The World’s End in Theaters Starting this Evening in Austin

When I first saw writer/director Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s comedies, Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007), both starring Pegg and Nick Frost, I never dreamed of having the opportunity to meet the filmmakers and actors for the third installment of Wright’s trilogy, The World’s End. It happened recently and it is a most memorable interview opportunity!

Wright, Pegg and Frost were in Austin for the press tour of the highly anticipated film, as well as participants in the grand opening week signature programming events of the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline earlier this summer.

Photo from the Q&A [L-R] Tim League, with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – Photo Credit: Jack Plunkett

I was not the only one excited about Wright’s film that reteams him with his Spaced/Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz collaborators, Frost and Pegg. Alamo Drafthouse and Badass Digest’s new monthly magazine, BIRTH. MOVIES. DEATH. is also so excited about The World’s End, the whole second issue is centered around it. In The World’s End, a group of friends attempt to visit twelve pubs in their former hometown in one night, while a strange and mysterious invasion occurs around them.

Alamo Drafthouse and Badass Digest’s BIRTH. MOVIES. DEATH. August magazine cover  

The Wright films are known as the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy (also known as the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy because each film features a double scoop of blood and ice cream. Specifically, there is a different flavor of Cornetto – a tasty frozen treat famous in the UK (the equivalent of our Good Humor King Cone) – that represents the theme of each film (red-strawberry for zombie gore, blue original for police action and mint choc-chip for alien invasion).

The writing is great, the ensemble performances are hilarious with the fabulous cast and the music is an added treat to add to the scenes of five childhood friends reuniting 20 years after they left high school. Wright discussed the process of selection of music as a filmmaker, stating there was “a long playlist early on,” in order to determine what song lyrics would work. I do not have a copy of the soundtrack, but would love one based on the music I heard during the film.

Of course, the drinking feat is not conceived by any of the friends who have gone on to live the lives they have shaped for themselves and away from each other. Nope, the epic event is planned by 40-year-old Gary King (Pegg); the one who remains in a time warp of his youth. Although the gents agree to meet for this drinking marathon, they all discover so much more about each other and the world as it is evolving all around them, while they struggle to reach The World’s End pub.

Photo from the Q&A [L-R] Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – Photo Credit: Jack Plunkett

During the interview with the actors, I posed a question about challenges they faced in the production and if there was at least one that stood out the most. Pegg quickly responded, “I broke my hand,” adding this happened despite the physical training he had received for the fight scenes. Frost then added that he was “lucky” and did not sustain any injuries. He explained that he had done a dance film for seven months and had only one week in between starting work for this film, so the dancing was helpful. “It was like a dream to do this; but people don’t realize there are 14 to 15 hour days and we have to be fit.”

The World’s End is worth the wait and now is the time to get to the theater to view it. The World’s End opens nationwide on Friday, August 23rd. In Austin, screenings are available tonight in a few theaters, so check your local listings.

Liz Lopez

Rating B+

Source: Focus Features, Alamo Drafthouse

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Special Screening of Sin Padre and Other Entertainment

Hosted by Chuy Gomez, and his co-hosts, Big Worm and Chelsea Rendon, Sin Padre: A Night of Entertainment will be held on June 29th at the Mexican Heritage Center, 1700 Alum Rock Avenue in San Jose, California.

The evening begins at 6pm with appetizers and there will be a red carpet walk by the cast and crew for the program that begins at 7:30pm. There are performances scheduled by A.R. and SFCrew and Latinologues.

Sin Padre is a film written and directed by Jay Francisco Lopez and it won the Audience Award at the San Francisco Latino Film Festival in September 2012 and was an Official Selection at the Watsonville Film Festival this year. There will be a Q&A with the director and cast as well. The film is rated R for mature audiences.

Tickets will be sold at the door for this event.

Liz Lopez

Source: Sin Padre.com