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https://blackgirlnerds.com/will-packer-on-putting-on-santa-suit-in-dashing-through-the-snow/

BGN interviews producer Will Packer for his latest film Dashing Through The Snow.

Eddie Garrick (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) is a good-hearted man who has turned his back on Christmas due to a traumatic childhood experience. At the request of his wife Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), from whom he is separated, Eddie takes his 9-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) out with him on Christmas Eve, where they meet a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery).

Eddie, who is a social worker, thinks the man is delusional and needs professional help, but when he evokes the wrath of a local politician (Oscar Nuñez), he and his daughter are taken on a magical adventure that just might restore his faith in Christmas.

Dashing Through The Snow, which is directed by Tim Story and written by Scott Rosenberg, is produced by John Jacobs and Will Packer, with Tim Story, Johanna Byer, Ross Fanger, and Zac Unterman serving as executive producers. The film also stars Teyonah Parris, Madison Skye Validum, Oscar Nuñez, Ravi V. Patel, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Gina Brillon, Sebastian Sozzi, Kevin Connolly, and Zulay Henao.

Interviewer: Jamie Broadnax

Video Editor: Jamie Broadnax

Dashing Through The Snow premieres November 17, 2023 exclusively on Disney+

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/11/10/praise-be-to-manos-november-15-declared-manos-day-to-celebrate-cult-classic-film-manos-the-hands-of-fate-and-all-it-has-become/

The first-ever Manos Day is almost here! A celebration of all things of beloved cult film, “Manos: The Hands Of Fate” will be hosted by Dumb Industries on November 15th! Read the press release below to learn more about what, when, and where you can watch the festivities or Torgo will have to bring you to The Master! Check out our interview here

NEW YORK, NY — Bad movie buffs, mark your calendars! On November 15, fans from around the globe will be celebrating the 57th anniversary of the B-movie horror classic, Manos: The Hands Of Fate, which was released on this day in 1966. Dubbed Manos Day, the occasion is set to tribute all that Manos has become, as well as honoring the Fans Of Fate, for without them none of this would be possible.

Fans can sign up to receive an alert from Dumb Industries as soon as more details are announced.

Jackey Neyman Jones, who played Debbie in the original film and its 2018 sequel, Manos Returns, has been keeping the legacy alive and well over the years. She’s been touched by the kindness and adoration of the many Manos fans – which have since been referred to as Fans Of Fate. Starring alongside her father, Tom Neyman, who played the iconic role of The Master in both films, Neyman Jones is one of the last members of the original cast to keep the ‘Will Of Manos’ in full effect.

“November 15th marks the 57th anniversary that Manos was introduced to the public,” states Jackey. “It went quiet for almost thirty years. But, after it aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1993, it instantly became known as the “worst movie ever made” and was adored by fans of the show.”

Manos: The Hands Of Fate is infamous for its ill-conceived script and premise, shoddy camera work, jarring editing, and sound design. Yet, despite its MANY flaws, it possesses a unique and captivating charm. The sum of the film’s parts and its cultural effect is truly an underdog’s story to behold.

Created by the late Harold P. Warren, a fertilizer salesman residing in El Paso, Texas, Manos: The Hands Of Fate came about as a bet that “anyone can make a movie”. It was shot in July of 1966, in just three weeks, on a meager budget, enlisting actors from the local theater group to fill the roles. It’s also important to note no one had any filmmaking experience beforehand.

After an abysmal premiere at the (now defunct) Capri Theater in El Paso, on November 15th, 1966, Manos: The Hands Of Fate was heavily panned and ridiculed for its lackluster quality. From there, it quickly faded away and was soon forgotten. However, 27 years later, the film appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000, a show known for riffing on movies in the public domain.

Just like that, Manos was pulled from obscurity and quickly became a fan favorite, as well as a campy, yet justifiable cult classic. Over the years, it amassed a dedicated following as well as inspired many fan projects.  

When asked about her thoughts on the resurgence and sudden popularity of Manos, Jackey mentioned, “Manos created a global, diverse, loving and deeply creative fan base who continues to uphold its claim to fame as any self-respecting cult following would. The public domain status of the film makes possible the variety of Manos-related projects developed independently by the fans over the years, creating a series of rabbit holes that is now known as “The Manosverse”.

Chris Gersbeck, owner of Dumb Industries, works closely with Jackey Neyman-Jones, through her online painting classes. He is also very involved with some of the cast and crew behind MST3K, and its counterpart, RiffTrax. He considers himself a Manos superfan, and for good reason.

“Manos: The Hands of Fate is one of those rare gems of a B-movie that only gets more fascinating with time,” says Chris. “A huge part of that is owed to Jackey Neyman Jones’ dedication to keeping Manos fandom alive.”

As for Dumb Industries’s involvement, Chris adds, “Dumb Industries has been so honored to collaborate with Jackey on her regular online art classes, her paintings, an entire clothing line of Manos-related apparel, and the upcoming audiobook version of Growing Up With Manos: The Hands of Fate.”

Wanting to give back, Gersbeck will be offering a bunch of treats for the Fans Of Fate through Dumb Industries. Some of what fans can expect are sales and discounts on Jackey’s The Master Collection clothing and accessories, The Mads Are Back: Manos: The Hands of Fate video, as well as Growing Up With Manos, both the tell-all book and audiobook, both written and voiced by Jackey Neyman-Jones.

There will also be “24 Hours of Manos” on Dumb Industries’ Twitch channel, including the world premiere of The Manos Chronicles series, as well as a plethora of other great things in store.

When asked about what she would like fans to get out of Manos Day, Jackey Neyman Jones says, “Manos Day is a day to share our love of Manos and what Manos means to each of us. It’s an opportunity to show others how so much has been inspired by something so bad that it’s good. It’s a movie that ignited many creative sparks, and through those sparks, it showcased so much talent to the world. Pass it on.”

The post Praise Be To Manos! November 15 Declared ‘Manos Day’ to Celebrate Cult Classic Film, Manos: The Hands Of Fate, and All It Has Become appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/11/15/manos-day-celebrating-the-long-life-of-a-cult-classic/

The first ever Manos Day is here, courtesy of Dumb Industries. The day celebrates the 1966 cult classic, “Manos: The Hands of Fate” (referred to as “Manos” by fans), considered one of the worst films ever made in some circles, but lauded by Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans because of fun riffs and the character of Torgo, a satyr who takes care of the house for The Master. If you know, you know.

Part of the charm of “Manos” is its super-low budget and the determination of director/writer/producer Harold P. Warren to commit his story to celluloid. The prints circulating for years included murky visuals, bad editing, dubbed acting, and an incessantly jazzy score. After a workprint was discovered in 2011,an industrious fan restored “Manos” and released the new print in 2015. The restored print has crisp visuals and sound–and bad editing and dubbed acting. The incessantly jazzy score sounds much better, though. Just writing about it has given me a Torgo’s theme earworm.

The Nerd Element spoke via email to Chris Gersbeck, founder and CEO of Dumb Industries, about dedicating a day to a movie that may have stayed obscure if not for its resurrection on MST3K and its subsequent fan following. 

The Nerd Element: What prompted you to create a day to celebrate “Manos”?

Chris Gersbeck: Ryan Labriche, who has been helping Jackey with her social media the past year, conceived of it entirely. He and Jackey pitched me the idea of collaborating on a celebration of all things Manos on the anniversary of its premiere a couple months ago and we’ve been plotting everything together since then. It’s a true collaboration between the three of us and all of the fans and creators who have contributed so much to the Manos-verse.

TNE:  What is it about “Manos” that has made it an enduring cult classic?

CG: I think there’s a certain charm in just how batshit weird the movie is, despite it following a pretty familiar horror storyline. MST3K featured loads of awful movies, but I think the fact that Manos took so many liberties with the concept of what a movie could be and that there’s a lot of iconic imagery attached to it has kept Manos in the conversation of “worst movie ever made.” There’s also an earnestness to what Hal P. Warren was trying to achieve that simply cannot be replicated. 

TNE:  What is the number one thing fans tell you about their love for the film? Or if not one thing, then the top elements they rave about?

CG: I actually legitimately love the soundtrack to the movie. The placement of the songs throughout the movie often makes no sense, but the music on its own is actually quite enjoyable. I also gained a new appreciation for the film after seeing Ben Solovey’s 4K remaster, because all those colors really pop on the screen. 

TNE: What is your favorite scene from the movie?  

CG: I love the scene when the family is finally in the house, they’re looking at the painting of the Master and his dog, and out of nowhere Torgo just seemingly wanders through the set holding all their luggage with that goofy Torgo theme playing. No one says anything, they just kinda stare at him struggling to get to the next room. It almost appears like an outtake that they accidentally left in, but it always makes me laugh because it’s just like… why?! Why was that in there? 

TNE: Chris, how did you get together with Jackey Neyman Jones (who plays Debbie in “Manos”) to provide painting classes through Dumb Industries?

CG: I met Jackey when she was a guest on “The Mads Are Back” in December 2021, back when Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff live-riffed “Manos” for the first time. She was our post-show Q&A guest, and shortly afterwards she and I began discussing ways we could collaborate. Jackey is just so funny, down-to-earth, hard working and has so many great ideas, we just clicked right away and knew we had to work on something. Once we settled on the idea of a B-movie themed online art class, it just blossomed from there. Since then we’ve collaborated on an entire line of Manos-themed clothing, an additional online art class (Jackey Neyman Jones’ Paint Parties) and the production of the audiobook version of her book, Growing Up With Manos.

TNE:  Anything else you’d like to add about the “Manos” celebration or your other projects that we haven’t asked you about? 

CG: I’m really looking forward to the live AMAs we’ll be doing with Jackey on Manos Day and the world premiere of “The Manos Chronicles (Episode 1).” Willow Polson, who created the Manos Chronicles, will also be joining us for an AMA following its premiere and I’m sure folks will have so many great questions to ask. I’m also excited for everyone to get to watch all these Manos offshoots together as a communal viewing experience. We really couldn’t ask for a better group of creators or fans to be involved in this project.

For all things Manos Day and to sign up for Jackey Neyman Jones’ online art classes, visit https://dumb-industries.com/  Be sure to check out the site’s other fun offerings, such as The Mads Are Back and The Mary Jo Pehl Show.

Check out the press release for the event here

The post Manos Day: Celebrating the Long Life of a Cult Classic appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/spy-x-family-code-white-film-coming-to-theaters-2024/

Crunchyroll has acquired the North American and select global theatrical rights for the hotly anticipated SPY x FAMILY CODE: White. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will bring the first film installment of the popular anime series – delivering an original standalone story featuring secret agent Twilight, his deadly assassin wife Yor, and their telepathic adored daughter Anya in an all-new mission – to North American theaters in 2024. The film will be available in two different versions: in Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed in English.

In addition to the North American rights, Crunchyroll has also acquired the rights for Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, and select territories in Europe, including Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.

Based on the widely acclaimed Harvey and Eisner Award-nominated manga written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo, the television series SPY x FAMILY originally debuted on April 9, 2022 and was quickly embraced by fans across the globe with glee. The second season of the anime premiered last month as part of the Fall 2023 Anime season on Crunchyroll.

He’s a spy. She’s an assassin. Together, Loid and Yor keep their double lives to themselves (mostly) while pretending to be the perfect family. However, their adopted daughter Anya, a telepath–the heart of their little family– knows both of their exciting secrets unbeknownst to them. While under the guise of taking his family on a weekend winter getaway, Loid’s attempt to make progress on his current mission, Operation Strix, proves difficult when Anya mistakenly gets involved and triggers events that threaten world peace!

I’m super excited for the news of not just more SPY x FAMILY as I’m watching the second season now but more of my favorite found family trope come true anime style via the Forger family! Manga readers know that in the second season come a family vacation via a cruise that has Yor working overtime. Yet in this teaser, we learn that SPY x FAMILY CODE: White contains a brand new story of my favorite little family out once again on vacation–with higher stakes! We see Yor in her Twilight Princess garb, weapons in hand. We see Loid issuing orders. There’s also Bond, the lovable and (cowardly but brave!) family dog, delicious food, a plane, treasure, keys and a scared Anya!

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The anime series SPY x FAMILY is produced by TOHO animation and adapted from the widely acclaimed manga series of the same name written and illustrated by mangaka Tatsuya Endo. Serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump Plus, the manga currently has over 31 million copies in circulation and has been nominated for both Harvey and Eisner Awards. SPY x FAMILY is also a New York Times Graphic Books and Manga bestseller and all 10 volumes have hit the Circana Bookscan Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels list.

The animation is produced by two acclaimed anime teams: WIT STUDIO (Attack on Titan (Season 1-3); VINLAND SAGA; Ranking of Kings) and CloverWorks (The Elusive Samurai; Black Butler: Public School Arc). 

Credits: Directed by Takashi Katagiri. Written by Ichiro Okouchi. Original story by Tatsuya Endo. Produced by WIT STUDIO x CloverWorks.

Stay tuned for more info as we get closer to the date!

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The post ‘SPY x FAMILY CODE: White’ Film Coming to Theaters 2024 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.