Strangers With Candy
The fat tax incentives S.C. legislators passed a year and a half ago to lure filmmakers into the state still seem to be reaping rewards – though so far most of the action, as it were, is going down far from Charleston. Rogue Pictures (Shaun of the Dead, Assault On Precinct 13) is the latest production company to take the bait. Recently, they arrived in Florence for production of the feature-length film Strangers, starring Elvish princess and Aerosmith spawn Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman (Underworld, xXx: State of the Union). The thriller, written by director Bryan Bertino, is about a young couple cozied up in a vacation home who are terrorized by a trio of unknown kooks. Bertino’s not exactly a household name; besides a lot of commercial work and some shorts, the 28-year-old appeared as a minor actor (and gaffer, apparently) in the 2003 high school action flick Xtracurricular. So there’s no telling what’s going to happen once filming begins on Oct. 11. (Incidentally, City Paper contributor Jennifer Corley is an office production assistant on the film.) As for what Florence is like with a bunch of Hollywood types running around town, see writer/director David Mamet’s 2000 comedy State and Main. (Hint: keep your 14-year-old girls well hidden.) –Patrick Sharbaugh
GI’s on film
Jonesing to gripe about the Iraq War but don’t have the time (or gas money) to join Cindy Sheehan in Crawford? Local activist group Bring Them Home is hosting a film series at the College of Charleston that aims to support the safe and speedy return of our troops via celluloid. On Wed., Sept. 27, the group will present Grave of the Fireflies, a 1992 animated film depicting the struggles of two Japanese children after their mother is killed in the Tokyo firebombing. Unable to find a home with friends or relatives, the two children are forced to live in a cave where they must steal in order to survive. On Oct. 4, the group offers the critically acclaimed Why We Fight, a 2005 documentary that pulls back the curtains on the growth of warmongering in the U.S. In this 98-minute feature, political leaders, top military brass, and everyday Joes muse about how American foreign policy is dominated by the idea of military supremacy. (Military-industrial complex, anyone?) Both films begin at 7 p.m. in room 100 of Maybank Hall on the CofC campus, 165 Calhoun St. Admission is free and there will be an opportunity for discussion immediately following the films. –Christy Robertson
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