(LOS ANGELES, APRIL 21) -- "CYXORK 7" (starring RAY WISE) will premiere at the grandly reopened Fine Arts Theatre of Beverly Hills, Saturday, May 20th, at 8 p.m. Scheduled to appear are: RAY WISE, SONYA SMITH, BEATA POZNIAK, JOSEPH CULP, CASSANDRA CREECH, PAGET BREWSTER and GREG PROOPS.
The dark twisted satire follows a hungry movie crew making yet one more sequel in a burned out sci-fi franchise. How ravenous are they? They’re hoping to add free special effects to their bare bones production, banking on a predicted cataclysmic earthquake. John Huff directs the feast based on the “Cyxork 7” original screenplay that was co-written by Huff and producer, Andreas Kossak.
“This is a special showing for us,” Kossak explains. “’Cyxork 7’ was shot on HD and we want our audience to experience the film to optimal effect in sight and sound. We are grateful to the scrupulous eye of Michael S. Hall, third generation projection master and restorer extraordinaire, who just recently brought the Fine Arts up to spec with 21st century standards. Expect state-of-the-art, full resolution 2K HD projection complete with 5.1 Surround Sound from our D-5 master tape." (See link to “LA Times” story below).
“I can’t wait to see ‘Cyxork 7’ in HD at the Fine Arts,” adds Huff. “We’ve seen it in at our post-production facility at Westwind Media in Burbank and at the Nordmedia HD Film Festival and Workshop in Hannover, Germany, but never in its full resolution. For the first time Michael Hall’s 2K projection will show ‘Cyxork 7’ to its complete HD realization.”
Huff admits his bias for the “look” of the HD big picture. For him, it’s Director of Photography Michael Negrin's work that must be seen to be believed. "Michael gives us a supple, all-day beauty in the high desert sunshine that is worthy of its wilderness location; all from a shoot-and-run budget. His HD work here deserves to be seen in its technically pristine state. The Fine Arts gives us that pleasure.” (See link to “Indie Slate” article below).
"Cyxork 7" has been roaming the festival circuit over the past six months and hasn't come home empty handed. It won the top award at the FAIF International Film Festival at the Mann Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, then scored the “Audience Award for Best Comedy and Special Effects” at the Nolita Film Festival in New York City and, at this spring’s B-Movie Festival in Syracuse, Ray Wise was honored for his work in "Cyxork 7" with the festival’s “Best Actor Award.”
"I can't think of anyone else who would have brought this particular role to life with the same spark. It's great to see Ray Wise play a typecast and naive actor, especially when his own career is anything but," writes British “Sci-Fi Online” editor, Darren Rea, who calls “Cyxork 7”, "Part comedy, part social commentary and part two fingers up to the Hollywood machine." (See link below).
And he’s not alone in his praise. “Film Threat” reviewer Steve Anderson, the indie flic magazine, comments, "We've got everything here...vaguely Mafioso producers, idealistic young directors, cinematographers with a Prussian efficiency and ambition to match, film school snobs who think they know a whole lot more than they actually do, everything. ‘Cyxork 7’ is the quintessential cross-section of the entire film industry, packaged to look like a bad science fiction movie.
And yet it all comes together into this cohesive, decisive whole that even has just a bit of a dark side to it. It's a laugh a minute, and it also manages to produce a shudder or two."
The ending is a real thrill, as the body count (yes, there is a BODY COUNT!) starts climbing and the landscape starts...well...let's just say, starts rolling." (See link below).
For the theatrical premiere on Saturday, May 20th, 8 p.m., the Fine Arts Theatre tickets are $7.50. The box-office receipts for the evening are designated as a fundraiser for FAIF, the Foundation for the Advancement of Independent Film International Film Festival. FAIF directors will be present.
The Fine Arts Theatre is located at 8556 Wilshire Blvd., one block west of La Cienega Blvd. Theatre validated parking is available at the Flynt Building on SE corner of La Cienega & Wilshire.