Margie Thorpe is a back sassin', whiskey sippin', country singin' Southern Diva. Her mother Alma is a working class Norma Desmond graced with the regional talent for spinning tall tales out of life's tragedy. Alma's bizarre views on sexuality, motherhood and mail-order sweepstakes make her a living, breathing shrine to Southern Gothic. A rape by an uncle in a cotton field at age seven is described as the seduction of Adam by Eve. Past lovers are romanticized as bank robbers, murderers and...Elvis Presley. This intimate and darkly humorous portrait of the Thorpe family follows Margie's struggle with a mentally ill mother and an abusive, alcoholic father. Framed by accusations of incest, ALMA is an unflinching examination of family secrets and pain tangled up in love.

U.S. DVD Release: July 29, 2008

Johnny Boy is a Chicago failed writer on the brink of madness. In a last act of desperation he drives to New York to run down a phantom deal for his last play. Along for the ride are the drug dealer, Aristotle for whom Johnny does strong arm collections and his sexually self-destructive girlfriend and out of work actress Anita. They hit the road and the road hits back. The drug- fueled all-night drive devolves into sadistic mind games, sex games and when Johnny Boy meets up Max, a deadly Southie gangster-an explosion of unpredictable violence.

 

U.S. DVD Release: July 29, 2008

MIDLOTHIA is a story of relationships brought to the brink. A genuine film about finding truth and self-worth by any means necessary. In this original interpretation of an unusual love rectangle, Midlothia takes viewers into the depths of a small town in Texas, where on the surface values appear simple. The paths of four friends overlook different, but intersecting horizons. Overcome with the need to fix the mistakes of his life, hero Fred, gives way to underlying truths that motivate his friends. Eyes are opened and one is left on the road to an uncertain destiny. MIDLOTHIA had its World Premiere screening at the Lake County Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, followed by sold-out screenings at AFI Dallas and selections at Indianapolis and Watefront Film Festivals.

U.S. DVD Release: July 29, 2008

Waiting For The Man, a crime drama about the aftermath of the death of a Chicago mob boss who was telling his life story to a writer. It received many positive reviews, and comparisons that ranged from The Godfather, Tarrantino and Godard.

 

U.S. DVD Release: October 30, 2007

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As Smart As They Are: The Author Project, an Award-Winning half-music/half-literary documentary from director Joe Pacheco that chronicles the creation of the band One Ring Zero's most recent CD, which features lyrics by several best-selling authors and McSweeny's regulars.

 

U.S. DVD Release: October 30, 2007