani revealed her approach to conflict resolution. One of the things that happens a lot on low budget stuff is that there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Everyone has equal footing in the game. We're not making money, but this is great for all of us. There’s a lot of fighting in that situation. I've never had to say, “Stop yelling” or “You're embarrassing yourself and everyone around you.” But I've definitely said, “Let's take a step back for a second and think about what's important. if you are that passionate about whatever you're yelling about, are you willing to compromise?” Mediating is hard, because people get feral in those moments. They don't think about anything else. They are just looking at this thing and won't let go, and sometimes you just have to let it play out. But I've worked with good people. Producers often take the versatility gained from their role and apply it to other positions. Dani shared what other jobs she would like to fulfill on a film set. I always wanted to go into development, do more film development, story and creative [roles]. I dabbled in directing for a while. I'm co-directing this [movie] that's coming up this summer. Because I just want to get a taste of it again, see if that is something I want to keep doing. You know, again, this is a story that I'm really into. And it's a little personal for me too. But those are kind of my goals; directing and producing is where I want to stay, writing is something I dabble in. I really wish I had the patience for editing because I do think that's such a cool position because ultimately, you are the one deciding what everyone sees. But I love producing. I like putting things together. I've always liked puzzles. That’s all this is, big puzzle-making. Problem solving as a hobby equals problem solving skills in real life. And then problem solving skills in real life make you a better producer. That’s all it is. It's problem solving, making deals and figuring [things] out on the fly. And then being able to think multiple thoughts at once. Are there more projects like Murder, Anyone? in Dani’s future or will she pivot to another genre? I keep on doing a lot of horror stuff, because a lot of that stuff gets made. It's easy to make, it's cheap to make, and it's being made all the time. My whole goal has always been to make kids and family content. I still do that stuff. That's what I was doing with my branded content before; I was working with a company making science videos for kids, and I loved doing that. I do want to keep doing that. To keep up with Dani’s future projects, you can follow her at https://www.daniabe.com/ Murder, Anyone? is available to rent or buy on Amazon . Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Are horror movies and thrillers one and the same or completely different? Distinguishing Two of Cinema's Most Popular Genres Chris Chaisson 11/23/24 Reading Time: 10 minutes 📸: Used with Permission, Sarah Sumeray https://www.sarahsumerayonline.com/art I recently saw the new Hugh Grant-led A24 movie Heretic in theaters. Before I went, I listened to a podcast that described the movie as “more of a thriller than a horror movie.” Ouch. While the podcast critics gave it a glowing review, this phrase sounded more like a back-handed compliment. Presuming Heretic was going for horror, calling it “more of a thriller” is effectively saying it was not scary. If you’re a standup comedian, you don’t really want to hear your performance referred to as “more of a one-man show” (aka not funny). Sure, it’s a sliding scale; thrillers can be scary and one-man shows can be funny. However, receiving a different label than the one you were going for can sting more than someone just calling it garbage. I came away from Heretic disagreeing with the podcasters, as I found the movie sufficiently scary. The idea of being held captive, and forced to answer questions about my religion from a potentially violent stranger felt far more frightening than thrilling. My guess is that to most moviegoers, frightening and thrilling are just semantics, but if there is a difference between horror and thriller, then what are the parameters? Surprise or Suspense? I asked my friends how they differentiate the horror and thriller genres and their first answer was what most people go to horror movies for: jump scares. The perfectly timed switch in camera angle and blaring horn note can get the audience to white-knuckle grip their armrests. They may induce a scream, a head turn, a semi-curl into the fetal position, or a literal jump. Usually, it’s when the killer sneaks up behind their prey off screen, but an increasingly common jump scare is a person being flattened by a speeding vehicle that none of us saw coming (looking at you, Smile 2 ). If blood, gore and violence make no difference to you, a filmmaker can get quite creative with jump scares. The Final Destination franchise frequently utilized this tactic, as they spared no expense with gruesome onscreen deaths. Thrillers do not necessarily catch us by surprise as much as keep us in suspense amidst various chase scenes, gunfights and hand-to-hand combat. They do not lull you into a false sense of safety for an effective scare; they simply show your hero or heroine hanging from the edge of a proverbial cliff for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. I would boil the difference down to the known versus the unknown. Jason Bourne wasn’t getting haunted or terrorized by a headless horseman or hockey mask aficionado; he was being punched in the face and thrown through windows by government spies. With thrillers, we know who the protagonists are; with horror, we often don’t. The Thriller We Know; The Horror We Don’t Horror movies tend to have a supernatural element to both the universe and the villains themselves. Ghosts, demons, clowns, or just some really weird people. Hugh Grant’s character is not someone you would find on a Magic the Gathering card, but he is strange enough and persistent. Moreover, he lives in an estate on a hill, far removed from the street with no close neighbors. This type of setting is so familiar to the horror genre that it creeps into the titles themselves (i.e. House on Haunted Hill ). Sometimes it’s the woods, sometimes it’s a hotel, sometimes it’s a vessel floating through space. There’s immediately a mystique about such a setting, as most of us don’t have a whole lot of friends living in creepy mansions or traveling to Jupiter. It increases the tension, as now we’ve moved from our universe to one where this character can create any dysfunction. However tormented or brutal they are remains to be seen, and the odds of escape or rescue plummet. Horror protagonists are further isolated by inclement weather and, in a more psychological sense, the disbelief of characters that actually can help them. Thrillers frequently take place in a downtown metropolis under blue skies (maybe to simplify shooting action sequences). The identity of the protagonist matters greatly to how we differentiate the two genres. It is not uncommon in any given genre for the main character to have a “superpower,” whether it’s counting cards, switching to a Rastafarian accent at a moment’s notice, or beating up a garage-full of guys slipping on motor oil . Thrillers tend to have powerful main characters. They are either extremely cunning, such as in political thrillers like Miss Sloane , or physically imposing, like the aforementioned Jason Bourne. They are still an underdog, as they are likely taking on an entire institution. But their background gives us a reason to believe they have a fighting chance. Meanwhile, our horror brethren can’t really do anything. They often have to figure out what or who the villain is, which may take a third of the movie, before even figuring out how to defend themselves and their loved ones (another third). Horror movies go for a much more vulnerable profile, often someone we associate with innocence. Horny teenagers, single mothers, third grade children, or as in Heretic , young missionaries. Perhaps the purpose of horror choosing easy targets is that it is scarier to think of an evil force being so indiscriminate with whom it preys on. In thrillers, we often get the sense of who is off limits or considered worthy of protection. Take Trapped , for example, starring Charlize Theron as Karen and Kevin Bacon as Hickey. Yes, Karen’s daughter is kidnapped, but Hickey is merely after a ransom, and the plan goes off the rails when learning of the daughter’s health issues (and Karen fighting back, of course). Weaponry Most thriller protagonists are handy with guns, knives, and their fists, which highlights another difference between the genres: the weaponry. Writers in the horror genre almost always go for an abstract version of a weapon, adding to their supernatural feel. The Exorcist uses a Bible, a crucifix and prayer. We’re more than accustomed to the stake in the heart bringing about a vampire’s demise (thanks Buffy). In The Babadook , our heroine fights off a monster with the power of…belief, I guess. I don’t know, she just kinda yells until it goes away (I know there’s a deeper meaning but still!). These “weapons” all make sense when you watch, but a more blunt interpretation is they’re great budget-savers. No real weapons or weapons expert is needed on set; box checked. Blood and Gore The use of blood and gore illustrates another distinction between horror and thrillers. In horror, the blood and gore are for the audience . In thrillers, they’re for the characters . Final Destination shows us characters getting beheaded or crushed by construction equipment. Die Hard shows us John McClane with cut up feet as obstacles he has to maneuver around. In the action thriller category, we frequently see characters having to nurse their own wounds or figure out how to hide them from villains. It becomes a part of the plot; the rising stakes and the decreasing odds of success. Horror and Thriller Resolutions The conclusions of horror movies and thrillers tend to vary. In thrillers, our heroes win far more often than not. They outsmart or beat up the bad guy, they clear their name, and they either return to everyday life or get ready for the next mission. The glaring exception off the top of my head is Arlington Road , the 1999 thriller about a professor who believes his neighbors may be terrorists (they are). Much of the time, though, good triumphs over evil, and even in conspiracy thrillers, the protagonist makes it to safety whether or not the conspiracy continues. Horror tends to have a more pessimistic bend. The group of main characters rarely make it out unscathed, most meeting their untimely end and the survivor (usually dubbed the “final girl”) left scarred for life and still not really safe. The vast majority of horror films keep hope alive for a sequel, so the writer and director do the most complicated mental gymnastics possible to suggest that the threat is still out there. Movies often get studied in focus groups before release to see how the ending fares with test audiences, and the fact that thrillers have more positive endings suggest favoritism towards the names we know versus the ones we don’t. Thrillers tend to have an A-lister front and center. We as audience members do not like seeing our favorite box office draws get axed, and if you glance at some of their contract clauses, you’ll probably see that they don’t like it either. Meanwhile, horror movies, which are often low-budget, tend to have lesser known actors and the filmmakers have no problem killing them off or replacing them for the sequel. Smile 2 , for instance, features a completely different main character than its predecessor and, very early on, does away with the only returning character. Are they complete no-names or bad actors? No, but it didn’t cost $20 million to book them either. Maybe a good tell is how we interact with each genre. MovieWeb lists the highest grossing horror movies and the highest grossing thrillers. They have one movie in common: The Sixth Sense . It’s second on the horror list , only seventh on the thriller list . This difference suggests thrillers are more popular and more mainstream, which makes sense as many of them can be branded as action movies with a formidable cast. The horror genre has a smaller but more fervent fan base, and the experience of being scared is heavily dependent on music and sound effects. As Alfred Hitchcock states, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” This reality compels many fans of the genre to watch the most anticipated horror films while they are in theaters, which makes it telling that they still do not outperform their thriller counterparts. The End Okay, these are a lot of thoughts for a throwaway comment on a podcast I listened to. In looking back, though, there seems to be quite a few differences between horror and thriller (at least from where I’m sitting). Your preference for one or the other may speak volumes about your cinematic tastes. Do you prefer to be scared or simply excited? Do big-name actors or small budgets draw you to the box office? Are you squeamish and empathetic or do you enjoy the blood and gore? What piques your interest more, films grounded in reality or the supernatural? And most of all, what kind of ending do you need: Thomas Jane in Deep Blue Sea (we did it) or Thomas Jane in The Mist (oop)? For more on Horrors and Thrillers, listen to Season 1, Episode 1 of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast . Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and more. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!