Frank Mengarelli

PTS Cinematographer’s Corner with Ben Kasulke

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

KASULKE POWER

Podcasting Them Softly is honored to present a chat with cinematographer Ben Kasulke. Over the last 10 years, Ben has amassed close to 60 credits, and has become one of the leading independent stylists of his generation, having created intense collaborations with filmmakers Lynn Shelton and Guy Maddin, shooting for them such titles as TOUCHY FEELY, YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, HUMPDAY, THE FORBIDDEN ROOM, SEANCES, and KEYHOLE. His work stretches various genres and filmmakers with other big-screen credits including SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, THE FREEBIE, and TREATMENT. He’s also no stranger to television, having shot the first season of the hilarious and critically acclaimed FX comedy MARRIED starring Judy Greer and Nat Faxon, and Adult Swim’s horror comedy THE HEART, SHE HOLLAR with John Lee and Vernon Chatman. Ben has also worked on documentaries and short films, and his most recent project is the upcoming Amazon series RED OAKS for executive producer Steven Soderbergh and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS director David Gordon Green. We hope you enjoy our latest entry in the PTS Cinematographer’s Corner series!

PTS Presents Artisan Workbench with Charles de Lauzirika

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

CdL POWERCAST

11868891_10205164144759454_699480487_n Podcasting Them Softly is extremely excited to present a chat with four-time Saturn Award winner Charles de Lauzirika. Charles is one of the home video market’s most sought after producers of exclusive behind the scenes content, having worked with an insane roster of filmmakers including Ridley and Tony Scott, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, James Cameron, Michael Bay, the Coen brothers, and David Fincher, just to name a few. He’s also an emerging writer/director, having completed his feature debut, the indie thriller CRAVE, back in 2012. A massive movie buff with an encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, it was a blast getting a chance to talk with him, and we hope you enjoy!

PTS PROUDLY PRESENTS CINEMATOGRAPHERS CORNER WITH NIGEL BLUCK

August 11, 2015August 11, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

NIGEL BLUCK

unnamed — Photo Credit: Lacey Terrell http://www.laceyterrell.com

We are absolutely proud to present Nigel Bluck, the director of photography of all eight episodes of the second season of TRUE DETECTIVE. Nigel was the sole DP on the series this season, and did an amazing job giving the series an unprecedented and unique boost to its tone, setting the visual bedrock where we watched the new characters get the world they deserve. Nigel also was the DP of Julius Avery’s SON OF A GUN, Julie Bertuccelli’s THE TREE, and he was the second unit director of photography of visual effects on THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS and RETURN OF THE KING. Nigel was listed this year in Varity’s Top Ten Cinematographers to watch. Please visit Nigel’s website here.

True Detective We Get the Show We Deserve

August 10, 2015October 26, 2017 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in True Detective

True Detective We Get the Show We Deserve

“I didn’t live my life to go out like this.” – Frank Semyon

TD DESERVE

Bleak and hopelessness. That’s what we’re left with after the conclusion of the second season of Nic Pizzolatto’s masterclass series, TRUE DETECTIVE. Each one of the characters got exactly what we were promised, they got the world they deserved. I want to preface what I’m about to say next with this: From the first episode of the first season, I was completely obsessed with TRUE DETECTIVE. After the season concluded with the most satisfying ending it possibly could, I thought there was absolutely no way that a second season could, at the very least, be comparable on any level to the first. Rust Cohle was a cinematic and ideological godsend. No one had higher expectations for season two than I. Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch were announced as the primary cast. I thought, okay, this is interesting. I always loved Vaughn in dramatic roles and Farrell has always been an actor I’d watch in anything. Kitsch was good in SAVAGES, though I had not seen FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. McAdams piqued my interest based on her performance in TO THE WONDER. All that being said, and after digesting the finale of season two, I can honestly say that not only did Farrell, Vaughn, Kitsch and McAdams give career-high performances, and not only is season two better, but it completely upped the artistic game for not only Nic Pizzolatto, but also HBO and serious television series from this point on.

If you’re outraged by this, let me explain. The first season was too big to fail. It was backed by HBO, had Cary Fukunaga directing all eight episodes, T Bone Burnett doing the music, and drew the star power of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Monahgan. The season was a dark cop show, wrapped in McConaughey’s dialogue sewn with lyrical realism. The first season became not only a phenomenon but a revelation. We had never seen anything like this before. It became a monster that everyone suddenly watched. Whether or not they grasped the content is irrelevant. Everyone watched it because everyone was watching it. Then came the finale, which underwhelmed a lot. Disappointed many. Those people were concerned about the ritual killing case not being fully closed. But that wasn’t what the first season was about, was it? It was all about Rust inadvertently finding his inner peace.

McADAMS TD

Then came season two. Some people found the casting to be lackluster. There wasn’t one director for the entire season, and then the initial reviews came out, which were mixed, but predominantly overly harsh on the show. Keep in mind, the critics were only sent a screener of the first three episodes. The critics directed their negativity specifically at Pizzolatto himself. The harsh criticism is akin to the same media sabotage that Michael Cimino suffered from his masterpiece HEAVEN’S GATE.

Not all of the criticism to the second season is unwarranted. The dark noir and the pulp dialogue are not for everyone. Even those who are avid fans of that genre had legitimate criticism of the second season. Understandably, TRUE DETECTIVE certainly is not a show for everyone. I will be the first to admit that. I’m friends with a lot of filmmakers and writers on Facebook. The reaction from them was mixed as well. Some loved it, some didn’t like it, and some were very vocal about their absolute disdain for the show, and specifically Pizzolatto himself.

LEFT BEHIND

I chat with one filmmaker very often, and he initially didn’t love the show nearly as much as I did, but as the second season unraveled, he was just as drawn to it as I was. I asked him one day why there was such hostility directed towards the show and Pizzolatto. His response was one word: Jealousy. He then elaborated and told me that the disdain for Pizzolatto came from the fact he was not a part of the machine, he was a novelist who wrote a brilliant first season and went from a college professor to the showrunner of the most powerful show on the most powerful network overnight.

TD Kitsch

Whether or not that is true, it doesn’t really matter. What has me in absolute disbelief are the people “hate-watching” this previous season and proud to be doing so. I can’t help but take away that these are the same people who started watching the first season because it became pop culturally trendy too. They were the same people who on their initial reaction to the first season’s finale didn’t register it at first. These are the same people who jumped on the trendy bandwagon to hate the show this season. It became a game of Facebook “like” baiting, and Twitter retweeting. Whoever could make the snarkiest hashtagged quip won the internet for the day.

I wish I could thank each and every one of the “hate-watchers” personally and tell them how much I appreciate their viewership to keep buzz for the show high and keeping the ratings very high and ensure a third season from HBO is Pizzolatto is willing to do another. Whether or not you loved the show as much as I did, or thought it was an admirable follow up, or absolutely hated it, one thing is the absolute truth — we got the show we deserved.

PTS PROUDLY PRESENTS CINEMATOGRAPHERS CORNER WITH SALVATORE TOTINO

August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

Podcasting Them Softly is extremely proud to present a Special Edition CINEMATOGRAPHER’S CORNER POWERCAST with director of photography Salvatore Totino. For the last 16 years, Salvatore has been shooting films for an extremely impressive roster of filmmakers. Oliver Stone drafted him for his big-screen debut on ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, which catapulted him into the top ranks of working cinematographers after he displayed an aggressively visceral camera style on Stone’s gridiron epic. He was then scooped up by Ron Howard and over the years he’s shot seven films for him, including all three Robert Langdon adventures – THE DAVINCI CODE, ANGELS AND DEMONS, and next year’s INFERNO, as well as the historical drama FROST/NIXON, the revisionist western THE MISSING starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, and the relationship comedy THE DILEMMA. Other credits include moody and stylish work on Roger Michell’s underrated drama CHANGING LANES, and later this fall, he has two big films coming out in theaters – the star-studded mountain climbing adventure EVEREST and the NFL brain-trauma expose CONCUSSION, which stars Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, David Morse, and Albert Brooks. Welcome to the show Salvatore, it’s an honor to get a chance to speak with you!

TRUE DETECTIVE 2.7 BLACK MAPS AND MOTEL ROOMS – A Review by Frank Mengarelli

August 3, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in True Detective

TRUE DETECTIVE 2.7 BLACK BLACK MAP AND MOTEL ROOMS

“Look me in the eyes. I wanna see your lights go out.” – Frank Semyon

So much happened in this weeks episode. A tease to who the identity of the killer, Crow Head might be. Frank engaging in a full-out POINT BLANK mode, Ray and Ani transition their brooding rage and anger into intimate feelings for one another, and Paul is dead.

Let’s start with Frank. I am so completely satisfied with the transgressive story arc of Frank Semyon. Anyone who continues to ridicule Vaughn’s performances is now, undoubtedly an idiot, and has no idea what they’re talking about. Semyon rose to a successful gangsterless business man before we saw the first episode, and from that first episode we slowly watched Frank lose everything that he built, and now it’s time from him to rise like the phoenix from the ashes and completely obliterate anyone who has wronged him. The escalation of the last scenes with Frank were a direct homage to the epic preamble of the climax to THIEF. Remarkable writing. I truly hope that Semyon makes it out alive, out of all the characters that we’re given this season, Semyon is the most pure hearted one. He didn’t choose the life he has, it chose him, and he did his best to shake it. I can’t imagine a better thematic end to Semyon than to get LONG GOOD FRIDAY’D.

Ray and Ani’s final scenes in the episode together were beautifully poignant. They are two people who are completely burnt out by their lives. They are dead inside, partially from where they came from, but particularly the choices they made in the past and how they’ve dealt with their lives splitting. Whether or not if Ray and Ani are good people is irrelevant. They are good with each other, and trust and embrace each others shadows. They are the only ones that can ever really understand and accept one another.

Then there’s Paul. Wow. I was legitimately sadden by his fate. What made it even worse was cutting to his fiancée laying in bed, watching that old movie with Judy Garland embracing the baby. Wow. Just…wow. Out of all the characters, I think Paul was the one who had the hardest time coping with life. He was a killer, who lived the life of who he thought he should be. He hit a breaking point of either ruining the life of his beautiful fiancée, Emily, or trying to make it work. Maybe he couldn’t have, but he was going to try. And now, now it’s all over. He’s dead. And his baby is inside of a pure hearted good woman who is stuck in a hotel room with Paul’s awful mother. That might even be more profound and sadder than Paul’s death.

As for Crow Head. So, cult killings are out. Blake fessed up to killing Stan, giving Frank a glorious scene to showcase his well warranted brutality. My guess is Crow Head is either Tony, the Mayor’s son, or the girl from the diamond robbery where Caspere was the sole proprietor of. Maybe that little girl was the one who worked at Caspere’s office and was seen in that photograph from the party with him. Maybe she isn’t, and maybe it’s something bigger and/or completely different. All I know is that next week is the finale, and they have not announced a director yet. One can only hold out hopes for the likes of William Friedkin or HBO player Timothy Van Patten. Or, maybe, just maybe Nic Pizzolatto will direct it. That would be worth it if only to see all the rage hater’s heads explode. Either way, I am counting down the days and cannot wait for the conclusion of what I still say is, the best show on television.

PTS Proudly Presents CINEMATOGRAPHERS CORNER with Seamus McGarvey

August 2, 2015August 2, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

Podcasting Them Softly is extremely proud to present our first Special Edition CINEMATOGRAPHER’S CORNER POWERCAST with two time Oscar nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey. For the last 25 years, Seamus has been putting together an amazing and eclectic body of work that stretches all genres and styles, with just some of his credits including THE WAR ZONE for Tim Roth, HIGH FIDELITY for Stephen Frears, THE HOURS for Stephen Daldry, Oliver Stone’s THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, the unforgettable and chilling family drama WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN from director Lynn Ramsay, Joss Whedon’s THE AVENGERS, last summer’s blockbuster GODZILLA, this past winter’s worldwide phenomenon 50 SHADES OF GREY, and four huge collaborations with director Joe Wright including ATONEMENT, ANNA KARENINA, THE SOLOIST, and this Fall’s extremely exciting looking PAN, which is a new spin on the classic tale of Peter Pan. He two upcoming projects are Gavin O’Connor’s THE ACCOUNTANT staring Ben Affleck and Tom Ford’s next film NOCTURNAL ANIMALS. He’s one of the most in demand cinematographers of his generation, and it was an honor to speak with him. Enjoy!

Episode 15: Martin Scorsese’s THE KING OF COMEDY and Top Five Robert De Niro and comedic performances.

August 1, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

We talk about Scorsese’s most underseen film, THE KING OF COMEDY, as well as our top five Robert De Niro performances and our top five comedic performances of all time. Both were tough lists! Hope you guys enjoy!

PTS Presents Bradford May POWERCAST

July 29, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Podcast

Podcasting Them Softly recently had a terrific chat with Bradford May, longtime TV and feature film producer, cinematographer, and director, who famously shot the classic 80’s favorite THE MONSTER SQUAD for director Fred Dekker from a script by Shane Black. His most recent endeavor is working with the Dish exclusive movie channel Pixltv.com and directing many of their films and TV shows. Listen to May recount his amazing career, tell stories about legendary director Peter Hyams (who also executive produced THE MONSTER SQUAD), and Nick and Frank get all sentimental on one of the key collaborators on one of their favorite childhood films! Enjoy!

THE KING OF COMEDY – A Review by Frank Mengarelli

July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

“Is Mr. Langford expecting you?” – Langford’s Secretary

“Yes, I don’t think he is.” – Rupert Pupkin

Meet Rupert Pupkin – whose name is often mispronounced and misspelled. He is an insecure, timid and dissolutional young man whose dream is to perform a guest spot on “The Jerry Langford Show”. His psychopathic friend Masha is deeply obsessed with Jerry and after numerous failed attempts of Rupert going to Jerry’s office for a meeting – the two devise a plan to kidnap Jerry.

THE KING OF COMEDY remains to be the greatest Scorsese film that not many have seen. It showcases Robert De Niro’s finest performance as Rupert, a wickedly hilarious psychotic performance of a lifetime by Sandra Bernhard as Masha and a steady cool and calm of normality that’s brought to the film by Jerry Lewis as Jerry Langford – a Johnny Carson late night host.

This film has a nice polish on it, it looks and feels light and breezy but under the façade this is a deeply dark and sinister film. Rupert is so utterly delirious that his basement room is his Mother’s house is a mock studio with cardboard cutouts of celebrities where he performs in front of an invisible audience every night. The film is incredibly funny – yet you find yourself wanting to look away at how terribly humiliating situations in the film become.

After failing to meet with Jerry at his office, Rupert invites a woman who was in love with in high school, and is now a local bartender, to join him for a weekend at Jerry’s home. Rupert arrives at Jerry’s home and forces his way past the butler and maid. He then begins to walk around Jerry’s house telling this woman all about Jerry’s achievements and his life – speaking as if he’s known Jerry for an eternity. Once Jerry arrives home, he demands Rupert leave, he threatens Rupert with the police and begins shouting at him. This is one of many, many situations in the film that is so painfully humiliating to watch we find ourselves wanting to turn away – but we can’t. We are so mesmerized by the film.

This is film is the essence of black comedy, planting the seeds for future films. Will Farrell’s character in WEDDING CRASHERS – the grown man living in his off screen mother’s basement who is constantly yelling at her. THE KING OF COMEDY started that all.