Smart indie sci-fi and love letter to ‘50 sci-fi B-movie The Vast Of Night has arrived on Amazon Prime after touring the festival circuit. It’s a clever film-within-a-film that’s framed as an episode of fictional Twilight Zone-style anthology ‘Paradox Theater’ which plays with genre tropes, as fast-talking DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) and perky switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) attempt to solve the mystery surrounding a rogue audio broadcast they discover the night of the town’s big basketball game.
But what actually went down and where are we left at the end? Or indeed, “What’s the tale, Nightingale?” as Everett might say. Here’s our breakdown.
What was the audio broadcast?
It’s conversations between spaceships and it’s been going on for years! Billy (Bruce Davis), the guy who calls into the radio station after Fay and Everett broadcast the sound recognizes it from when he was in the military.
But what actually went down and where are we left at the end? Or indeed, “What’s the tale, Nightingale?” as Everett might say. Here’s our breakdown.
What was the audio broadcast?
It’s conversations between spaceships and it’s been going on for years! Billy (Bruce Davis), the guy who calls into the radio station after Fay and Everett broadcast the sound recognizes it from when he was in the military.
- 6/4/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Jake Horowitz as Everett and Sierra McCormick as Fay, in The Vast Of Night. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
A 1950s black-and-white television in a living room typical of the era plays the intro to a “Twilight Zone” like TV show. While the Rod Serling-sounding narrator intones, “Tonight’s episode: The Vast of Night,” the camera slowly moves closer to the flickering screen until the image on the screen fills our view. The flickering fades and the view transforms to a sepia-tinted color scene of a rural high school gym in little Cayuga, New Mexico. Two young friends, the sharp-witted Everett (Jake Horowitz), the overnight DJ at the local radio show, and spunky teenager Fay (Sierra McCormick), the night switchboard operator for the local police, team up to solve the mystery of a strange thumping source that invades the airwaves.
The clever TV show opening immediately draws us in, to...
A 1950s black-and-white television in a living room typical of the era plays the intro to a “Twilight Zone” like TV show. While the Rod Serling-sounding narrator intones, “Tonight’s episode: The Vast of Night,” the camera slowly moves closer to the flickering screen until the image on the screen fills our view. The flickering fades and the view transforms to a sepia-tinted color scene of a rural high school gym in little Cayuga, New Mexico. Two young friends, the sharp-witted Everett (Jake Horowitz), the overnight DJ at the local radio show, and spunky teenager Fay (Sierra McCormick), the night switchboard operator for the local police, team up to solve the mystery of a strange thumping source that invades the airwaves.
The clever TV show opening immediately draws us in, to...
- 6/1/2020
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Necessity can be the mother of invention when telling a science fiction on a budget. Sometimes, the restraints bring about a creativity and uniqueness factor that might not otherwise be present. Amazon Studio’s latest release, The Vast of Night has the makings of this sort of a flick. Unfortunately, before too long, it just turns into a solid calling card for filmmaker Andrew Patterson, missing an opportunity to be as fully engrossing as it can be, in terms of being a full cinematic experience. The movie is a period piece, mixing fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi. Presented with a Twilight Zone style framing device, it takes place in the small New Mexico town of Cayuga during the late 1950s. Most of the townsfolk are gathering for the local high school basketball game, including the charismatic Everett (Jake Horowitz) and the bubbly Fay (Sierra McCormick). The former is a radio DJ...
- 5/30/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
It’s nighttime in late ‘50s New Mexico. Residents of the tiny town of Cayuga, population 492, are gathering in the high school gymnasium, ready to cheer for the student basketball team as they face their rivals. But outside the lit-up court, bright local kids Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay (Sierra McCormick) mosey the streets with a tape recorder, musing on the viability of technology they’ve read about in science magazines: vactrains, electrified roads, and even portable TV phones that fit in your pocket.
Unfolding in a series of long takes, this is the intriguing set-up of “The Vast of Night,” a gripping genre pastiche rich in sci-fi motifs. The debut feature from Andrew Patterson, the film pays homage to sci-fi classics like Jack Arnold’s “It Came from Outer Space” while playing like an extended episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The movie’s writers, James Montague and Craig W. Sanger,...
Unfolding in a series of long takes, this is the intriguing set-up of “The Vast of Night,” a gripping genre pastiche rich in sci-fi motifs. The debut feature from Andrew Patterson, the film pays homage to sci-fi classics like Jack Arnold’s “It Came from Outer Space” while playing like an extended episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The movie’s writers, James Montague and Craig W. Sanger,...
- 5/29/2020
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
The Focus Features musical dramedy The High Note is looking to hit exactly that as it lands on-demand starting today. Directed by Late Night‘s Nisha Ganatra from a script by Flora Greeson, the film was originally set to hit theaters on May 8 but, like many films, the film adapted and shifted to a digital. However, with theaters slowly opening their doors, the film will be singing its way to approximately 100 theaters — most of the drive-in theaters.
Set in the world of the Los Angeles music scene, The High Note follows singing superstar diva Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) and her overworked personal assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson) who has dreams of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager (Ice Cube) presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.
As it...
Set in the world of the Los Angeles music scene, The High Note follows singing superstar diva Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) and her overworked personal assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson) who has dreams of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager (Ice Cube) presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.
As it...
- 5/29/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrew Patterson’s soaringly creative, science-fiction mindbender isn’t limited by its 17-day shooting schedule and a micro budget the filmmaker ponied up himself. What makes it one of the best (and most unclassifiable) movies of the year is the hypnotic way it keeps re-inventing itself from scene to scene. As the first-time director told Filmmaker magazine: “We had the first few words — ‘1950’s New Mexico-set sci-fi thriller’ — and then we could stuff that sausage casing with a lot of things nobody expects to find there.”
That Patterson and his collaborators did.
That Patterson and his collaborators did.
- 5/28/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
"They've come here before... They like this place." Amazon Prime has unveiled the first official trailer for a highly acclaimed, 1950s indie sci-fi film titled The Vast Of Night. This first premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival last year, but it won over audiences big time at Fantastic Fest in the fall, where it earned the most buzz. I've heard so many good things about it - including that it has a number of fantastic Children of Men-esque long-take shots. In the twilight of the 1950s, on one fateful night in the middle of New Mexico, a young switchboard operator and charismatic radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency that could change their small town and the future forever. Described as an "eerily hypnotic, formally inventive UFO drama" that you do not want to miss. Starring Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Cheyenne Barton, Gregory Peyton, and Bruce Davis. Oh hell yes,...
- 2/7/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Daily Dead was proud to once again sponsor and experience this year's Overlook Film Festival, which took place in the historic (and quite possibly haunted) confines of New Orleans. And with another year of immersive events, essential screenings, and live performances in the books, the Overlook Film Festival's 2019 audience and juried awards have been announced, and we've been provided with the full list to share with Daily Dead readers.
Press Release: - The Overlook Film Festival 2019 has come to an end on Sunday, June 2nd after bringing four days of horror films, immersive games, Vr exhibitions, panels and workshops in New Orleans. The festival reached an audience of over 3000 people and hosted over 60 filmmakers, actors, and producers including Elijah Wood, Robert Rodriguez, Mick Garris, Chelsea Stardust, and Paul Scheer over the weekend.
The Overlook Features Jury; Rolling Stone’s Film/TV editor David Fear; writer, director and fashion photographer Carter Smith...
Press Release: - The Overlook Film Festival 2019 has come to an end on Sunday, June 2nd after bringing four days of horror films, immersive games, Vr exhibitions, panels and workshops in New Orleans. The festival reached an audience of over 3000 people and hosted over 60 filmmakers, actors, and producers including Elijah Wood, Robert Rodriguez, Mick Garris, Chelsea Stardust, and Paul Scheer over the weekend.
The Overlook Features Jury; Rolling Stone’s Film/TV editor David Fear; writer, director and fashion photographer Carter Smith...
- 6/5/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Slamdance has revealed their narrative and documentary feature film competition lineup for their 2019 festival. The fest takes place January 25-31, 2019 in Park City.
This year marks the 25th year of the festival and includes 11 narrative features and 9 documentaries throwing their hats in the ring for the competition. The fest will also include 10 World, 4 North American, and 4 U.S. premieres. All competition films were selected by a team of Slamdance alumni and are feature length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million Usd, and without Us distribution.
Slamdance will also welcome back the Russo Fellowship — a $25,000 prize launched in 2018 by celebrated festival alumni Anthony Russo and Joe Russo to provide a deserving filmmaker with mentorship from the Russo duo.
In addition, the festival will introduce the new Breakouts section, which features non-first-time-feature directors who demonstrate a determined vision...
This year marks the 25th year of the festival and includes 11 narrative features and 9 documentaries throwing their hats in the ring for the competition. The fest will also include 10 World, 4 North American, and 4 U.S. premieres. All competition films were selected by a team of Slamdance alumni and are feature length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million Usd, and without Us distribution.
Slamdance will also welcome back the Russo Fellowship — a $25,000 prize launched in 2018 by celebrated festival alumni Anthony Russo and Joe Russo to provide a deserving filmmaker with mentorship from the Russo duo.
In addition, the festival will introduce the new Breakouts section, which features non-first-time-feature directors who demonstrate a determined vision...
- 11/26/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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