documentary at Houston.BloggersPub

KUHT 8 to air two Houston-area documentaries

Closed Published by mikemcguff September 18th, 2011 on mikemcguff.com blog

KUHT 8 PBS started its Fall Membership Drive this weekend and will debut two Houston-area produced documentaries.

Stitched, The Film, which airs Monday, September 19 at 7 p.m., follows three quilters as they race to complete their entries for Houston’s International Quilt Festival. This quirky documentary was produced by University of Houston graduate and Houston Chronicle business reporter, Jenalia Moreno.

For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair tells the story of Houston’s legendary music venue, Anderson Fair, which has nurtured some of the most important musical performers and songwriters in the country including Lyle Lovett, Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams. Immediately after the documentary’s broadcast on Wednesday September 21 at 7 p.m., the station will broadcast a live Anderson Fair reunion concert from their studios featuring Lyle Lovett, the Shake Russell Trio and other Anderson Fair musicians.

As for the fundraising, with more than 80% of the station’s $9 million dollar budget coming from community support, the station is hoping these shows will encourage people to donate and help them reach their $425,000 goal for the drive.

To become a member of HoustonPBS call 713-743-8483 or visit www.houstonpbs.org. The drive ends September 30th.

‘Born to be Wild’ 3D IMAX at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Closed Published by mikemcguff April 8th, 2011 on mikemcguff.com blog

Thursday night I hit the preview of the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s latest 3D IMAX offering Born To Be Wild 3D (the film starts showing officially today).

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the documentary shows the work of world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary in Borneo and celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya. Both women rehabilitate rescued young ones to one day return them into the wild. I remember seeing Sheldrick’s work profiled on 60 Minutes about five years ago.

3D is no doubt the movie trick du jour, but it does add some nice elements to this film as the animals literally reach out to you. Let’s just say it wasn’t as forced as in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

For more details on the movie and show times in Houston click here.

KTRK 13 editor’s documentary Stick ‘em Up! gets screening

Closed Published by mikemcguff March 3rd, 2011 on mikemcguff.com blog

I’ve been following KTRK 13 editor Alex Luster’s (formerly Fox 26 KRIV) documentary on Houston street art for years. Now a one night only screening of the flick has been scheduled:

Stick ‘Em Up! is an alluring and captivating film that delves into the little known world of wheat pasting, an inner city art form that’s as provocative as it is misunderstood. Documentary filmmaker Alex Luster delves into the minds and motivations behind several guerilla street artists capturing the lifespan of their art… conception, creation, placement and ultimately the removal by the city abatement enforcement.
With commentary by legendary street artists and from top local law enforcement officials, “Stick ’Em Up!” is a gritty, street smart documentary that reveals the secret truth behind some of the prolific images you see everyday.

4-7-11
7:30PM
River Oaks Theater (2009 West Gray)
$10 a seat TICKET INFO

(Photo courtesy of .imelda)

Mark Stevens of Rock 101 KLOL’s Stevens and Pruett has passed away

Closed Published by mikemcguff October 12th, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

Sad news to report from the Houston and Texas radio world. Mark Stevens, half of the legendary Stevens and Pruett Rock 101 KLOL morning show, has died.

I am told by close friends Stevens died in his sleep this morning at 6am.

His long time radio partner, Jim Pruett, is obviously in shock right now.

“I miss him,” Pruett told the mikemcguff.com blog. “It’s sad, it’s a great loss.”

Brian Shannon, who was known as Steven and Pruett’s sidekick Eddie “The Boner” Sanchez, said Stevens was incredibly talented.

“He had one of the biggest hearts and kindest hearts,” Shannon told me. “He helped launch many careers, more than he was given credit for.”

Lanny Griffith, the show’s traffic reporter, said he never knew anyone so serious about a joke.

“He carefully crafted each line of the set-up, and massaged the approach to the punch line like a pilot coming in for a landing with only one wheel down,” Griffith told the mikemcguff.com blog. “His comedy timing was masterfull. No one could work a line like Mark Steves. I loved him and worshipped him. He was the stuff of radio legends. The whole KLOL family has been on the phone crying unabashedly. We have missed him for too long now.”

“Mark Stevens was an extremely influential and innovative radio personality,” former Rock 101 KLOL general manager Pat Fant said. “He was literally the driving force behind the inimitable Stevens and Pruett brand. There have been many who’ve tried to copy their style, but no one really ever came close and Mark was one of principle reasons why. He will be missed and radio has died yet another death as a result of this loss.”

Laurie Kendrick was the Stevens and Pruett news anchor and says he will be greatly missed.

“Mark Stevens was my mentor, my radio father figure, my friend and one of the most influential people I’ve ever known,” Kendrick said. “I owe a great deal to Mark. He was generous and selfless about giving unknowns a chance and so many of us who were on the Stevens and Pruett Show. I owe a great deal to Mark Stevens as does every former member of the show. We’ve lost a giant in the industry.”

As I have blogged before, I am in the middle of producing a documentary on Rock 101 KLOL. Channel 13 is now reporting that Stevens was battling Alzheimer’s. I found this out in the course of shooting interviews for the documentary over the last few months, but did not obviously talk about this on the blog or publicly.

No cause of death is available at this time. Funeral arrangements are pending.

KTRK 13 gets a PR!MO editor in Fox 26 KRIV’s Alex Luster

Closed Published by mikemcguff October 4th, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

I find myself covering Alex Luster a lot on this blog. From his work at Fox 26 KRIV as a creative services editor to his documentary on Houston street artists called Stick ‘Em Up!

Well now Luster is leaving Fox 26 KRIV and heading down Westpark to the studios of KTRK 13 as a video editor for the stations programming department.

“I had great 13 year run at FOX26,” Luster told the mikemcguff.com blog. “I learned a lot and worked with some amazing people along the way. Soon I begin my next chapter at ABC13 in the programming department. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Good luck to Luster. He will be working with some great people at channel 13. Can’t wait to see his documentary either.

WFAA 8’s Gary Cogill leaves TV to start film company

Closed Published by mikemcguff August 3rd, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

What an interesting story. The film critic leaves to start a film company. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.

Gary Cogill has been a fixture in Dallas at WFAA 8 for 24 years. He’s reviewed movies and lately covered the DFW arts scene. Cogill tells the Dallas Morning News it is time for his next career:

Cogill announced that he will leave the station when his current three-year contract expires Oct. 31. His new endeavor: LasCaux Films LLC, a new film production company he has started with local anesthesiologist Richard Toussaint and Neal Richards Group managing partner Derrick Evers.

“I’ve had an amazing first half of my career,” Cogill said. “Now I’m excited to find out how creative I really am. You spend your life talking movies, but deep down inside I’ve always wanted to make movies.” READ THE REST

I was always impressed that WFAA had a film critic and art scene reporter. Sounds more San Francisco than a city in Texas. Always enjoyed his reviews on a personal level too. Good luck to Cogill.

Rock 101 KLOL’s Jim Pruett raps about guns to Mike McGuff

Closed Published by mikemcguff August 2nd, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

Jim Pruett, of the former Stevens and Pruett duo, is truly a performer and that was very obvious last Friday when I interviewed him for the Rock 101 KLOL documentary I am producing. Photographer Scott Myers shot this video from his EVO behind the actual cameras we were using for the doc. Have you heard Pruett’s rabbit voice by the way?

VIDEO: Houston documentary Stick ‘Em Up!’s latest trailer

Closed Published by mikemcguff July 29th, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

I told you last year how Houston filmmaker Alex “PR!MO” Luster was working on a documentary about street artists who are into wheatpasting in the Bayou City. The project is called Stick ‘Em Up! The films latest trailer is out.

WATCH IT HERE (NSFW!)

Here is a description of the documentary:

Stick ‘Em Up! is an alluring and captivating film that delves into the little known world of wheat pasting, an inner city art form that’s as provocative as it is misunderstood. Documentary filmmaker Alex ‘PR!MO’ Luster delves into the minds and motivations behind several guerilla street artists capturing the lifespan of their art… conception, creation, placement and ultimately the removal by the city abatement enforcement.
With commentary by legendary street artists and from top local law enforcement officials, “Stick ’Em Up!” is a gritty, street smart documentary that reveals the secret truth behind some of the prolific images you see everyday.

http://www.stickemupmovie.com

Ask the Rock 101 KLOL DJs your questions

Closed Published by mikemcguff July 22nd, 2010 on mikemcguff.com blog

I am interviewing Dayna Steele, the First Lady of Houston Rock Radio, from the legendary Rock 101 KLOL. She’s going to tell me all about those wild times in Houston radio. http://www.daynasteele.com/

What questions would you ask her? Let me know.

If you have questions for Stevens and Pruett, Outlaw Dave, Lanny Griffith…etc. let me know those too!