Adopt a Highway
#SXSW: “ADOPT A HIGHWAY” REVIEW
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
When an ex-convict (Ethan Hawke) gets released from prison after 21 years for a petty crime he finds a baby in a dumpster which gives him a new lease on life.
First-time feature film Director and Writer Logan Marshall Green delves into the impacts of the three strike rule America used to have. He examines the psychological and societal impacts prison can have on those who’ve been newly-released. It focuses on one man in particular who is played captivatingly and to raw emotion by Hawke.
Adopt A Highway screens at SXSW on March 10 at 8:30 PM at Stateside, March 11 at 6 PM at Satellite Venue, March 13 at 5:30 PM at Rollins Theatre, and March 14 at 11 PM at Alamo Lamar E.
#SXSW: 2019 SXSW FESTIVAL DAY FOUR RECAP
By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
It’s day four of the SXSW Festival and things are still moving a mile a minute. We attended two different Panels today that consisted of Actors and Producers of some of our favourite movies.
The first talk was from Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum who are here promoting their newest Film together called Adopt A Highway. It follows an ex-convict who finds a child in a dumpster and changes his life. The two spoke about working on prior projects together, such as Sinister and The Purge, and how Adopt A Highway is different from those. Blum stated that 80 per cent of the Films Blumhouse produces are of the Horror genre, while 20 per cent aren’t. His newest Film falls in the 20 per cent category. He said that he makes sure he really loves the content and the people working on the project if it is going to be outside of the Horror genre. The two also spoke about their long-time friendship, which even got Blum teary-eyed.
The second Panel was for the star and Executive Producer of the new Hulu show, Shrill. Aidy Bryant stars as Annie, a woman who wants to change her life but never her figure. Elizabeth Banks serves as Executive Producer and also attended the Panel. Banks had a lot to talk about in regards to the Show and her career from starting out as an actress to now producing and directing some of the most successful Film and TV Shows. “I am here for the revolution, that is women making more content,” she proudly pronounced to a huge round of applause. Banks also spoke about her upcoming Charlie’s Angels Film which she is directing, producing, writing and acting in! She said she doesn’t want to give too much away, but is really excited for it.
Then the Film Premieres began down at The Paramount Theatre once again tonight. First up was the newest Film from Director Chris Morris called The Day Shall Come. It stars Anna Kendrick, Danielle Brooks, Jim Gaffigan, Marchánt Davis and more. Before the Film started, the stars arrived and each spent time with their fans.
The final Film of the night was Good Boys which has a lot of Canadian talent attached to it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produced the Film and Canada’s golden boy Jacob Tremblay stars in it. The Trailer for the Film also dropped today, and for those of you who have seen it, then you know this Film is going to be funny. And we can confirm it is the funniest Film we have seen at SXSW and in a while! The audience constantly was laughing or having “aww” moments during Good Boys. The boys charmed the audience in-person also in their Q&A.
Things begin to slow down a bit starting tomorrow as the Festival’s Awards Ceremony honouring those titles in competition, will take place in the evening.
#SXSW: 2019 SXSW FESTIVAL DAY THREE RECAP
By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
We are on Day Three of the SXSW Festival and the majority of our day was spent walking around some pretty great installations.
The first one we attended was a fan art installation for Jordan Peele‘s Us. The moment you walk in, you’re faced with the costumes the Actors wore and the soon to be iconic scissors they use. You are then given a card that gets you one free download for the Soundtrack of the Film. They also treat guests to two drinks as they walk around the Exhibit. The Art is stunning to look and even more amazing considering it is Fan Art based on its Trailer alone.
Then we headed to Amazon Prime Video’s Good Omens exhibit, taking place over an entire outdoor parking lot, and had quite the queue to get in. Once inside, you are given a free umbrella and tote bag that displays the Show’s title. As you walk around, Top 40 music is blared from Drake, Ariana Grande, Cardi B as you are treated to free chicken and pork, drinks, beers and wines. There is an area for people to get their hair and nails done, once again for complimentary, and a huge floor chess board for people to use. However, one of the greatest parts for us was getting to see the adorable puppies they had for guests to pet and swoon over! It is hands down one of the best times I’ve experienced so far this SXSW. It’s also certainly put the new show Good Omens, starring David Tennant and Martin Sheen, on our must-see list with all its hype. Check out the Trailer if you don’t believe us!
When it came to the evening, the Premieres started down at the Stateside and Paramount Theatres. The first of the evening was Netflix‘s The Highwaymen, starring Woody Harrelson and Kevin Costner. Word has it that Willie Nelson and Matthew McConaughey came to the Premiere also.
Next was Adopt A Highway, it’s a Blumhouse Production and stars Ethan Hawke, Betty Gabriel and more. While fans were waiting to catch a glimpse of Hawke from outside the theatre, they were surprised by two actors who were waiting to go in. Both AndrĂ©Â Holland (Moonlight) and Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) were outside Stateside Theatre talking on the sidewalk. When fans noticed it was them, they formed a crowd circling around them. Both were very patient and took Selfies with any fans who asked.
The final Premiere of the night was Booksmart, which is the directorial debut for Olivia Wilde. Nearly everyone in the Cast was on-stage for the affair. When they arrived at the Red Carpet, many were friendly with the fans, but none more so than Wilde and her partner, Jason Sudeikis who stars in the Film too. Both came over immediately from exiting their vehicle and took time with fans. It was an extra special night for Wilde as she was celebrating her birthday. When she came on-stage to intro the Film, the SXSW team surprised her with a cake and the entire audience serenaded her with Happy Birthday. When the Film was over, the audience gave a standing audience with loud cheers. It’s true, Wilde‘s first Feature is a beautiful and near-perfect coming-of-age story. Review here.
There are no signs of SXSW slowing down as there are even more Red Carpet Premieres are taking place tomorrow. There will also be some Panels consisting of Jason Blum, Ethan Hawke, Aidy Bryant and Elizabeth Banks. So stay tuned!
(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)
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