Film

It was another Jason-less week on yesterday's episode of "On the Lot," the Fox reality filmmaking competition. That guarantees that Winchester native Jason Epperson's film will be shown next Tuesday, the third week of showing five films an episode from among 15 created by the show's remaining contestants. Make that 14 - Trever James was sent home last night after America voted following the first five films being shown. His short, "Teri (Blind Date)," a comedy about a guy who imagines all sorts of horrific women who may turn out to be his blind date, received the least votes.

David Neikirk was looking to add another credit to an already wide-ranging resume as well as alleviate boredom when he signed on to act in "Dance With A Vampire," a horror film that was shot in Lexington, Frankfort and Richmond. The resume includes an extensive background in public relations and business management, including owning and running multi-million dollar companies, as well as working with jazz festivals and the fashion industry. Neikirk, a Danville resident, says he's dealt with most of the designers in the industry.

LEBANON - An open casting call has been announced for Just Us League Films newest indie production, "Mountain Mafia," now being filmed here. The film, directed by Cherokee Hall, is seeking one woman, age 18-30, and two men, age 30-50. Each will have a speaking role in one scene. There is no pay but actors will be credited, receive a copy of the finished film, and be fed the day of the shooting. Actors should mail or deliver a headshot and resume to the Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission, 239 N. Spalding Ave. Ste. 200, Lebanon KY 40033-1518 no later than Tuesday.

Director Peter Jackson long has said the 1933 original "King Kong" is his favorite film, and remaking it is a life-long dream. Now, having seen the remake, it becomes impossible to refute his claim. "King Kong" has been brought back to cinematic life with such care that every single frame of the film breathes with passion and excitement, and because of this, it's one of the best films of the year. Anne Darrow (Naomi Watts) is a down-on-her-luck vaudeville actress, who has just recently become unemployed.

Most movies are judged by their generic qualities. Authors constantly suggest that all the great stories already have been told, that storytellers are just improving the old ones. I haven't always bought that idea, but I do realize the importance of the genre film. Every horror movie must follow a loose formula. The same goes for action films, romantic comedies, and so on. So when a film comes along like Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain," viewers scratch their heads. But this is nothing new. Every once in a great while in Hollywood a movie, or more generally a director, comes along that throws all rules and conventions out of the proverbial window.

LEXINGTON - When he was a star at Lexington Catholic, Winston Guy never really watched any film except for a scouting report on an upcoming opponent. He never worried about studying film of himself to critique his strengths and weaknesses in hopes of becoming a better player. That has changed at Kentucky. "I am working hard in the film room to learn things I need to know to get ready for a big season," said Guy, a sophomore safety. "I like the whole system here where we can come in and watch film anytime that we want.

"The Visitation," based on the novel by Frank Peretti, will be released on Jan. 20 in major cities, including Louisville. The movie, which was filmed in Poland, is directed by Robby Henson, formerly of Danville and son of Pioneer Playhouse founder Eben Henson. James Horan, a graduate of Centre College, also has a part in the film. "The Visitation" tells the story of the small town of Antioch and the revival it undergoes with the arrival of a strange man, proclaiming himself a prophet.

Maybe we can just call this Filmgate. Whatever you want to call it, Friday's Boyle County-Mercer County football game might just have a little extra spice over a film exchange. Normally, teams trade two game films before they play. Traditionally that will be done on a Saturday so coaches can study film over the weekend before practice resumes again on a Monday. However, that's where the twist hits. Boyle coach Larry French wanted to trade the last two films - a win against Lexington Catholic and a romp over West Jessamine - for Mercer's last two films - losses to Greeneville, Tenn.

After Notre Dame beat Army 13-7 in 1924, sportswriter Grantland Rice bestowed football immortality upon the Fighting Irish and their great backfield with his incomparable lead: "Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. " On Thursday night, the legendary Praying Colonels of Centre College rode again, too. Once more, they proved they were college football's best, just as they did on Oct. 29, 1921, when they beat mighty Harvard 6-0 on its home field in Cambridge, Mass.

She had to wait around all day, but 10-year-old DeAngela Keller and her 11-year-old cousin, Laken True, finally caught sight of Michael Welch. And it was all over from there. "My mind went blank after awhile. I was like, 'What am I focusing on?'" DeAngela said. For adolescent girls and fans of "Twilight," having Michael Welch, known for his role as Mike Newton, literally in their own backyard is the dream of a lifetime. Just thank local director Jason Epperson. When Epperson was tapped to direct teen thriller "Unrequited," he wanted to film in Kentucky, and that included two days of shooting right here in Winchester at the home of David Lankford on Long Avenue.