Join me THIS Sunday, March 14th at 7PM as I’m interviewed for Kristine Oller’s Coffee Date Series. We will be talking about OTIS and it’s impact on my career. I’m sure we’ll get into career strategies in general as well. AND, there will be a Q&A period at the end of the call. There is a small fee for the call, but not much more than a venti mocha would be. It’s gonna be a blast!

For all the details and to sign-up, head over to: http://kristinecanhelpme.com/coffeedate. For more info on Kristine herself check out her main website. Here’s an except from the website:

The story behind this whole thing:
I want you to meet some really awesome people

Hi, Kristine Oller here! If you’ve had any contact with me before, you know I strongly believe in the value of having coffee dates with folks.

By “coffee date” I mean a conversation – with someone who seems like they know what they’re doing – during which you can, among other things, get some guidance from them.

Anyway, there are several key friends and colleagues that I refer folks to for coffee dates quite often because these particular peeps ROCK and they are smart, proactive and generous about sharing their knowledge and paying it forward.

Bostin is one of those people.

BUT, lately I’ve been getting worried that Bostin (and the others) would soon burn out after repeating their wisdom to everyone I sent their way…

…so I’m creating this series of conference calls to record live “coffee dates” with my favorite fun, savvy, go-to people for two main reasons:

1) to protect their time,
2) to enable others – many others – to learn from their insights, successes, and mistakes.

The best part:
These folks have nothing to sell to you

This event is exclusively about them sharing their guidance with you.
There will be no sales pitches.

Nor will you be teased with just a tiny bit of helpful info and an offer to “buy the rest.” Nope. Everyone who participates is here to share their story and advice candidly. That’s it.

The other best part:
You don’t have to leave your house

This event takes place on the phone! Get cozy, call in, listen to Bostin’s guidance, ask him questions.

And everyone (whether you can make the call or not) will receive an unedited mp3 recording of the call in their inbox soon after the event.

To get the details and sign-up, head over to: http://kristinecanhelpme.com/coffeedate.

Project: Otis Movie

OK…so, after like a million years, I am posting some more Otis pics. These were an easter egg hidden on the official Otis Website that my buddy Dr. Bear found and forwarded to me. Enjoy…Click the photo below or go directly to the album. Of Course, I recommend you turn up the volume and play the slideshow with music and all…

Click the Photo for the Full Album

UPDATE: HERE IS THE INTERVIEW – September 2008
I have edited the original to start where my interview begins, to listen to the whole show, follow this link…Without Your Head Horror Radio

I will be interviewed tonight on Without Your Head radio at 9pm EST.

Check out http://www.withoutyourhead.com for more and call in at 508-644-8503.

Hope to hear you TONITE!

In June of 2008, shortly after the release of Otis on DVD, I traveled back to my home state of Alaska for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Otis was scheduled to play both at the conference and I’d set a deal up with my friend Ann Reddig, who at the time was managing the Alaska Wild Berry Theatre, to show Otis in Anchorage for two days. [PDF of flyer for that Event].

“The family that slays together, stays together”

KSKA, the public radio station in Anchorage, does a weekly show on local theatre called Stage Talk. The week after the conference on June 27, 2008, I was a guest on Stage Talk. We wrapped about the recent theatre conference in Valdez as well as Otis and it’s playing in Anchorage.

Bostin Christopher Interview on KSKA’s Stage Talk, June 27, 2008

Otis will be playing at the Wild Berry Theater Friday and Saturday, June 27th and 29th at 10pm. If you are in Anchorage, I hope you can make it. More info available…here.

The Last Frontier Theatre Conference continues in Valdez. More updates on that later…

Otis did play in Valdez and it was fun to bring to the conference and share it with old friends and make new ones.

And the excitement continues as there will be two promotional screenings at the Alaska Wild Berry Theatre on June 27 and 28 at 10pm. Please go to the Wild Berry Theatre page for more details. This may truly be the final opportunity to see Otis on the big screen. It is out on DVD as well and if you haven’t checked out http://www.otisdvd.com, it’s a riot…

OK, more later from Valdez…I will do a blastcast, so please check that out on the homepage…

If you are seeing this, something went wacky behind the scenes. This is where you wanna go: http://www.bostinchristopher.com/projects/otis.

[NOTE: The MySpace Otis Broth page isn't maintained by me.]

MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/otisbroth

Otis Threatens Riley… I mean Kim… Kim

Brain Gallagher interviewed both Tony Krantz and myself for MovieWeb.com. Click each photo below for the articles…

Interview with Tony

Interview with Bostin

• In about forty-eight hours, OTIS will have it’s last screening before the DVD hits the street on June 10th. The screening is at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Thursday June 5th at 7:30pm. Click the image to open the PDF for all the details…

• Check out Playboy.com this week. It’s been Otis-ized. There is a girls of horror feature and also a contest to win a trip to the mansion, see the movie and hang with the playmates. Yowza!

• And, yes, the DVD will be in stores and online as June 10th. You can pre-order from Amazon now!

Well, it’s taken me a week or so, but I wanted to get to the round-up of my trip to Nashville for the Nashville Film Festival! Although, I didn’t get to see much of the city (I really wanted to see the Parthenon, the Grand Ole Opry and maybe the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum) as I was only in town for two nights and I spent all of my time at festival activities. First up, the William Morris Party at Arrington Vineyard.

What a fabulous shin-dig this was! The Arrington Red Fox Red Wine is absolutely outstanding. Sorta like Pinot Noir, but with a spicy kick to it that I just thought was yummy! I attended the party with my new friend and traveling buddy Lee Friedlander. Not the the male photographer, but the female director of movies Wasabi Tuna, GirlPlay and her latest Out at the Wedding.

Another couple of cool cats I met were Director Steven Goldmann and Producer Alan Brewer who were screening their movie Trailer Park of Terror. I guess Steven was in the running to direct Otis, but he needed to complete his film. Fun chatting with him and Alan about their film (which was screening Wednesday, the day after my return to LA) and I look forward to seeing it!

I also got to meet an upcoming singer/songwriter named Stacy Donahue and her man-thing, Lee. Stacy is mucho talented and you can check out StacyDonahue.com for more.

Take a listen: [Audio Available on Original Post]

Monday began late as I was able to sleep in a bit, which was nice. My main agenda for the day was to get to the Actors Turned Filmmakers Panel and try my hand at getting into Young@Heart, the sound out screening of the hot doc about seniors who rock.

The Actors Turned Filmmaker Panel was quite entertaining with Michelle Paradise, Joey Lauren Adams, Robby Benson and Vincent D’Onofrio each discussing there various adventures behind the camera. It was moderated by big time casting director Laray Mayfield. I went to the panel with Lee as she and Michelle Paradise worked on the short film The Ten Rules: A Lesbian Survival Guide which actually became the basis for the cable show Exes & Ohs. Pretty cool stuff! So, a great panel overall, some fun topics and pitfalls about jumping behind the camera. Afterward I was able to do a little celeb stalking.

Later that day, I was able to get into the Young@Heart screening as it was so popular they moved it to a bigger theatre. Now, lemme tell you something, if this movie doesn’t move you, you ain’t human. It was beyond awesome. Very well done and I recommend that everyone catch this flick. I watched this with another new friend – actress Emily Wing.

After that I went with Lee to her screening of Out at the Wedding. A quirky comedy about mistaken identities and finding your true self.

Then it was finally time for the main event. OTIS. The screening went great. The crowd, although not as full as I wanted it to be, was completely enthusiastic in it’s laughter and response to the film. Right before I went in to the screening, they nabbed me for a quick interview.

After the screening I did a Q&A and I was glad to discover that Shelley Justiss got some photos of the occasion:

On Tuesday, I attended a few additional panels about the world of film financing and indie vs studio film making before I had to catch my early afternoon flight back to Los Angeles. Overall, a great couple of days. And so much more than I can fit into this post. I met other great peeps (Heather, Reed, Elise, Ali, and many more!) Everyone was so great and I had a lot of fun…Till the next adventure!

PHOTO GALLERY -
NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL [Click to view each one and make comments if you so desire]

Pictures from our event last weekend at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in Los Angeles! Enjoy…

[read the whole round-up post here]

Here is some exciting and fun news regarding Otis.

Upcoming Screenings

• Nashville Film Festival – Monday, April 21st, 10:15 pm - I will be representing the film in Nashville.
• Fangoria Weekend of Horrors – Sunday, April 27th, 4pm (no direct link yet) – In addition to this screening, the day before on Saturday, April 26th, Ashley Johnson (Riley) and I, will be on hand at the OTIS booth. Come by and say “Hi”! More info on this to come…
• Watch for more…screening to come in London, Wales, and more…

Official Website

• Otis’ official website has been launched at http://www.rawfeed.com. Check it out! Download wallpapers, see the trailer and more. And, from what I understand, even more content is coming as the release date gets near, so keep a look out for it.

Release

• Order now from Warner Home Video ($19.99) Direct or Save a few bucks and order from Amazon ($16.99) It will be releaed on June 10th, 2008. Pre-Order now!
• Otis on Blu-Ray DVD will not be released until October 7, 2008. Just in time for Halloween viewing!!! You can pre-order it now – Amazon Otis Blu-Ray DVD ($19.99)

News/Reviews/Awards

• Otis won two awards at the recent International DV/HD Festival here in Hollywood. Read about it at this post

I will be doing my best to post, audioblog, etc from Nashville and from the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors. Keep on the homepage for the latest.

It’s not often a horror-comedy is going to win any awards, so the fact that OTIS won TWO at the recent International DV/HD Festival is pretty cool. They haven’t uploaded their pictures yet from the event, but when they do, I will post them. Read more to see the Warner Bros. Press Release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

OTIS WINS BEST PICTURE AT

2008 INTERNATIONAL DV/HD FESTIVAL

FOURTH FEATURE UNDER “RAW FEED” PRODUCTION BANNER ALSO PICKS UP BEST ACTOR TROPHY FOR BOSTIN CHRISTOPHER

BURBANK, CA (April 3, 2008) – OTIS, the provocative black comedy which chronicles an all-American family’s collision with the dark world of a serial killer, took home the award for Best Picture at the 2008 International DV/HD Festival in Los Angeles. In addition, the film was also honored with a Best Actor trophy for Bostin Christopher, who plays the title role and was on hand to accept his award at the festivities.

“”We were thrilled to have been invited and it was indeed a wonderful surprise to win. OTIS is a quirky, political horror/satire, and I know all those who worked on the film are tickled by this award — especially those huddled hard in the HD monitor tent on set. Bostin Christopher deserves particular praise for his emotional and at once disturbing and sympathetic performance,” said Producer/Director Tony Krantz. “We had a great and dedicated cast and crew, and these awards are a testament to the hard and wonderfully creative work they all did.”

OTIS was chosen to be part of the festival from hundreds of submissions and selected Best Picture from a field of more than 75 feature and short films. Established in 2003 and focusing on creative works shot only in Digital, Video & High Definition formats, the International DV/HD Festival is seven-day movie festival recognizing the best Narratives, Documentaries, Music Videos & Animations in friendly competition.

Produced and directed by Tony Krantz (Mulholland Drive, Sublime, “24”), OTIS written by Thomas Schnauz (“Reaper”, “X-Files”) and Erik Jendresen (Sublime, “Band of Brothers”) and is WHV’s fourth acquired title from the “Raw Feed” film franchise.

In addition to Bostin Christopher, OTIS stars Daniel Stern (Home Alone, City Slickers), Illeana Douglas (Ghost World, Factory Girl) and Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men, The Usual Suspects). Also featured are Jere Burns (Beverly Hills Cop II, “Dear John”), Ashley Johnson (Fast Food Nation, What Women Want), and Jared Kusnitz (Dance of the Dead). John Shiban (Rest Stop, “Supernatural”, “X-Files”) and Daniel Myrick (Believers, The Blair Witch Project) are also producers.

OTIS will debut on uncut DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi-Def June 10 from Warner Home Video (WHV).

Synopsis

OTIS is a story of suburban America gone haywire. In the midst of a serial abductor/killer’s rampage, a beautiful young teen, Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson), goes missing. When her desperate parents, Will and Kate (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas), are contacted by her kidnapper, an insufferable FBI Special Agent (Jere Burns) takes charge of the case.

But, from deep within the psychopathic subterranean world created by Otis (Bostin Christopher), Riley turns the tables on her tormentor, manages to escape and to contact her parents. Fed up with the tragi-comic inability of the FBI to find their girl, Will, Kate and Riley’s brother, Reed (Jared Kusnitz), decide to take matters – and justice – into their own hands. But when Otis’ brother, Elmo (Kevin Pollak), shows up unexpectedly, the Lawsons find themselves mired in one of the more unusual and macabre consequences of vigilantism.

Far from proclaiming ‘Mission Accomplished,’ the backed-in-a-corner Lawsons will further complicate their already deadly predicament with a surprising, unfortunate and frankly hilarious final choice.

Films under the “Raw Feed” banner are a mix of thriller, horror and sci-fi with a strong psychological and dramatic edge, and are as much psychological as they are thriller or horror genre. The films have been released on DVD in rated and uncut versions, featuring innovative extra features and bonus content. The “Raw Feed” label originated from the creative minds of Tony Krantz, Daniel Myrick and John Shiban. The first film in the series, Rest Stop (written and directed by Shiban), debuted on DVD in October 2006 and has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide, making it the top-selling MFV title in WHV history not based on a previous films. Rest Stop was followed by Sublime (directed by Krantz) in March 2007 and Believers (directed by Myrick) in October 2007.

Spike.com did a piece on OTIS at the SXSW Film Festival. They interviewed Tony Krantz and Kevin Pollak and there are a few moments from the film as well. Check it out! If the embed code doesn’t work for you, try this direct link.

Otis

If you live in, will be in, or know someone in the area of Los Angeles/So. Cal. please consider attending and/or passing this along to those who might be interested. Thanks!
Digital Fest in Los Angeles Click this link for the info page, but the basics are:

What: OTIS screening in the Digital Video Festival
Where: Fairfax Theatre, 7907 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 90048
When: 6:30pm, Saturday, March 29th
Tickets: Free to the public, but it’s first come/first serve, so you will need to arrive early to get a seat…

Why is it in this festival? Well, OTIS was shot on Hi-Def. An alternative to shooting on film, hi-def allows multiple cameras per take, more takes and other benefits at a more affordable rate than film stock.

OTIS is a story of suburban America gone haywire.In the midst of a serial abductor/killer’s rampage, a beautiful young teen, Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson), goes missing. When her desperate parents, Will and Kate (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas), are contacted by her kidnapper, an insufferable FBI Special Agent (Jere Burns) takes charge of the case. But, from deep within the psychopathic subterranean world created by Otis (Bostin Christopher), Riley turns the tables on her tormentor, manages to escape and to contact her parents. And, fed up with the tragi-comic inability of the FBI to find their girl, Will, Kate, and Riley’s brother, Reed (Jared Kusnitz) decide to take matters – and justice – into their own hands. But when Otis’s brother, Elmo (Kevin Pollack), shows up unexpectedly, the Lawsons find themselves mired in one of the more unusual and macabre consequences of vigilantism. Such is the premise of OTIS, a bold satire of the teenager-in-peril- grindhouse horror genre, and the fourth film of the successful Raw Feed series of DTV movies for Warner Home Video. Far from proclaiming ’Mission Accomplished,’ the backed-in-a-corner Lawsons will further complicate their already deadly predicament with a surprising, unfortunate and frankly hilarious final choice. In the black-comedy/absurdist tradition of Blood Simple, Fargo and A Simple Plan, OTIS represents a new and satirical twist on suburban horror, family values and the chaotic consequences of American homemade justice.

It’s FREE to the public. You must arrive early to get in line for a seat. Hope to see you there!!!

A couple of reviews have popped up online after the screening on Friday night. Check the links below to check them out.

 http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/sxsw-2008-otis-review/

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/11535

I am sure there will be more to come. Also check out this link which talks about the upcoming DVD release and the DVD extras included with the film.

http://www.cinemablend.com/dvdnews/Otis-Gets-A-DVD-Announcement-Prior-To-SXSW-Debut-9328.html

More to come…

Well, that’s a wrap

Originally uploaded by Bostin.C

Here’s a shot from today after our morning press interviews. The premiere last night went great, sold-out house and the audience responded very well. I am about to watch a new movie directed by Helen Hunt. I have a few shots and video from the premiere I will try to get soon.
Basically now Otis stuff is done it’s about enjoying the rest of the festival.
More later…

The 38 dollar steak

Originally uploaded by Bostin.C

Eddie V’s in Austin. A 38 dollar steak! Don’t fret, the sides were family style! Having a blast! The premiere is in a couple hours. Can you tell by my writing that I have had three margaritas…oh, tequila you beautiful mistress…

IFC Interview

Originally uploaded by Bostin.C

Hey all!
Just did some fun interviews for IFC Channel. Ashley and I did one, which
was great! And then Kevin, Jere and Illeana did one. And oh my, they were
insane and funny. It was great. It will eventually probably be on the IFC
channel, which is at http://www.ifc.com/sxsw. Not sure when it would be
posted, so I will post about it, or it someone sees it, please leave a
comment.

Fun times, fun times…

Hey all,

Yesterday was pretty chill and ended with a nice dinner with the cast at Gumbos in Austin. There will be an BlastCast (audioblog) with Director Tony Krantz being with some witty banter. Fun times. Not on the audioblog, but very fun, was Kevin Pollack and his Christopher Walken impression (one of the best around).

[Pictures to be reset.]

This morning we went to ME Television (Music/Entertainment) and did some interviews…
[Pictures to be reset.]

More interviews scheduled for later today and of course the big premiere TONIGHT!

Off to lunch…

3-6-08: Well, I am awake and ready at 3:45am. Heading to Austin, TX for the SXSW Film Festival. A couple of new things at the website. The homepage is where it’s at for this trip. Flickr badge or recent photos, Audio blogging via the BostinBlastCAST, and the recent post listings for all the latest and greatest. And this space will be updated over the phone as well, via the service provided by jott.com. Alright, people, let’s do this thing. Mimosa’s, FirstClass, I am all over it! I may not be able to check the site, so it anything looks funky, hit the contact page and let me know! Thanks!

Otis in action shot

Originally uploaded by Bostin.C

A new shot posted up over at bloody-disgusting.com of Otis and Riley.