A Murder in Oakland: Beauty Is Deadly 2025 (Touch the Heart Productions / Uncia Films) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

A Murder in Oakland: Beauty Is Deadly 2025 (Touch the Heart Productions / Uncia Films) Review

A Murder in Oakland does get right to the point, opening up with a girl Mercedes getting strangled to death in a park in board daylight. The murder then gets pinned on the Seaside killer, a guy who strangled four other women. But something doesn’t sit right with Mercedes death as the Seaside killer is not taking credit for this one, and so it’s up Detective Williams and his new panther to find out the truth behind her death. Sounds great on paper, but the films execution is lacking in this “whodunnit’ mystery.

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Why Movie And Film Reviews Are More Important Than You Think!
Film Discussion Michael Thordarson Film Discussion Michael Thordarson

Why Movie And Film Reviews Are More Important Than You Think!

Look, you might be asking, why does an opinion matter so much? What is the big deal with a movie review?  Are you not worry about hurting the filmmaker’s feelings? Maybe you should just stay quiet to avoid any drama. But no, I will not stay quiet.  Because I believe reviews are quite important in our field of work.  Any inspiring filmmaker will deal with reviews – likes, dislikes, praises, and the ever-dreaded half star letterboxd reviews. (The horror indeed) But we need to support other filmmakers by leaving them honest reviews of their films and movies.

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Intrusive 2025 (Insurgence, Studio Dome) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Intrusive 2025 (Insurgence, Studio Dome) Review

The plot ends with a twist, as most of these movies in this genre do. It’s predictable, but it does the job. The film has a lean runtime of 66 mins, so nothing drags on to long. The small cast of actors is devoid of any real bad acting. Intrusive just needed more of a strong start, as I feel as it is now, people will hop off of it before they get to the better 2nd half.

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Dark Feathers: Dance of the Geisha 2024 (Unchaseable / Lankis Entertainment) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Dark Feathers: Dance of the Geisha 2024 (Unchaseable / Lankis Entertainment) Review

Dark Feathers: Dance of the Geisha does have some interesting ideas on paper. The film follows Kate, who is a ballroom dancer. Seems like a normal hobby right? Only problem is, each of her dance partners who has taken a interest in her have disappeared or died. Remy, a private investigator, decides to take interest in Kate and see where the mystery goes. The film combines samurai culture with ballroom dancing, and the potential is there, but the film can’t quite fire on all cylinders.

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Bears on a Ship 2025 (Uncia Films) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Bears on a Ship 2025 (Uncia Films) Review

Well you at least gotta give Eduardo Castrillo props for trying such a ambitious idea. Bears on a Ship is obviously a parody on Snakes on a Plane, even with a character in this film riffing on the famous line by shouting “I’m tired of these mother&$%& bears on this mother&$%& $^% ship!”. The film doesn’t take it self seriously and really does not have a deep narrative to it per say, as the title suggests the movie puts a bunch of stranded travelers onto a ship and then there are bears that attack people.

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Bury ‘Em Deep 2025 (Wild Dogs Productions / Millman Productions) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Bury ‘Em Deep 2025 (Wild Dogs Productions / Millman Productions) Review

Michael Fredianelli returns to the western genre for the 4th time in his 60th feature film. What can I say, guy has a love for the filth and grime of the western age. Bury ‘Em Deep stars Robert Broniz, who plays Link Maddock. Link is a fitting name for the character, as Robert Broniz feels like a video game protagonist of few words. He wonders around as he meets a cast of eccentric people who often monologue to fill the silence on his journey. He doesn’t have much dialogue, and his Hungarian accent does make some of his delivery hard to understand.  I recommend watching this one with closed captions.

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Gone with the Dead 2024 (Krusade Motion Pictures) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Gone with the Dead 2024 (Krusade Motion Pictures) Review

Three Directors. Six Writers. Sixteen Producers. Eight Cinematographers. Five Editors. Taking a look at the credits for Gone with the Dead is quite crazy. This collaboration has been in development since 2017 since my knowledge and finally sees the light of day. How did it turn out? It's a bit all over the place. 

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First Rites 2024 (Wild Dogs Productions) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

First Rites 2024 (Wild Dogs Productions) Review

Wild Dogs Productions returns to end the year with their lasted film, Frist Rites. Their 58th Feature length and 3rd film for 2024. This film sees them going full on guerilla filmmaking in the state of New York and New Jersey. This change of location does help add to an exotic vibe and tone and is fun to see.

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Sorry, We’re Dead 2024 (Aqlex Productions) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Sorry, We’re Dead 2024 (Aqlex Productions) Review

Sorry, We're Dead is a relatable film if you ever had to balance your corporate life with your artistic pursuits. The film centers around Lana Jing, who is just trying to survive her everyday boring lecture recording job when trying to submit her screenplays. She has to battle rejection, overcoming the odds and standing up for herself during her journey. Being a artist these days is not easy.

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Bittertooth Review (2023) American Courtyard Productions
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Bittertooth Review (2023) American Courtyard Productions

Bittertooth is one of those movies that has a pretty cool concept in mind, but has trouble with the execution. The story follows two female true-crime podcasters who talk about and track down a serial killer. It’s like a detective story that is influence by all of those true crime podcasts you hear now a days.

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Sirona 2023 (Cine-Clark Studios) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Sirona 2023 (Cine-Clark Studios) Review

This is a film that was produced and filmed in Colorado with a crew based out there so I had to check it out. (Colorado is my home state and a cool place with mountains). Wesley Clark's first outing at a feature film is a functional one, but it's definitely missing something.

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Anime Destiny Berkeley Con Review
Adventure Michael Thordarson Adventure Michael Thordarson

Anime Destiny Berkeley Con Review

Last weekend I headed up to the land of UC Berkeley to check out the Anime Destiny convention, which is hosted annually by Cal Animage Alpha. I stopped by to do some promotion of our lasted production, Scorned Waifu and see what Anime Destiny had to offer.

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Bye Bye Kitty 2024 (JC Enterprises) Review
Film Review Michael Thordarson Film Review Michael Thordarson

Bye Bye Kitty 2024 (JC Enterprises) Review

It’s cool to see indie film directors embrace the comedy genre, as not many do. In the film, our main character, Eric O'Bannon ventures on a road trip in an attempt to prove to everyone that he's still got his magic mojo. With the help of a talented, yet troubled teen and an eccentric drifter, they maneuver through the paranormal, mixing lessons in life with hysterical outcomes.

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Why you should support and acknowledge the fans!
Film Discussion Michael Thordarson Film Discussion Michael Thordarson

Why you should support and acknowledge the fans!

Fans work hard. They have to rotate fast and quick to provide an constant air-fluid stream, in order to help us by providing thermal comfort or cooling a vehicle engine. They are always standing guard, ready to spin hard and fast at the turn of a switch. Let’s take a moment to thank these hard workers for all they do, errrr, um, wait a second. I got confused, I think I am talking about the wrong type of fan.

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Michael Fredianelli and Wild Dogs Productions, the Filmmaker who does not quit.
Film Discussion, Bay Area Filmmakers Michael Thordarson Film Discussion, Bay Area Filmmakers Michael Thordarson

Michael Fredianelli and Wild Dogs Productions, the Filmmaker who does not quit.

Today I want to highlight one of the sources of my inspiration by taking a look at Michael Fredianelli, the bay area filmmaker who had managed to make 59 feature films and counting. It’s a remarkable level of production and dedication to the craft, demonstrating a work ethic that can only be admired.

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Date With Waifu = Free Lunch
Film Promo Michael Thordarson Film Promo Michael Thordarson

Date With Waifu = Free Lunch

To celebrate the launch of Scorned Waifu, we’re bringing back this sweet promo baby. Lunch dates are a great way to connect and unwind, and Yua Nijjima is here to help. You see, we need feedback for our newest film and would love to hear your thoughts.

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How to get investors to invest in your indie film.
Michael Thordarson Michael Thordarson

How to get investors to invest in your indie film.

From the props to feeding the cast and crew, these small costs can add up quick. If you plan to pay your entire cast and crew as well, then your budget can add up to $4000 per shooting day. So now you are seeking investors to help you see your vision through, but how do you convince them to put their money down?

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The Impact of California’s AB 5 Bill on Indie Filmmaking
Film Discussion Michael Thordarson Film Discussion Michael Thordarson

The Impact of California’s AB 5 Bill on Indie Filmmaking

California’s AB 5 is a bill that was signed into law in September 2019 addressing employment status. It requires the application of a “ABC test” to determine if workers in California are employees or independent contractors. This is important, as in the world of filmmaking, it’s a freelance world. You may get a gig that lasts only one day, or maybe a whole month. Due to the status of film production, finding anything consistent is a challenge. But now are you payed as a independent contractor or a employee?

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