First Contact is set for a June 6 digital and DVD release. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Uncork’d Entertainmenthas acquired North American rights to Wendigo and Monstrous director Bruce Wemple’s First Contact. The creature feature, which features strong practical effects and an outstanding performance by Wemple film-staple Anna Shields, premiered to raves at Panic Fest in April. James Liddell, Chris Cimperman, Caitlin Duffy, and Paul Kandarian also star and is scheduled to premiere on digital and DVD on June 6, 2023. (October Coast, 2023)
First Contactis a movie about two estranged adult siblings, Casey and Dan, who travel to their late scientist father’s farmhouse to make sense of his incomplete work. They soon learn that their father’s work was far more dangerous than they could ever imagine. An evil entity, buried in time and space for millions of years, has been released and has begun wreaking havoc on the locals. One by one the bodies start to pile up. Now, Dan and Casey must figure out the secrets of this extra – dimensional monster before it’s too late.
“Bruce Wemple’s latest film has it all – a strong script, incredible effects, terrific performances, and brilliant direction. After a such strong response at Panic Fest, we expect the film to do very well when we release it in June.” – Keith Leopard, President of Uncork’d Entertainment
Chris Shiflett turns out another LA-meets-Nashville country rocker in Dead and Gone. Photo: Google
Punk veteran. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Americana and rock songwriter. Modern-day guitar hero. For more than 25 years, Chris Shiflett has blurred the lines between genre and generation, balancing his full-band projects with a thriving solo career. Named “Americana’s biggest rockstar” by Rolling Stone, Shiflett has played a crucial role in shaping the sound and scope of modern-day rock music as a longtime member of the Foo Fighters. He is also an alum of California-based punk rock bands No Use For a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shiflett’s latest releases refocus his attention on a mix of country twang and rock & roll bang, showcasing the full range of his musical abilities. Dead And Gone is his latest single. (IV-PR, 2023)
“It’s kind of classic country chords,” says Chris Shiflett about his brand new tune Dead And Gone. He is not wrong, but it is so much more than that. The two-step-ish feel is there, as are the sweet dobro playing of Charlie Worsham and the swampy tremolo guitar tones of Tom Bukovac, but a wildly fuzzy electric guitar fills the space between Shiflett’s slightly overdriven and doubled vocal lines. He stomps on another pedal for his solo that splits his guitar into three whole octaves of in-your-face chicken pickin’ licks. That is country, for sure, but it is also very rock and roll. The first song he tracked with Jaren Johnston producing, Dead And Gone touches on some old friends of Shiflett’s who, as the first verse goes, “Passed away, just another Saturday night mystery.” “My hometown was an odd mix of luxury paradise and working-class grit and continues to be a bottomless pit of lyrical inspiration,” says Shiflett. “Sad to say there’s been more than a few friends who’ve left us too soon, so there are lots of stories there…kind of a lost generation.” Fans can hear Dead And Gone right now.
Written spring 2020, recorded spring 2021, and played live ever since, Dead And Gone is the second look into a brand new Chris Shiflett album due out in 2023 via his new label home at Blue Élan Records, the Los Angeles-based independent label celebrating its 9th anniversary this year. Fans will hear more about the Jaren Johnston-produced LP in the coming months but can count on hearing an album that represents Shiflett’s fully realized vision of connecting L.A. to Nashville. “A big part of my inspiration to work with Jaren on this record was because I knew he’d push me out of my comfort zone into new territory,” Shiflett says. Fans can also check out the first track from the upcoming album, Black Top White Lines.
In addition to the release of Dead And Gone, Shiflett was just announced as part of the Americanafest 2023 lineup. The long-running event takes place in Nashville on September 19-23.
Lhora Amira, IRMANDADE: The Shape of Water in Pindorama, 2018-2020, HD video, single channel sound, film still. Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, copyright Lhora Amira.
Blue Star Contemporary announces Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology, an exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI) on view from June 2 through September 3, 2023.Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition that considers how artistic practices use kinship, healing, and restorative intervention to foster a deeper consciousness of our interconnectedness with the earth. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2023)
This exhibition turns to a group of interdisciplinary artists to engage with the overlapping, worldwide crises of our time. Ongoing climate change, entrenched social inequity, and renewed concerns over public health have all underscored the need for approaches that take on global responsibilities while caring for our local environment. For decades, artists have sought to find new antidotes to oppressive structures of power, and promoted greater understanding of the many ways that nature, health, and sustainability are intertwined.
Actions for the Earth presents the work of eighteen intergenerational artists and collectives who place action, instruction, reciprocity, and exchange at the forefront of their practices. By sharing their participatory artistic interventions and healing strategies alongside research in ecology, science, and ancient beliefs, these artists remind us that we are connected within a constellation of living networks, inseparable from the planet and its environments. Artworks on view create space for the honoring of ancestors, foreground the significance of Indigenous knowledges, and engage in speculative imaginings through science fiction and network sciences—organic, digital, and spiritual.
In its curatorial approach, Actions for the Earth acts as a resource for studying our current times. The works on view not only emphasize themes of learning, care, and intimacy, but offer concrete knowledge by inviting the public to participate in actions such as instruction-based meditation and deep listening activities. The life of these works, and the interventions they propose, extends far beyond the scope of the exhibition to engage people in their personal contexts.
Artists: Ackroyd and Harvey, Lhola Amira, Arahmaiani, Sayan Chanda, Hylozoic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser), lololol, Ana Mendieta, Zarina Muhammad, Patrina Mununggurr, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Tabita Rezaire, Eric-Paul Riege, Cecilia Vicuña, Katie West, and Zheng Bo
Contemporary at Blue Star presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change, and action, fulfilling our mission to inspire, nurture, and innovate. Like most non-collecting contemporary art spaces, the Contemporary contributes fresh insights and perspectives on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art. Admission to the Contemporary is always free.
‘Retribution,’ the fifth book in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series, will be out June 6, 2023. Photo: Amazon
Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw’ s writing is imbued by his more than 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. In his new book “Retribution,” the fifth in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series, Chief Detective Koa Kane wonders is he might be the real target as people around him come under attack. It will be released June 6, 2023. Book review coming soon. (Amazon, 2023)
“Retribution” In the back alley of a bar on Hawaii Island, a young man is found stabbed to death. When Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane begins investigating the crime, the murder weapon is recovered only a few feet away from the body. Crime scene technicians find fingerprints on the knife and they are a perfect match for Koa’s younger brother, Ikaika.
As the brothers scramble to prove Ikaika’ s innocence, another crime sends shockwaves through the Hilo police force. A sniper tries to take out Makanui, Koa’ s closest colleague. As Koa tries to figure out whether these crimes are linked, the sinister force continues their killing spree, threatening Koa and his loved ones at every turn.
Could Koa be the real target? If so, who is behind this trail of retribution? With his own secret criminal past, Koa confronts an all-out offensive against those closest to him and his police force to which he has devoted his life. As the bodies pile up, Koa finds himself the ultimate target of a ruthless adversary and must risk it all to survive.
While all the novels in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:
“Death of a Messenger” “Off the Grid” “Fire and Vengeance” “Treachery Times Two” “Retribution”
‘Leave Your Sh*t Here’ is the new self-help workbook by Certified Professional Life Coach Jackie Wallace and Psychotherapist Elizabeth Reed LMSW. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Jackie Wallace and Liz Reed are co-authors of a workbook aimed to help people start their own mental health journey. “Leave Your Sh*t Here” is now available everywhere, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book is a perfect gift for anyone who is going through something. It is an excellent sendoff gift for a graduate as well. (Jackie Wilson/Liz Reed, 2023)
Jackie Wallace is a serial entrepreneur, four-time author, and successful podcaster. With over thirty-five years of leading and coaching people and over 250 interviews as a podcaster, Jackie enjoys exploring how everyday people figure out their purpose and pursue it. Jackie is the founder of BDOPE Water and the creator of the national holiday, Sit with a Stranger Day, every September 16th. Her professional background includes a B.S. in General Management from Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, and a Certification for Professional Life Coach from World Coach Institute Inc. Photo: Jackie Wallace
Liz Reed has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 11 years. She is also an author and podcaster at Liz Life Guru; before that, she was a gourmet chef for thirty years. She has embraced sobriety for 20 years as well. With a life full of numerous emotional and tumultuous times, she shares her story to help others on their path to a better life and believes it is never too late to create the life you want. Her podcast is available on all platforms. Photo: Liz Reed
“Leave Your Sh*t Here: Write, Release and Destroy” is a new self help workbook that aids in stress management and normalizes life’s struggles by letting us now that “everything will be ok.” It is a book with a purpose: to assist people with everyday challenges and struggles. This workbook helps people understand that it is normal to face adversity in life and that in the end, everything will be just fine. The workbook also provides a safe space to release those feelings in confidence and dispose of them in a manner the reader chooses, releasing all emotions privately into the universe, ridding them of all toxic thoughts and feelings.
The idea for this workbook originally appeared pre-pandemic during a lunch meeting between co-authors Jackie and Liz and another friend. Jackie would often use a piece of paper to write out the day’s frustrations, negative thoughts or life’s problems and then destroy it. It was a method that she used for some time as it was private and safe from anyone else’s eyes. In a world where people post everything on social media, this was a method to vent and protect her inner most private thoughts. As Jackie shared this practice with Liz, a tenured practicing psychotherapist, she learned this was a method Liz also used many times, and the idea for the workbook was born.
The two worked on the book through the pandemic and developed a workbook that delved beyond anything that the two had seen on the market. Besides being a book with facts and best practices with highlighted topics, “Leave Your Sh*t Here” is poised to provide teachable moments with worksheets covering subjects such as:
Your Inner Strength
How to Face Your Emotions
Self-Reliance
Investing in Yourself
“This workbook is a method to write what you feel, not be judged by society and then do what you want with the writing. This is a work through it book, not a get over it book as life is something we continuously must work through. The isolation of these negative thoughts can become daunting and weigh us down which is why it’s important to have a safe space to work through them and let them go. It becomes a freeing, liberating moment.” – Liz & Jackie
“Leave You Sh*t Here: Write, Release, and Destroy” is definitely not your garden variety of self-help books, and I enjoyed reading and going through it mainly because the language used is your everyday, straightforward, down-to-earth talk that stays clear of technical jargon. It also has an appealing visual format for both texts, writing space, and pictures and the use of cartoon-style illustrations definitely help engage the reader. The workbook also has sections to help the reader track any progress that one reaps throughout its activities. The overall tone of the material has a hopeful and optimistic mindset that tells the reader not to give up.” – Readers’ Favorite
The Curse of Wolf Mountain is available for digital streaming. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In horror movie news, here is a new movie available on digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, and more. Directed by David Lipper, The Curse of Wolf Mountainis distributed by Uncork’d Entertainment and stars David Lipper, Tobin Bell, Danny Trejo, Keli Price, and Eddie McClintock. (October Coast, 2023)
The Curse of Wolf Mountain AJ begins having dreams of his parents death. He decides to go back to the spot where they were killed, accompanied by his brother and his brother’s family. Legend has it there is something mysterious roaming these woods.
Robert Earl Keen’s laid back opus Western Chill is accompanied by a play-along songbook, full album performance video, and a 92 page graphic novel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Americana legend and model Texan Robert Earl Keen retired from touring in September of last year but his new release WesternChill finds the songwriter alive and well and, seemingly, very relaxed. While Keen is still making public appearances—he was just officially honored on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives and popped into Dallas’ newly reopened Longhorn Ballroom to play a tune with Old Crow Medicine Show—Western Chill makes it very apparent that retirement suits him. For most artists, dropping an album of fourteen new songs would be enough, but, proven time and time again, Keen is not most artists. (IVPR, 2023)
Currently, the only way to hear Western Chill is to purchase the entire box set. Thankfully, the box set has it all, including a 92-page graphic novel inspired by the album, a play-along/sing-along songbook for all fourteen songs, and a DVD of the Robert Earl Keen Band performing the entire new album at Keen’s Snake Barn studio space. The only thing “chill” about the release is the songs themselves. For the foreseeable future there will be no download or streaming links, so fans are encouraged to dive into the entirety of Western Chill the way it was intended: kick back, crack a cold one, sing along, and enjoy the vibe.
Pre-sales are over, but fans can now purchase Keen’s Western Chill package for immediate delivery and do not forget to stay up to date—rumor has it, REK has already finished another record.
Western Chill track list: Western Chill Blue Light (feat. Bill Whitbeck) Waves (feat. Brian Beken) Hello Stranger (feat. Kym Warner) The City (feat. Brian Beken) Let’s Valet Balmorhea Marfa Bone and Flowers (feat. Bill Whitbeck) Sweet Summer Rain Mister Mockingbird (feat. Bill Whitbeck) Mr. Blues on the Run Walking On Rippling Waters
The Western Chill vibe is packed with enough surprises to keep even the most seasoned fan guessing what is coming next. The opening title track—an instant Keen classic in the easy-loping vein of “The Front Porch Song,” “Gringo Honeymoon,” and “Feelin’ Good Again”—sets the mood for the whole album, followed by back-to-back original stunners sung and written by fiddle/guitar player Brian Beken and bassist Bill Whitbeck. If variety is the spice of life, Western Chill is the Silk Road to chill with more contributions are heard from Beken and Whitbeck, as well as compositions by the rest of the band. This has all been documented on the accompanying video because true to the “featuring” tag on the album cover, this really is a REK Band affair.
‘Liquid Shades of Blue’ is the debut novel by James Polkinghorn. Photo: Amazon
James Polkinghorn is a lawyer and partner in a national law firm specializing in labor and employment law. He has extensive trial and litigation experience accumulated in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. A Pittsburgh native, Polkinghorn moved with his family to Florida in high school, where he has since stayed. He has a degree in political science as well as a law degree from the University of Florida. He now lives in Key West with his wife, Becki, and their dog, Major Tom. In “Liquid Shades of Blue,” his first novel, after the death of his brother and now his mother, Jack Girard searches for the truth behind his family’s tragedies. (Amazon, 2023)
“Liquid Shades of Blue” – When hungover ex-lawyer and Key West bar owner Jack Girard groggily wakes up one morning, he is greeted by a beautiful woman lying next to him and a shrill, ringing telephone. The call is from his father, Claude “The Duke” Girard, who tells him that his mother is dead in an apparent suicide. Jack then heads back to his childhood home in Miami to face his tyrannical father. His mother’s death brings up haunting memories from Jack’s past—memories of his brother Bobby’s suicide when they were in college together. Being back in Miami only continues to dredge up his family traumas, but things grow more complicated when The Duke suggests that his estranged wife’s alleged suicide may have been a murder. As Jack begins to uncover the truth about his mother’s death, including the secret she had revealed to only two people—the same secret Bobby had taken with him to his grave—he finds himself in imminent danger. Can Jack reveal the true story before it is too late? He has to act quickly, or he fears he may be the victim of the next Girard family tragedy.
Jack Girard has not had an easy life. He comes from a well off family, but his brother committed suicide, his mother is now dead, and he is not in the best of terms with his father who refers to himself in the third person: ‘the Duke.’ This is a clear indication that his father is a strong willed person who demands respect and that what he says is not up for debate. Jack has tried to make a life for himself even after his career derails but when his mom dies, he has to return home. When his father asks him to look into his mother’s death, what he discovers comes as a big surprise. The plot twist at the end will take readers by surprise too. The characters are well developed and relatable. For a first novel, it certainly is impressive; the language is poetic at times: “the kaleidoscopic azure and green surface of Biscayne Bay glistening in the winter sun behind me” and as a whole, it reads like a fine work of literature. It is narrated in the first person point of view as experienced through Jack’s eyes. Even though it is a small book and an easy read, it is packed with action and is destined to become a classic. With interesting characters and beautiful prose, “Liquid Shades of Blue” is this year’s beach read and is recommended for readers who enjoy a good mystery novel. It is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and Harlan Coben.
“By the time I passed the airport, the familiar orange and yellow disk had emerged from the sea, casting magnificent white and yellow reflections across the water to the sand. Four brown pelicans flying at my approximate pace were silhouetted against the sun as they began their morning search for baitfish near the ocean’s surface.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘Indiscernible Elements: Calcium’ will be released on May 30, 2023. Photo: Google
Korynn Newville is an artist, designer, and environmental activist. She received a master’s degree in architecture from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Bachelor of Design from the University of Minnesota. She is currently an architectural designer studying to become a licensed architect. She strives to utilize sustainable building practices in her professional projects and has a passion for creating artwork through the common materials used to construct her buildings projects. Korynn believes in the use of our imagination to offer new solutions to problems, and her artwork is her voice to tell the story. Her drawings and passion for the environment are the catalysts that led to her writing. Her first book, “Indiscernible Elements: Calcium,” explores the vital role of calcium not only in the body but also in architecture and human relationships. It is available for pre-order now. (Black Château, 2023)
“Indiscernible Elements: Calcium”– Calcium is a vital element that plays a fundamental role in various physiological processes in the body. As an architectural designer, Newville tells us how this element connects all of us, beyond our bodies. With a focus on practical advice and evidence-based research, her new book provides readers a new perspective of this element, and helps readers look at the world differently.
“A lot of building materials are made of pieces of calcium. My teeth are made of the same things as dry wall. Buildings are made of bones. These structures are just like us.” – Korynn Newville
Her book stems from her thesis work on how architecture needs to practice with living and dying. Newville envisions a series of future books focusing on more elements, and is embarking on a journey of sharing her art through events, media, and other vehicles.
“This book is just the beginning of what could be. By breaking us down to our core elements, we can understand the importance of our connection to the planet. And maybe that will help prepare us to live in a world that is rapidly evolving and changing.” – Korynn Newville
The Dead Hour is a 12 episode horror series available for streaming now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
There is a new horror series available now on Tubi, Amazon, and the YouTube channel Kings of Horror. Terror Films is getting into the horror television business, premiering a new 12-episode horror series titled The Dead Hour on digital platforms. (October Coast, 2023)
Creators Daniel B. Iske and Scott Coleman say classic The Twilight Zone was their key inspiration for the limited series, which premieres May 12 globally. It is an anthology series featuring a creepy tale each episode bookended by a twisted radio announcer (Melissa Holder) introducing each episode.
“We created our setup, a delightful yet twisted radio DJ in a dark booth late at night telling her audience creepy tales. We would start each episode with her opening setup monologue and then we’d jump into the story as it plays out on screen. For over a year we would come up with hundreds of short story ideas before finally narrowing it down to the dozen or so that we wanted to do first. Each episode has a different cast which gave us an opportunity to work with a vast array of talent. Our stories definitely are rooted in our commentary on today’s world and culture. We have our external monsters but also, we delve into the monsters inside us as well.”
Iske and Coleman wrote and directed the low budget horror film Fields of the Dead which enjoyed a run-on Redbox and OnDemand before turning their sights to the episodic realm.
SA Examiner 