Band on the Search - World Premiere!

 

Starring A Genesis Found's Elliot Moon and The Nocturnal Third's Kevin Maggard, it's the hilarious mockumentary BAND ON THE SEARCH, directed by N3rd unit photographer, effects man, and tech advisor Gilbert Stark! This is going to be awesome!

Here's the official press release for our upcoming screening in Tuscaloosa! Take a look and share like crazy!

-Ben

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WONDER MILL FILMS TO SCREEN INDEPENDENT FILM “THE NOCTURNAL THIRD” AT GREEN BAR IN TUSCALOOSA
Huntsville, AL – Wonder Mill Films announces a special screening of its second independently produced feature film, The Nocturnal Third, at Green Bar in downtown Tuscaloosa, at 8:00 PM, on Thursday, May 24th, 2012. 

Dubbed a home-brewed mystery/thriller, The Nocturnal Third is the story of Eli Gottfried, a pensive art-hobbyist whose family connections have led him to an ill-fitting job at Stafford Stoneworks, a local stone fabrication facility. Facing increasing debt and late bills, Eli reluctantly takes the third shift on a crucial night—from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. The pressure of deteriorating machines, a crushing schedule, and a recurring nightmare begin to be too much for Eli to handle. 

When a suspicious co-worker is severely injured, Eli finds his only solace in the ways of a stranded stranger…. 

Produced from the ground-up entirely in Huntsville, Alabama, with much of its cast and crew made up of Tuscaloosa natives and University of Alabama alumni, Wonder Mill Films’ second feature film is a tense neo-noir, set against the backdrop of a developing Southern economy. 

Their first feature film, the science fiction adventure A Genesis Found, was filmed on location in Moundville, Alabama, in 2008, and was featured at a special screening at Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theater in 2009. 

The May 24th screening of The Nocturnal Third will come at the mid-point of the innovative “From the South to Your Couch” crowd-funding campaign, designed to raise funds for final distribution for both of Wonder Mill’s films. Proceeds from the campaign will be used to submit The Nocturnal Third and A Genesis Found to online movie platforms like Netflix Instant, Hulu Plus, and iTunes.

The Free Screening of The Nocturnal Third will be hosted in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at Green Bar (2209 4th St / Huntsville, AL) on May 24, with the film starting at 8. Cast and crew will be on hand to talk about the production of both films, the “From the South to Your Couch” campaign, and to answer questions. Admission is free and the event is open to anyone over the age of 21. The bar will open at 7:00 PM. 

More about Wonder Mill Films
Based out of Huntsville, AL, Wonder Mill Films was founded in 2006 by Benjamin Stark and Lee Fanning, their first legitimate production company after co-founding the student “banner” Off the Set Films while at the University of Alabama.

After producing numerous short films, the company’s first feature, A Genesis Found, was produced in the summer of 2008, and began a festival run in 2009. The film was completed and released on DVD in 2010, and toured to numerous Colleges and Universities throughout the Southeast from July 2010 to March 2011. Some of the major universities visited include the University of Tennessee, the University of Georgia, Auburn University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of South Carolina.

Produced in the summer of 2009, The Nocturnal Third is their second feature-length production. Premiering in Huntsville in September 2011, the film has received positive reviews from established web sites such as FilmThreat, Man I Love Films!, and SheMovieGeek. 

The Nocturnal Third Synopsis 

EVERY MACHINE NEEDS FUEL.
Eli Gottfried is lucky to have a job, but that doesn't mean he loves what he does. Caught in the hustle and bustle at Stafford Stoneworks, a fabrication shop in rural Alabama, Eli is unsure of his future, short on sleep, and creatively dried up. He and his wife, Ellie, struggle to make ends meet, facing medical bills, a swollen mortgage, and student loans. The Stoneworks, in turn, is cutting corners and working overtime to take the next step in establishing its economic foothold in the surrounding community, securing a contract that could change everything. 

EVERY MACHINE NEEDS REPAIR.
Tasked with the dreaded third shift, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, Eli must overcome his own disastrous sleep cycle and a recurring nightmare to man under maintained and increasingly deteriorating machinery. Things take an ominous turn when Harold, a mistrusted co-worker, unexpectedly arrives to work alongside Eli. The question is, how closely is Harold tied to Lee Kirby, ex-employee and bitter competitor of Stafford Stoneworks? 

EVERY MACHINE BREAKS DOWN.
The night comes to a dead halt when Harold is severely injured in a careless accident. As the deadline approaches and the machines deteriorate, Eli is unlikely to hold up under the pressure, let alone tend to Harold's failing health and suspicious behavior. He finds a sort of relief when an outsider appears - Jeffrey, a stranded traveling salesman. Jeffrey's carefree perspective offers a solace from the demanding work, and maybe with his support, Eli can take control of the situation. 

Moody and textural, The Nocturnal Third is a slow-burn workplace thriller that begins with a seemingly domestic situation and meticulously transforms into a tense neo-noir. This gripping story of corporate espionage takes a young man through a single harrowing night as he faces the limits of the human body, his own future, and his role in a system that is beginning to break down.

Popcorn Potion

All of the above images are going to be moving in a theater this summer. That's crazy. I've always felt a strange pressure to reconcile the reality of being a suffering, no-budget filmmaker with a fandom of big, splashy summer superhero movies. In a strange way, my affection for popcorn movies fuels my desire to tell small, character-driven stories through digital filmmaking. I can't draw a straight line between the two, but I suppose it has something to do with a kind of trickle-down effect. Like them or not, big spectacles are the apex of cinema, and I somehow garner more inspiration to create real and honest stories from them than I do small, intimate movies (like the kind I make). It's all very strange, and I suppose I shouldn't analyze it too deeply.

Regardless, the proof is in the pudding. I've been flooding my consciousness with Spider-Man cartoons, Avengers movie scores, and Batman comics for the last three months, and yet I've finally emerged from the creativity-deprived gulch I spent most of the year in. I'm trying hard not to bug Lee about the feature script he's writing for me to direct, and I've had some awesome conversations with cinematographer Stephen Lucas about collaborating on a myriad of projects.

Right now, I've got another little baby to take care of, but soon and very soon, most likely amidst sporadic visits to the multiplex, I'll be back on board a story that I really feel is worth telling. That's an exciting feeling.

-Ben

Wonder Mill Films: Kickstarter Campaign News!

I just sent this out to Wonder Mill newsletter subscribers. We need help getting our films "out there"!

-Ben

Hi, everyone-

I hope you're all doing well. Things have been a bit quiet at Wonder Mill lately, as we've been gearing up to take our next steps. Lee is off in his cave, writing our third feature film, and we've both been working on what will be the "final push" for A Genesis Found and The Nocturnal Third.

Later this week, we're going to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise $6,000 to submit the films to Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes. This is a big deal for us, and for the films themselves. If you have any friends or family that have been curious how they can see either film more easily, I think this campaign will be something to tell them about. The key is that if we don't raise the FULL amount, we get none of it; it's essentially a pledge drive.

So, while many of you have already given so much to the projects, we'd love it if you could pass along the word to anyone out there that might be able to help us out. Also, we'll be posting updates on the Kickstarter page regularly, and would love to feature some of your thoughts or anecdotes about your experiences with either film, so please send those along!

I'll be sending a follow-up e-mail with a link and more information soon!

Thank you all for your help, and for your support. Let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Ben Stark
Producer, A Genesis Found
Writer/Director, The Nocturnal Third

DOODLES - 03/22/12

I just wanted to quickly drop what I've been watching the last few months. I'm doing rough "movie" research for our third feature, but mainly I've been catching up on 2011 releases and trying to get in all of my "Shelf of Shame" movies in the period I promised. For those that don't know, in September I made a pact for Film Nerds to watch 5 movies I'm ashamed I've never seen in the span of six months. I stupidly picked one 3.5 hour movie and one 10 hour movie, and have been procrastinating.

Thanks for reading! More updates should be coming soon, for both The Nocturnal Third and Feature 3!
-Ben

January
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009, Blu ray)
Stardust (2007, DVD)
Sherlock S1E3 (2010, Streaming)
King’s Cross (Book)
Anathema Adrienne (2012, DVD)
The Trial (2x, 1962, Streaming)
Community S1 (2009, DVD)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982, DVD)
Decalogues One, Two, & Three (1989, DVD)
Morning Glory (2010, Streaming)
Dazed & Confused (1993, Streaming)
Parks & Recreation (2009, Ongoing, Streaming)
Cowboys & Aliens (2011, Blu ray)
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928, Streaming)
The Trip (2011, Streaming)
Marathon Man (1976, Streaming)
Contact (1997, Streaming)
Jane Eyre (2011, DVD)
Warrior (2011, Blu ray)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933, Streaming)
50/50 (2011, DVD)
Hanna (2011, Blu ray)
Beauty & The Beast (1991, Theatrical)
The Grey (2012, Theatrical)

February
Little Children (2006, DVD)
When Harry Met Sally (1989, DVD)
The Artist (2011, Theatrical)
Super (2010, DVD)
Community, S1 (2009, Continued)
Parks & Recreation (2009, Continued)
Ronin (1998, DVD)
The French Connection (1971, DVD)
Take Shelter (2011, DVD)
Sucker Punch (2011, Blu Ray)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2007, Blu Ray)
Winnie the Pooh (2011, Blu Ray)

March
Community, S2 (2010)
Hercules Unchained (1959, Streaming)
The Secret World of Arriety (2012, Theatrical)
Source Code (2011, Blu ray)
John Carter (2012, Theatrical)
Haywire (2012, Theatrical)
Decalogue V (1988, DVD)
Decalogue VI (1988, DVD)
Hercules / Le fatiche di Ercole (1958, Streaming)
Bringing Up Baby (1938, DVD)
Decalogue VII (1988, DVD)
Decalogue VIII (1988, DVD)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990, Streaming)

News on the availability of The Nocturnal Third

This letter just went out to subscribers of the Wonder Mill Films newsletter. E-mail wondermillfilms@yahoo.com to join!

Hello, everyone-

I just wanted to share a quick announcement on the availability of The Nocturnal Third on Amazon.com. We are in the process of re-arranging our books for 2012, and will need to establish a whole new page for the film on our online sales platform. Unfortunately, this will take The Nocturnal Third off of the market for several weeks, beginning this Friday, February 10th.

During this down time, however, we’ll be offering the film for absolutely free on the main page of our website, similar to our approach during the film’s premiere. This will be a fantastic way to share the film with friends, so be sure to take advantage of this limited availability:

http://www.thenocturnalthird.com

As we’ve mentioned before, the film has garnered some very encouraging reviews and has developed some good chatter. We have some plans on the horizon to bring both The Nocturnal Third and A Genesis Found to wider audiences in the coming months, so be sure to stay tuned!

Thanks!

Ben Stark
Writer/Director, The Nocturnal Third
Producer, A Genesis Found

DOODLES - 2/6/12

A few quick tidbits:

50/50 - I'd highly recommend this under-seen dramedy from September of last year, starring whom I consider to be our generation's leading man, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It seems so strange to say this, considering the "dramedy" was such a popular genre during my cinematic maturation in the 1990's, but they just don't make movies like this any more.

Beauty & The Beast - My wife and I checked out this Disney classic at our local Rave, in beautiful digital projection. The titular musical number and "Be Our Guest" are both exhilarating when you're immersed in the experience.

Check out my debate with Film Nerds godfather Matt Scalici about whether or not it's okay to spoil "bad" stories: http://bit.ly/yZHRjH

Stay tuned for some interesting updates later this week!

-Ben