Right on time for the holidays, Rogue Machine presents the Southern California premiere of This Wonderful Life, a one-man show based on Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, a 1946 Christmas fantasy drama.

The story is about George Bailey, a man contemplating suicide and how an angel saves him and helps him get a new sense of purpose and see the joys of life. The story shows George’s life before and after World World II and the different characters he interacts with during this period.

Thespian Leo Marks plays the main characters of the story, giving each character a distinctive accent to get as close as possible to the original voices of the actors in the film, a challenging task even for the most seasoned actor. Leo shows not only his skills as a voice actor but also his kinetic abilities, as the show demands a continuous movement across the stage in a 75 minutes show with no intermission.

Also worth noting is the director’s touch to keep the story moving. Drew Barr, a Broadway-experienced director, makes great use of the lighting and some special effects, specially the one that re-creates one of the most iconic technical elements used in Frank Capra’s film: The snow.

The production design, the play script, and Leo Mark’s performance capture the symbols, allegories, and motifs of the beloved 1946 film in great detail, delivering a touching and powerful message of kindness and faith, a message that echoes the spirit of the holidays.

This Wonderful Life
Matrix Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Mute is a psychological thriller short film written for the screen and directed by Kyle Dunbar, based on Stephen King’s short story Mute. Andrew Bee plays Monette, a salesman going through a difficult marriage with his wife Barbara.

With a combination of camera, lens, and filter, director Kyle Dunbar was able to achieve an old-school look that adds to the mystery of the genre. Andrew Bee, who also functioned as executive producer, is excellent as a jilted husband in his fifties who is lacking any excitement in his life. Translating words into action in a psychological thriller, specially from Stephen King’s writings, is no easy task, but thanks to Kyle’s direction and Andrew’s skills in the genre, the whole film feels very cohesive. Even Alexandre Stoupenkov, who plays a deaf-mute hitchhiker, is able to convey the intriguing latency of a potential criminal with only body movements and facial expressions.

Mute is a clear example of independent filmmakers using creative methods to energize and elevate the short film industry. We look forward to seeing more content from Kyle and Andrew in the near future.

Kyle Dunbar and Andrew Bee are based in Canada and their short film Mute is currently playing in various film festivals around the world.

Mute
Cast
Andrew Bee (Monette)
Christian Tribuzio (The Priest)
Alexandre Stoupenkov (The Hitchhiker)
Rebecca Callender (Kelsie Ann)
Marvin Holland (Cowboy Bob)
Laura Shanter (Barbara)
Kyle Dunbar (Young Monette)

When we hear about a crime movie, we usually have a preconception of how the characters should look like and behave. The short film Danny Boy might be an exception. This film has an unexpected twist at the end that will start a conversation for sure.

Writer Sammy Horowitz, who also stars in Danny Boy, is a former boxer and has worked as a stunt performer in movies and shows. He is interested in writing stories that will reflect the harsh realities of people both inside and outside of prison. The lens tends to capture a genuine performance when it comes from someone who has lived the tough life. This is true in the case of Sammy, who can draw from his personal experiences to render stellar performances and give his acting a distinctive angle. His work in Danny Boy is an example of this dynamic relationship between the thespian and the characters he portrays on screen.

Cory DeMeyers is the director and has been working in Hollywood for a few years as a stuntman and he is a former Red Bull world champion athlete. He received the 2020 Taurus World Stunt Award for his work on Tarantino’s Academy Award-nominated feature film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Cory has worked on set with some of the most talented film directors around and that has shaped his preparation to direct his own films. His work in Danny Boy shows his technical expertise on equipment and his stylish sense of color to emphasize the dramatic elements of the crime genre.

Danny Boy is a contemporary story with a visual texture that pays tribute to the good old crime movies of the past. As Danny Boy continues its run on the festival circuit, we are confident that Cory, Sammy, and their team will continue to add more accolades to their showcase.

Owner of a gracious personality, southern California native Amanda Terry knows how to succeed in a competitive industry. In addition to modeling, Amanda is an expert makeup artist, having worked with some of the most famous actors in Hollywood.

Amanda has an active presence in media, modeling for brands and runway shows during LA Fashion Week. She has also hosted for TV and radio to expand on her talents as a content creator of all forms. Amanda has participated in makeup reality TV shows, where she has demonstrated her hair and makeup skills. A soccer, softball, and basketball player, Amanda stays in excellent shape, always ready for her next modeling assignments.

We are pleased to feature Amanda Terry as our cover model and we are excited to see all of her upcoming projects in the entertainment industry. Follow her on social media under makeup mandi.

Bill Hoversten is an actor who took the leap into producing, bringing to the screen a touching and personal story about a woman that starts to feel the effects of Alzheimer’s.

The film captures not only the struggles of the person suffering from the disease, but also of the caregivers, in this case the husband, son, daughter-in-law, and the person assigned to take care of her. Bill Hoversten plays John the son, Jody Jaress plays Mother, Conrad Bachmann plays Father, Kat Kramer plays Michelle, John’s wife, and Jacky Park plays Doris, the caregiver. The film was directed by Matthew Michael Ross, and the cinematographer was Keith Jefferies.

Even though the story deals with the inconveniences of Alzheimer’s, it also shows some very emotional conversations between mother and son that reflect one of the most beautiful bonds the universe has ever seen.

A native of Minnesota, Shelby Bly is a model and actress pursing her dreams in Los Angeles.

Shelby posed for our lens on a sunny day in Vista Hermosa Natural Park and Echo Park, both in downtown Los Angeles.

Gothic photoshoot portraying a beautiful succubus/vampyress.

Model: Satine
Makeup: Ms Flex
Special thanks: Flex

Despite the pandemic taking its toll on so many people around the world, some filmmakers are still active, producing and promoting content to bring much needed entertainment and positivity to their audiences.

Glamgical interviewed one of this filmmakers, Helen Alexis Yonov, a native of Newport, Rhode Island and a resident of Los Angeles. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Film and Creative Writing. Her family came to the US from Latvia, a former Soviet Union country. The daughter of a Navy officer, Helen spend her childhood in different countries, giving her exposure to a variety of people and cultures that shaped her unique perspective as a movie maker.

Helen wrote, directed, and co-produced the short film The Gesture and The Word, a film about poetry, flowers, and love, all of this with a French flair that kindly bestows the story and visuals with a special touch of elegance and romance rarely seen in today’s movies. The film stars James Michael Tyler, Paul Dooley, Roxane Mesquida, Nicole LaLiberte, and Andrew Creer.

Helen is currently working on several projects. One of them is In the Shadow of the Storm, the story about her father, Captain Serge Alexis Yonov, a Navy officer who served as the last U.S. Naval Attaché to the Soviet Union and first Naval Attaché to Russia. The documentary revolves around his naval and political career and the extraordinary experience of searching for his family when he went back to Latvia in 1991, during the turbulent and dangerous collapse of the Soviet Union.

With all of her experience in the movie industry and her travels around the world, Helen Alexis Yonov is a fascinating storyteller dedicated to the fine art of filmmaking who will continue to bring a powerful voice to the scene for many years to come.

The death of George Floyd has ignited a flood of protests across the US, some of them triggering an aggressive clash with security forces. Hailing from a punishing stay-at-home order due to the Covid-19 pandemic that halted social and economic activities for months, society erupted in anger after a video surfaced showing the detention and subsequent death of Mr. Floyd while in police custody.

Large groups of people took the streets by storm, protesting what they see as an unfair harassment of African Americans by the police. As people initiated marches all over the country, they took the opportunity to complaint about other cases where African Americans lost their lives in the hands of police forces.

In response to the most aggressive protests, where some individuals broke into businesses and set some buildings on fire, local, state, and federal authorities deployed thousands of police officers and in some instances the National Guard to protect businesses and federal buildings in an attempt to deter more looting and destruction.

Although some of the initial protests turned violent and led to looting, most of the them have been peaceful, showing a great deal of maturity by the participants of all ethnic groups.