{"id":39777,"date":"2025-06-30T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T18:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/?p=39777"},"modified":"2025-06-30T02:23:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T09:23:31","slug":"btl-radio-show-06-30-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/behindthelensonline.net\/site\/miscellaneous\/behind-the-lens-podcast\/btl-radio-show-06-30-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"BTL Radio Show – 06\/30\/2025 with NICK VERDI talking SWEET RELIEF and DANIEL J. CLARK & JOE KWACZALA talking AMERICAN COMIC"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This week on BEHIND THE LENS, we\u2019re taking a look at a new indie film that just released in select theatres and on Eventive VOD on Friday, SWEET RELIEF, with writer\/director\/editor NICK VERDI. \u00a0And we\u2019ll take one more look at Dances With Films 2025 with the oh-so-funny mockumentary AMERICAN COMIC with director\/cinematographer\/editor DANIEL J. CLARK and writer\/actor JOE KWACZALA.\u00a0 AMERICAN COMIC helped close out the festival last night.<\/p>\n

First up, let\u2019s turn our lens to SWEET RELIEF. \u00a0Written and directed, and edited, by NICK VERDI, SWEET RELIEF is a film that starts as a slow burn, gaining momentum as seemingly unrelated characters and storylines begin to interweave until the shocking, explosive climax in this arthouse thriller.<\/p>\n

Parents and teachers in a small New England town are in a panic over kids playing SWEET RELIEF, an online murder challenge in which the player must nominate someone they’d like to see die. Three teenagers play the game as a joke, unaware of the dire consequences awaiting them.\u00a0\u00a0Meanwhile, Jess and Nathan are a bored, millennial couple struggling to get by. Nathan is annoyed with his mother, and Jess is annoyed with Nathan. \u00a0Jess\u2019s curiosity and boredom lead to a dangerous situation of her own when she meets Gerald, a confidential police informant and perhaps a sadistic child killer.<\/p>\n

As you will hear in this exclusive interview, we break down the film as Nick explains the film’s genesis, including the challenge of shooting in six consecutive days with a large cast and outdoor settings, and the film\u2019s non-linear narrative. \u00a0He details the evolution of the story and some of the decisions he made along the way.\u00a0 The film’s strong suits include solid production values, character development, which boasts some standout performances by Paul Lazar and B.R. Yeager, a unique blend of pastoral imagery and unsettling themes, Joseph Ogden\u2019s lighting and lensing, and the importance of Jack Stratton\u2019s sound design and Renato Montenegro\u2019s score. \u00a0The sound and score are a real highlight in SWEET RELIEF.<\/p>\n

SWEET RELIEF is now showing at the Laemmle Encino and is available on Eventive VOD.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n