'Machete Kills' seeks extras

Machete is back in Robert Rodriquez's Machete Kills starring the ultra-cool Danny Trejo, and they need extras. An open casting call is slated for Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Austin Studios' red building. Men and women ages 18 and up are sought and there is money (though don't expect a lot) involved. Knowning Rodriguez, you'll end up signing some sort of confidentiality agreement.

Some interesting names have joined the cast including Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard and Mel Gibson.

Now the big question is whether they'll seek Texas filming incentives...

Terrence Malick's Oklahoma film gets a new name

Formerly The Burial, it's now To the Wonder according to The Playlist, and, who knows, this completed film about a love triangle and shot in Bartlesville, Oklahoma,  featuring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz, Javier Bardem, Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Amanda Peet, may come out soon. First it has to find a U.S. distributor. But, hey, it's rated R for tasteful nudity and is said to have a similar tone to The Tree of Life!

Meanwhile, we're still awaiting more info on Terrence Malick's Texas-set (and to be Texas shot?) films whose names may or may not at this moment be Lawless and King of Cups and what this all has to do with pal/mentee David Gordon Green moving to Austin.

'GCB' goes to TV heaven

ABC has officially cancelled GCB, the Dallas-set show starring Kristen Chenoweth, based on the book Good Christian Bitches and at one point known as Good Christian Belles. Controversy over the title and subject of religious hypocrasy wasn't the killer; it was bad ratings. The pilot shot in Dallas, but the series was made in Los Angeles.

'Road Stories' photo exhibit is up

Nicholas welcomes you to my latest photo show!

My photo show titled "Road Stories" is up at Star Co. coffee shop in downtown Round Rock, Texas, for the month of May. A party is set from May 12 from 5-7 p.m. featuring a reading of road poems by W. Joe Hoppe.

You can also find the show online here.

Bryan Poyser does 'The Bounceback' with new film

If you're wondering what that indie movie is shooting in Austin for the next few weeks, it could be Bryan Poyser's The Bounceback. He recently left a pretty cushy gig at the Austin Film Society to get busy making more of his own flicks. He's got the able assistance of cinematographer P.J. Raval and producer Megan Gilbride. We're talking three stars of the Austin film scene here. Shooting started yesterday.

I haven't a clue what the film is about, but Poyser's films (Dear Pillow, Lovers of Hate) have been regulars at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and Sundance, so expectations are high. Break a leg, Bryan. No, I didn't mean literally!

David Lowery poised for film big time

As reported by Deadline, Texas indie auteur David Lowery is on the verge of jumping into a whole new level of filmmaking. He will direct his own script of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, which is sort of a modern Bonnie And Clyde. Rooney Mara, Ben Foster and Casey Affleck are attached to the cast. A film shoot is set for this summer in Canada.

Lowery and producing partner James Johnston been toiling as the Dallas/Fort Worth indie filmmaking names in recent years, most notably with St. Nick, which premiered at Sundance and then won the grand jury prize at the 2011 South By Southwest Film Festival.

And, of course, credit must be given to Lowery's magnificent mustache, which now must never be removed. Congrats, David and James!

David Gordon Green is indeed shooting 'Suspiria'

Um, let's make this clear: I'm not saying the June shoot is Suspiria. I have no confirmation of that. I am saying I don't know that it's not Suspiria. Got it? OK.  Read on...

 

As we told you the other day, new Austin resident David Gordon Green is shooting in Bastrop (about 30 miles from Austin) for three weeks in June. We guessed that it might be his remake of Suspiria, and that may have been a good guess. Green's folks and Crime Scene Pictures have announced that the remake of the famed Dario Argento film is a go for September. Is this time in Bastrop an early shoot for the film or something altogether different? Will it all shoot in the Austin area? Stay tuned.

Oh, and Natalie Portman had been attached to the project in the past, but the similar ballet-world setting of Black Swan may well have changed that. But then Portman is set to star in two films (Knight of Cups and Lawless) from Green mentor and Austin resident Terrence Malick.

It would mark a return to Austin for Portman, who was last here to shoot Where the Heart Is more than a decade ago. That is assuming Malick isn't shooting more scenes of his two films in Austin. Knight of Cups is slated to shoot this summer and Lawless in the fall. Lawless is about the Austin music scene. FYI: Given Malick's ability to keep his projects hushed in the past, some even believe that his two upcoming film projects actually may be one film disguised as two to throw off folks like yours truly.