Longtime, lo-fi, punk rock, husband-and-wife filmmaking duo Jon Moritsugu and Amy Davis (who partnered on films such as Scumrock, Terminal USA and Fame Whore and comprise the band Low on High) have completed work on their first feature in 10 years. Writer-director Moritsugu and writer-actress Davis moved to Santa Fe several years ago and have been fine-tuning the sci-fi-horror freakout known as Pig Death Machine ever since. The low-budget, underground indie made its digital debut on Fandor.com on June 1. Fandor is an up-and-coming streaming source for indie film from around the globe. Right now, you can get a 14-day free trial of the service. Go to the company’s website and sign up to check out Pig Death Machine and other indie oddities. Pig Death Machine is expected to hit theaters in New York and San Francisco later this summer. No final word yet on theatrical screenings in New Mexico, but you can keep track of news by going to jonmoritsugu.com.
Reel World: Opening Tiger Eyes Opening Tiger Eyes
Iconic teen/tween-lit author Judy Blume (Forever; Superfudge; Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.) has finally had one of her books translated into a major motion picture. Tiger Eyes, based on Blume’s 1981 young adult novel of the same name, has been made into a feature by her son, Lawrence Blume—who co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Tiger Eyes is a semi-autobiographical story about a broken family from New York that moves to the Southwest desert. It was directly inspired by the time Blume and her kids spent in New Mexico. The film was shot here in the Land of Enchantment in 2011. It stars Willa Holland and New Mexico native Tatanka Means, son of Native American icon Russell Means, who also appears in the film. The movie opens Friday, June 7, at CCA Cinematheque in Santa Fe (1050 Old Pecos Trail) where it will play through Thursday, June 13 (3 p.m. every day, minus Wednesday the 12th). It will also play at this weekend’s Albuquerque Film & Media Experience. This one-off screening will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, at the KiMo Theatre in Downtown Albuquerque (423 Central NW).
