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April 23, 2018 Tom McLaren, Actor and Author, Looking Forward to Upcoming Releases (Interview) By Lorraine DmitrovicWhen Tom McLaren set his sights on Hollywood, he never looked back. To follow his dreams, he left successful careers in the corporate finance divisions of Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros., and since 2011 he’s racked up over 150 professional film and commercial credits on the IMDb – with more feature films and other projects coming down the pipe. McLaren has one of those faces the camera loves. And talk about versatile. One day he’s in an indie horror film. The next week finds him shooting a print ad, filming a commercial, recording a radio spot, or “appearing” on an audio CD. He’s played naive, trusting husbands, believable dads and experts in white lab coats, and policemen and priests with godly authenticity. He’s best known for three movies that are available on digital and streaming platforms worldwide. Says Tom, “Expelled (2014), Exorcism of Molly Hartley, and Santa’s Little Helper (both 2015) are certainly the biggest movies I’ve been in so far. They still ‘live on’ in worldwide distribution. Here in the US, Expelled is now in its 4th year on Netflix. Exorcism is just about to leave the 2-year deal with Netflix to move to TV syndication. Santa airs on the USA Network every Christmas.” Read the full Article . . . Tubefilter
December 18. 2014 ‘Expelled’, Starring Cameron Dallas, Reaches #1 Spot On iTunes Movie Charts By Sam Gutelle As it turns out, casting a bunch of social media stars in a film is a good way to ensure that film performs well on digital platforms. Expelled, which stars Vine personality Cameron Dallas as a prankster who gets kicked out of school, reached #1 on iTunes just one day after its video on-demand (VOD) release. Expelled is produced by AwesomenessTV, which is partnered with Dallas across sites like Vine (where he has more than one billion total loops) and YouTube. Beyond Dallas, the film’s cast also includes many other online media personalities, including Andrea Russett, Lia Marie Johnson, Marcus Johns, Michelle Glavan and Teala Dunn. The film, first announced in November, was shown in theaters on December 12th and arrived on VOD platforms four days later. In the first few hours after its release, it raced up the iTunes charts, and at 8:18 PM, Russett snapped a pic of it sitting in the top spot. All of the film’s activity is cataloged on its official Twitter feed, which, as you might expect for a film featuring social media stars, is very lively. As Variety notes, the #1 spot on iTunes is usually reserved for blockbuster films. The film Expelled supplanted at the top, for example, was Guardians of the Galaxy, which has made $772 million at the box office. It’s unclear how much revenue Expelled raked in, since we don’t know the exact number of copies it sold, but the film retails for $9.99, and its place on the charts suggests a sizable gross. Read the full Article . . . Village Voice
December10, 2014 Teen Comedy Expelled Brings a Vine Star to the Big Screen By Sherilyn Connelly While it's almost enough that Alex Goyette's Expelled redeems its one-word title from memories of the polemical documentary where Ben Stein blames the Holocaust on the theory of evolution, this teen comedy manages to be worthwhile on its own merits. Felix (Cameron Dallas) is an inveterate prankster whose lucky streak finally runs out. Finding himself expelled from high school and with a less-than-exemplary report card, Felix must hide both of these things from his parents (Kristina Hayesand Tom McLaren) while trying to get re-enrolled, despite the efforts of the evil principal (Emilio Palame). Expelled wears its Ferris Bueller's Day Off influences on its sleeve — Felix even narrates the film into the camera — but it also tones down the fantasy wish-fulfillment elements, and gives its hero an actual arc and a degree of introspection that keeps him from being an insufferable nozzle. Indeed, this kind of movie lives or dies by how tolerable the lead is, and newcomer Dallas is naturally charismatic onscreen, possibly owing to the fact that he's made hundreds of videos on Vine. Granted, most Vine users probably shouldn't headline a movie, but it seems to have worked for Dallas, as does Goyette's experience directing theAwesomenessTV sketch comedy series.Expelled isn't going to change the world, but it's a fun and promising debut film. Unreal TV
August 28, 2019 'Miss Arizona' DVD: How a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Got Her Groove Back By Matt Nelson The "elevator speech" recap of the ""Arizona" concept is that a former beauty queen turned trophy wife forms a sisterhood of the travelling misfits and learns the value of hos before bros. Writer/director Autumn McAlpin fully embraces the modern-woman girl-power of the 2016 "Ghostbusters" reboot with the July 12, 2019 theatrical/VOD/digital release of "Miss Arizona." Also, like "Ghostbusters," McAlpin pays wonderful homage to the past in a very woke fashion. . . The type of treat that makes indie films so special follows when the women go to a police station for assistance. A cop played by master of deadpan Tom McLaren ("Expelled" and "All American Bikini Car Wash") is surprised to find a former acquaintance in the station waiting room. He gets good mileage from merely saying "You again? Keep your nose clean." and walking out before the woman can respond . . . Although largely presented as a feminist fable, the message of this movie that should appeal to everyone from their teens to their 80s comes from another classic film. Everyone of every gender and sexual orientation should be excellent to each other. Read the full Article . . . Bloody Disgusting
June 6, 2017 Take a Tip in the ‘Death Pool’ Trailer By Brad Miska Director Jared Cohn (Little Dead Rotting Hood, The Horde) marinades the screen with suspense this June with Death Pool from MTI Home Video. Randy Wayne (Hellraiser : Judgement) “gives an electric performance in a sexy, spine-chilling fusion of American Psycho and Maniac,” premiering on DVD and VOD June 20. “After nearly drowning at the hands of his babysitter, a troubled young man grows up to become a serial killer with a compulsion to drowned young beautiful women. Based on true events, this conniving killer becomes a cultural phenomenon, known throughout the streets of Los Angeles.” Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer : Vengeance), Demetrius Stear (Evil Nanny), Shawn C. Phillips (Ghostquake) and James Cullen Bressack (Bethany) co- star. Read the full Article . . . WWE Official Site
September 22, 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and WWE Studios present "Santa's Little Helper" - starring Paige, The Miz and AnnaLynne McCord - on DVD and Digital HD now. May the best elf win! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and WWE Studios present outrageous holiday fun in "Santa's Little Helper," available now on DVD and Digital HD. Ho-ho-hold on tight for holiday hijinks in this hilarious family comedy starring WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, WWE Diva Paige and AnnaLynne McCord. After losing his job, a slick-talking businessman is given the chance of a lifetime — to be Santa’s second-in-command. But to earn the coveted position, he’ll have to wage an outrageous battle against a scheming elf who wants the gig for herself! The "Santa's Little Helper" DVD is stocked full of behind-the-scenes featurettes that are sure to bring holiday cheer. In the "Ho Ho Ho", cast and crew members give their own accounts of the job of Santa’s official helper and what goes on behind-the-scenes in his workshop. Other featurettes offer fans a profile on Paige as well as additional interviews with the cast and crew as they discuss what the holidays mean to them and the greatest gifts they ever received. Read the full Article . . . Wicked Channel
June 12, 2016 Movie Review-All American Bikini Car Wash The film has a very fun vibe for the most part. This could have been called American Pie presents and i would never have guessed different. The film really gives us a story in such a choppy way that I found myself really struggling at times with trying to find humor in material that is not funny. The concept is cute enough, we all have dreamed about making a business happen. The thing is the film has a charm to it, that really works for the most part, even when the humor does not. This film felt like maybe Van Wilder in a smaller scale. The film is basically about eye candy and the humor that goes with it, and this film delivers on that but the humor is hit and miss. I did not hate the film nor was I bored by it, this film was a fun little time waster that I feel people may like if they gave it a half of a chance. Read the full Article . . . The Hollywood Reporter
November 7, 2014 AwesomenessTV Sets December Premiere for Comedy Film 'Expelled' by Natalie Jarvey AwesomenessTV is bringing digital media stars to the big screen. The YouTube multichannel network has announced that comedy film Expelled, which stars Viner Cameron Dallas, will make its theatrical debut in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago on Dec. 12. It will then become available on demand at ExpelledMovie.com and through iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Target Ticket and Walmart on Dec. 16. The film releases wide on video-on-demand on Dec. 30. Dallas, who boasts 6.1 million Vine followers and 2.8 million YouTube subscribers, stars in the film as Felix, a prankster who charms his way out of trouble. But after he's expelled, Felix enlists the help of his brother and friends to convince his parents that he's a model student. True Jackson, VP actor Matt Shively stars as Felix's best friend... Expelled is the latest in a string of films starring social media influencers, including The Chosenwith YouTuber Kian Lawley and The Smosh Movie, which Robbins is also producing. Awesomeness, which is owned by DreamWorks Animation, has another project in development with Vine star Nash Grier. "The movie industry is changing in terms of not only who teens want to see onscreen, but also how, when and where they want to watch," Robbins noted. "Expelled gives fans of this new generation of stars a chance to see them on the big screen … or whatever screen they prefer." Read the full Article ... |
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Tom McLaren seen at The Los Angeles Premiere of AwesomenessTV's "Expelled" on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Invision for AwesomenessTV/AP Images)
Yahoo FranceKristina Hayes and Tom McLaren seen at The Los Angeles Premiere of AwesomenessTV's "Expelled" on Wednesday, Dec 10, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Invision for AwesomenessTV/AP Images)
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Broadway World
September 16, 2021 Tom McLaren Stars in New Theatrical Film INTO TEMPTATION Tom McLaren stars in the new film "Into Temptation," now playing for an exclusive one week engagement at the Cinelounge in Hollywood through September 23rd. McLaren is cast as Father Graham in this two character drama, dealing with dark and controversial subject matter. "I had to dismiss thoughts of right and wrong, to bring this psychologically disturbed character to life," McLaren states. "The key, for me, was not to play this character as evil. He thinks he is a flawed man, but not an evil man." "Into Temptation" is a passion project for director/writer/producer/editor Quinn da Matta. Produced by a team of Emmy nominated talents at Canyon Road Films, da Matta shares executive producer credit with Lara Wickes and Joseph Seeman. The film's storyline: 20 years after being abused by his priest, a fateful reunion reverses roles and reveals love can be just as twisted and destructive as abuse. Read the full Article . . . Variety
December 17, 2014 Movie Tops Digital Sales Charts in First Day of Release By Marc Graser AwesomenessTV has a hit on its hands in high school comedy “Expelled,” starring YouTube and Vine celeb Cameron Dallas — a case study in how to make money from younger consumers with movies. The film, which received a limited run in theaters on Dec. 12 before being sold as a download on most digital platforms, debuted at No. 1 on many of the services, including Apple’s iTunes store, as a Digital HD title after its first day of release. It’s tough to compare how “Expelled” is performing vs. other Digital HD releases since most online retailers don’t release specific sales figures. However, the No. 1 slot on iTunes is often reached only by films that have earned more than $80 million at the box office. On iTunes, “Expelled” jumped from No. 52 on its launch day to No. 1, with fans and the cast cheering its ascension on Twitter...The successful digital release of “Expelled” is a “reflection of the ever-changing marketplace, with fans who want to own their favorite movies and enjoy them on their terms,” said Brian Robbins, founder of AwesomenessTV. Similarly, Fox, which distributes DreamWorks Animation’s films, sees the release of “Expelled” as ushering in a new business model with DWA’s AwesomenessTV, and as an opportunity to reach out to younger moviegoers — and consumers — in a new way. Read the full Article . . . StreamDaily
June 4, 2015 How Expelled schooled the industry on direct-to-digital movies By Todd Longwell People in the industry like to talk about how, for creatives, one of the primary appeals of working in the digital space versus traditional TV and film is the speed of the process. But things might’ve been just a little too fast on the AwesomenessTV movie Expelled, which was released online last December following a brief limited theatrical run. The four-week shoot for the film – toplined by social media star Cameron Dallas (7.6 million followers on Vine; 3.54 million subscribers on YouTube) – began on Sept. 15, 2014. The picture was locked before Thanksgiving, and it premiered in Los Angeles on Dec. 11. To say that Expelled‘s first-time feature writer/director /producer Alex Goyette was under the gun would be a massive understatement. “For almost three months straight, I didn’t really get days off,” said Goyette, who will participate in a panel discussion about the film at Stream Market June 4, titled “Getting Expelled: The Making of the #1 Social Movie of 2014.” “When I would come off set, I would immediately go into the edit bay to check in with Josh Noyes, who was our editor. We’d go over the footage, look at some of the problems we had and have discussions about that. We spent the weekend doing that, then I’d go back to set.” One of the reasons for the film’s tight schedule was its ultra-low budget. Another was the desire of its producers at AwesomenessTV to have the movie ready for the holiday season, when Dallas’ largely tween girl fan base would be flush with gift cards for online retailers like iTunes and Amazon. Read the full Article. . . . Variety
November 7, 2014 AwesomenessTV’s ‘Expelled’ Movie with Vine Star Cameron Dallas to Get Theatrical, Digital Windows By Todd Spangler AwesomenessTV, the digital-focused division of DreamWorks Animation, will debut high-school comedy film “Expelled” with Vine star Cameron Dallas in the lead role in cinemas next month before releasing it on download-to-own services and VOD. In “Expelled,” Dallas — who has 6.1 million followers on Vine and 2.8 million on YouTube — plays Felix, a prankster who’s kicked out of fictional Eastwood High after one stunt too many. The movie also feature a cast YouTube and Vine creators including Andrea Russett, Lia Marie Johnson, Marcus Johns, Michelle Glavan and Teala Dunn, as well as Matt Shively (Nickelodeon’s “True Jackson, VP”). The film is slated for Dec. 12 theatrical debut in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. An AwesomenessTV rep didn’t have info on which theaters will show “Expelled.” Three days later, on Dec. 16, it will be available to purchase for $9.99 at ExpelledMovie.com and via Apple’s iTunes, Google Play, Comcast, Amazon Instant Video, Target Ticket and Walmart’s Vudu, with pre-orders available starting Friday. The film will be released on cable VOD Dec. 30. AwesomenessTV pacted with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to make “Expelled” available on digital platforms, while it’s working with VHX to power the direct-to-consumer release on ExpelledMovie.com Read the full Article . . . Deadline
May 22, 2019 Cinedigm Crowns ‘Miss Arizona’ By Amanda N'Duka Cinedigm has obtained the North American distribution rights to Miss Arizona, the dramedy that picked up Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2018 Bentonville Film Festival. The pic hails from writer/director Autumn McAlpin, who was propelled by the Women’s March in fall 2016. Miss Arizona marked McAlpin’s feature directorial debut. It’ll get a day-and-date limited theatrical, on demand and digital release July 12 followed by a DVD release August 27. The story follows Rose Raynes (played by Quantico actress Johanna Braddy) who was crowned Miss Arizona 15 years ago. Rose accepts an invitation to teach a life skills class at a women’s shelter where she attempts to share her platform speech with a room of four disinterested women dodging abusive exes. But when trouble shows up at the shelter, the five embark on a wild all-night adventure through L.A.’s darkest streets and wildest drag club as the women fight to survive and discover what they need most. Rounding out the cast are Robyn Lively (Teen Witch), Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (Nashville), Otmara Marrero (Crackle’s Startup), Shoniqua Shandai (I am the Night), Steve Guttenberg (Ballers), Missi Pyle (Nobody’s Fool) as well as Willam and Ginger Minj of RuPaul’s Drag Race. McAlpin and DeAnna Cooper produced the project with Michael McAlpin serving as executive producer. Read the full Article . . . Bloody Disgusting
July 1, 2014 Devon Sawa Toplines ‘The Exorcism of Molly Hartley’! By Brad Miska Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has started production today on The Exorcism of Molly Hartley, the second chapter to 2008’s The Haunting of Molly Hartley first reported here on Bloody-Disgusting back in May. Shooting on location in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the sequel is directed by horror veteran Steven R. Monroe (I Spit On Your Grave, I Spit On Your Grave 2Leprechaun: Origins, Fright Night 2). The cast includes the awesome Devon Sawa(!), best known from Final Destination and Idle Hands, as well as Gina Holden (Final Destination 3, The Butterfly Effect 2), and Sarah Lind (WolfCop, “True Justice”) as Molly Hartley, who now, as an adult, has fallen under the possession of an evil spirit and must be exorcised by a fallen priest before the devil completely takes her. Read the full Article . . . NoHo Arts District
October 5, 2017 By Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros Above The Curve Productions Presents “Dark Stories” We are getting to that most hallowed and creepy time of year, the time when all the theatres in NoHo begin to get their “freaky” on and for this we will remain eternally grateful. I love a good scare, although I do tend to leave fingernail imprints in the arms rests, full disclosure. But only if it’s a good show. So the Actors Workout Studio should probably go ahead and replace the arms of the chair I was sitting in on Saturday night. The four one-act plays, “Wheelchair,” “Lurker,” “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight,” and “Crime in a Madhouse,” all have the intention to terrify of course, but not in an obvious and a brash way. These plays are more of your psychological frighteners, just the kind of thing to keep you up at night…and really jumpy in the day…believe me. Starring: Keegan Winfield, Dani O’Terry, Cameron Weir, Lara Repko, Tom McLaren, Alexis Grace, Drea Monzon, Brett Candace, Adriane Shown, Lucia Jacobson, Diana De Luna, Goreti da Silva, Ron Walsh, Vanessa Lorenzo. Read the full Article . . . LA Weekly
December 10, 2014 Expelled Rated NR · 2014 By Sherilyn Connelly While it's almost enough that Alex Goyette's Expelled redeems its one-word title from memories of the polemical documentary where Ben Stein blames the Holocaust on the theory of evolution, this teen comedy manages to be worthwhile on its own merits. Felix (Cameron Dallas) is an inveterate prankster whose lucky streak finally runs out. Finding himself expelled from high school and with a less-than-exemplary report card, Felix must hide both of these things from his parents (Kristina Hayes and Tom McLaren) while trying to get re-enrolled, despite the efforts of the evil principal (Emilio Palame). Expelled wears its Ferris Bueller's Day Off influences on its sleeve — Felix even narrates the film into the camera — but it also tones down the fantasy wish-fulfillment elements and gives its hero an actual arc and a degree of introspection that keeps him from being an insufferable nozzle. Indeed, this kind of movie lives or dies by how tolerable the lead is, and newcomer Dallas is naturally charismatic onscreen, possibly owing to the fact that he's made hundreds of videos on Vine. Granted, most Vine users probably shouldn't headline a movie, but it seems to have worked for Dallas, as does Goyette's experience directing the AwesomenessTV sketch comedy series. Expelled isn't going to change the world, but it's a fun and promising debut film. |
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