Last night, I had the privilege of attending the world premiere of the Afterlight Pictures feature film,"Carl", written and directed by Greg Daniel.  "Carl" has been described as "a psychological horror/thriller depicting a backwoods family with a dark secret" and it delivered all of that, plus more. 

I was immediately impressed with the creative eye of the cinematographers; the attention to detail in each camera shot set the mood for the film.  I think that, when we hear that a movie is an independent film, we all lower our expectations a bit, but I have good news!  You can keep your expectations right where they would be as if you were walking into the local Regal Cinemas to see the season's hottest horror flick.  "Carl" delivers. 

The performances by each and every one of the actors was top notch.  I've recently become acquainted with the film's star, Matt Cornwell, and was simultaneously impressed and disturbed by his performance as Carl.  He captured the audience and left us feeling both sorry for him and against him.  Carl's mother, played by the gifted Peg Thon, thoroughly disgusted me in all the ways she was meant to.  The films other stars, Robert Pralgo and Cheri Christian, playing the married couple who take a vacation that changes their lives forever, gave the audience something to hope for, pushing us to the edge of our seats to see what their fate would be.  I was especially bowled over by Cheri's performance and what a meaty role she not only played, but conquered.  Kudos to Cheri for her versatility. 

It was so fun to be in the room with the director, cast and crew as they saw their film on the big screen for the first time.  The screening was followed by a brief Q&A in the theatre and a signing in the lobby.  There was so much buzz in the lobby of the theatre as everyone was discussing their own interpretation of the film and gushing on how well done "Carl" was.  Always a good sign.

My brother, Brian Melvin (AKA:  Deco23), has been diligently working on his art since early childhood and I'm so excited to see him getting some recognition and big opportunities now!  Brian is most known for his graffiti art that can be found all over Detroit.  He creates colorful, imaginative little characters that are both cute and frightening all at the same time, and posts his work most often to street signs around Detroit, basically giving them to those who take the time to remove the pieces and keep them for their own. 

Brian was recently asked to be a part of the new Ford-sponsored NBC reality show, Escape Routes, assisting 2 of the cast members in their Atlanta urban challenge to create an interactive mural that beats out the competition.  Before meeting the artists, all 6 of the teams had the chance to see one piece by each person, selecting their artist based on his or her work.  Since Brett and Ross of the White Team had earned the most points in previous challenges, they had the first pick.  Seeing his creativity and how well-versed Brian is in large scale pieces, the guys ran to his painting, making him the first artist selected.  The idea is that he would have to create a work of art that incorporates a Ford Escape, as well as Brett and Ross.  What better to do than have the White Team saving Atlanta by throwing a laser beam at a fire-breathing dragon wreaking havoc on the city?  His idea was in place and on the morning of the competition, we were ready bright and early, spray paint cans in hand, to make it come to life.  The team and artist were allowed to take a handful of people off the street to assist in the creation of the mural, so I had the opportunity to help out (good brother-sister bonding time).  We were timed with only 4 hours to complete the project, start to finish.  Deco23 traced out the buildings first, and the team went to work, coloring them all in with spray paint.  This was my first time working with spray paint and I now have a newfound respect for all graffiti artists-- it's a lot harder than it looks and my forearms are KILLING me from pressing down the top of the paint can!  Brian directed us all to help with fill-ins while he traced out other portions of the mural, as well as took care of all the detailing and multiple on-camera interviews during the small time window.  At the 4 hour mark, the show's host, Rossi Moreale, stood up on a platform and yelled out for us to drop our paint and step away from the murals.  I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to hang out with the team, spend a day painting on set, and most importantly, get to help my brother accomplish this task.