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My Name is 'A' By Anonymous
Premiere 2012 Length 90 Minutes DVD Release Sep. 23, 2014
Distributors Wild Eye Releasing (North America), Princ Films (International Sales Rep). Starring Katie Marsh, Demi Baumann, Kaliya Skye, Alex Damiano, Teona Dolnikova, Joseph Marsh, Sean Cain, Domiziano Arcangeli Director, Writer, Editor Shane Ryan Camera Arturo Guerrero Producer Alisha Rayne |
Synopsis
Directed and created by Shane Ryan, the movie was shot shortly after the events which inspired it (15 year old Alyssa Bustamante was convicted of killing her 9 year old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten). Compared to the likes of David Lynch, Larry Clark, Harmony Korine and John Cassavetes, the film explores teen self-mutilation, bulimia, rape, bullying and depression in its most real and raw form, incorporating partial found-footage snippets and brief actual acts.
My Name is A by anonymous features internationally famous Russian pop star Teona Dolnikova (formerly of the band Slot), Demi Baumann (younger sister of Ken Baumann from The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Domiziano Arcangeli (Scary or Die, Ambushed, Virus X), introducing Katie Marsh as Alyssa, and was co-produced by filmmaker Ryan Nicholson (Live Feed, Hanger, Gutterballs, The Profane Exhibit) and actor Kevin Gage (Michael Mann's Heat, Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane, Blow, Chaos, May, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Knockaround Guys, Con Air).
Note: Under Digital/VOD/Cable the film is titled Alyssa: Portrait of a Teen Killer.
DVD Extras: Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Trailers, Short Films, Music Videos, Original 20 minute Version, Additional Hour-Long Version of the film.
Directed and created by Shane Ryan, the movie was shot shortly after the events which inspired it (15 year old Alyssa Bustamante was convicted of killing her 9 year old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten). Compared to the likes of David Lynch, Larry Clark, Harmony Korine and John Cassavetes, the film explores teen self-mutilation, bulimia, rape, bullying and depression in its most real and raw form, incorporating partial found-footage snippets and brief actual acts.
My Name is A by anonymous features internationally famous Russian pop star Teona Dolnikova (formerly of the band Slot), Demi Baumann (younger sister of Ken Baumann from The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Domiziano Arcangeli (Scary or Die, Ambushed, Virus X), introducing Katie Marsh as Alyssa, and was co-produced by filmmaker Ryan Nicholson (Live Feed, Hanger, Gutterballs, The Profane Exhibit) and actor Kevin Gage (Michael Mann's Heat, Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane, Blow, Chaos, May, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Knockaround Guys, Con Air).
Note: Under Digital/VOD/Cable the film is titled Alyssa: Portrait of a Teen Killer.
DVD Extras: Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Trailers, Short Films, Music Videos, Original 20 minute Version, Additional Hour-Long Version of the film.
Posters & Images
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Press/Screenings
Festivals
-2012 Pollygrind Film Festival (Las Vegas) *Winner, Best Arthouse Film
-2013 Queen City Film Festival (Maryland)
-2014 Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival (Switzerland) Shane Ryan retrospective series
-2015 Melbourne Underground Film Festival (Australia) Special Presentation - FakeShemp.net Double Feature Event
-2016 Guerilla Moviemaking Awards (Online Awards Festival) *Winner, Alex Damiano - Best Supporting Actress *Winner, Teona Dolnikova - Best Song *Runner Up, Shane Ryan - Best Director *Runner Up, Katie Marsh, Kaliya Skye, Teona Dolnikova, Demi Baumann - Best Supporting Actress
-2018 Romford Film Festival (London, UK) Shane Ryan retrospective series
Interviews/Features
-Shane Ryan speaks with Flickering Myth, Fugitive Cinema (1, 2), [re]searchmytrash, HorrorFansReview, Bad Ronald, Movie Sleuth, Fake Shemp, Creative Future
-Featured in Santa Barbara News Press, Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, Wok of Entrails Magazine Menu 1 (first issue), News Tribune, Fox News, Shock Cinema Magazine, Ultra Violent Magazine, Video Librarian, Starburst Magazine, Goregasmic Magazine, Film Daily, Screen Realm (compared to Malick's A Hidden Life), Horror Cult Films, MyIndie Productions, Culture Addicts, All Lights Film Magazine
-Demi Baumann speaks with Bad Ronald, Alex Damiano speaks with Bad Ronald
-Best Films You Didn't See in 2011 Film Monthly ranked #1
-Featured in the books The New Flesh: 21st Century Horror Vol. 1, Les dossiers Sadique-master Dissection du cinéma underground extrême, Hardcore Horror in the 21st Century: Production, Marketing and Consumption
Reviews
"a lost gem that needs to be discovered...what [Ryan] achieves is the kind of powerful statement on society that so many directors and politicians choose to ignore...makes Lars Von Trier look like Mr Happy...you leave this film feeling upset and emotionally scarred...a sign that the director’s work is that of a masterpiece." -BloodGuts UK Horror
"#1 Best Film You Didn't See in 2011...shot with the immediacy of a documentary film...both disturbing and heartbreaking...painfully honest...just a raw and honest and poetic portrayal of life gone wrong." -Film Monthly
"the world of teen angst in the late 2000s...I'd like to think that if Harmony Korine made Megan is Missing, it would have resembled something like this film. The film feels so real at times...as far as capturing the day of angsty teens of the 00s, Ryan completely nailed it" -Day of the Woman
"It scrapes your senses with raw human elements such as fragility, despair, and pain." -Yahoo
"a great story...like a poem, it was told beautifully...with the portrayals feeling so real, I was able to immerse myself in the puzzle that was the story. It was like watching twisted home movies of people that really exist...I have to say, with high praise, that this one hit the mark." -HorrorMovies.ca
"It's depressing, horrid, terrifying and terrific...This film will haunt you. Find it." -Movies Made Me
"the feel of Harmony Korine’s Gummo or Larry Clark’s Kids depending on what scene you are watching. Director Shane Ryan really creates an art house film that is going to be heavily talked about one way or another." -WickedChannel.com
"Ryan unveils loss of innocence and tasks viewers with understanding. Never straying or shying from the ugly, life is served as it is, raw...As I watched I was reminded of the seminal work of John Cassavetes. Ryan shares the filmmaker's immediate and spare style which made Cassavetes' best work so intimate. The actors tell the story without ever having to spell it out...Dynamic performances from the entire ensemble hard wire the film and provide a sobering reality to the proceedings" -KillingBoxx
"a rather brutal and depressing affair to watch and it is those traits that make this an intensely moving experience." -Nerdly.co.uk
"reckless, heartbreaking, bold...poetic, dreamlike images...even days later My Name is 'A' is still reverberating...Shane Ryan has created a gripping, dark true crime drama" -Unsere Kleine Filmwelt
"The production is simple but effective and that combined with a very hard to watch, disturbing story is a real visual assault.....not only a powerful film but an important one as well...realistic and brilliant performances...gritty, shocking and scary...it's a wake up call...draws the audience in, grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go till the heart breaking end. It will leave you thinking about it long after it's over." -Video Views
"an unflinching portrait...[and] a deeply troubling film, but one which, in all honesty, should probably be seen and discussed by as many people as possible. Bold, daring, disturbing and heartbreaking." -The London Film Review
"Not for the faint of heart, [the film] and the filmmaker behind it really seem to be inventing a new subgenre that could almost be described as 'horror-realism,' in which the real lives of the characters seem more filled with horror than a horror movie...Shane Ryan is definitely a filmmaker to watch. He can sure disturb and upset with the best of them." -FugitiveCinema.com
"It is a stunning and sometimes shocking piece of underground cinema." -More Horror
"The casting of this film is flawless. You will be hard pressed to find many indie films that are so well acted...Ryan also deals with self injurious behavior very adeptly with a clear social statement...It is truly an unforgettable and powerful piece of film making." -HorrorFansReview.com
"a very astute observation on the human condition...[and] an experience that is unlike any other. For those who can handle it, I highly recommend it...it is a truly imaginative and intriguing way to tell a story." -Rogue Cinema
"Ryan looks at what happened in the way a skilled documentary maker might make a murderer human....a profoundly sad tale which covers the reality for many troubled teenagers, against the backdrop of a tragic murder." -International Syndicate of Cult Film Critics
"a film that crawled under my skin and rattled me to my core" -FilmPulse.net
"A very chilling tale not so much about murder but about social neglect and teenage wastelands...puts an emphasis on atmosphere and makes you identify with the girls and their inner emptiness...shocking...so powerful...Absolutely recommended...but be warned, this is one depressing film." -[re]searchmytrash
"raw...not a comfortable film...not a pleasant one...Shane Ryan manages to create a cinematic experience that is as arty as it is unsettling...I liked having all the different stories play out simultaneously and then, at the very end, suddenly finding myself forced to question all that I had just experienced, for good or bad. The value in the film, for me, is that journey." -Film Threat
"Shane Ryan is one of the most underrated independent directors out there" -Moria: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
"Ryan’s film puts Elizabeth’s death at the feet of a damaged and twisted society rather than the act of a single person, and does so in a way that is equal parts disturbing and heart wrenching." -Life After Undeath
-2012 Pollygrind Film Festival (Las Vegas) *Winner, Best Arthouse Film
-2013 Queen City Film Festival (Maryland)
-2014 Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival (Switzerland) Shane Ryan retrospective series
-2015 Melbourne Underground Film Festival (Australia) Special Presentation - FakeShemp.net Double Feature Event
-2016 Guerilla Moviemaking Awards (Online Awards Festival) *Winner, Alex Damiano - Best Supporting Actress *Winner, Teona Dolnikova - Best Song *Runner Up, Shane Ryan - Best Director *Runner Up, Katie Marsh, Kaliya Skye, Teona Dolnikova, Demi Baumann - Best Supporting Actress
-2018 Romford Film Festival (London, UK) Shane Ryan retrospective series
Interviews/Features
-Shane Ryan speaks with Flickering Myth, Fugitive Cinema (1, 2), [re]searchmytrash, HorrorFansReview, Bad Ronald, Movie Sleuth, Fake Shemp, Creative Future
-Featured in Santa Barbara News Press, Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, Wok of Entrails Magazine Menu 1 (first issue), News Tribune, Fox News, Shock Cinema Magazine, Ultra Violent Magazine, Video Librarian, Starburst Magazine, Goregasmic Magazine, Film Daily, Screen Realm (compared to Malick's A Hidden Life), Horror Cult Films, MyIndie Productions, Culture Addicts, All Lights Film Magazine
-Demi Baumann speaks with Bad Ronald, Alex Damiano speaks with Bad Ronald
-Best Films You Didn't See in 2011 Film Monthly ranked #1
-Featured in the books The New Flesh: 21st Century Horror Vol. 1, Les dossiers Sadique-master Dissection du cinéma underground extrême, Hardcore Horror in the 21st Century: Production, Marketing and Consumption
Reviews
"a lost gem that needs to be discovered...what [Ryan] achieves is the kind of powerful statement on society that so many directors and politicians choose to ignore...makes Lars Von Trier look like Mr Happy...you leave this film feeling upset and emotionally scarred...a sign that the director’s work is that of a masterpiece." -BloodGuts UK Horror
"#1 Best Film You Didn't See in 2011...shot with the immediacy of a documentary film...both disturbing and heartbreaking...painfully honest...just a raw and honest and poetic portrayal of life gone wrong." -Film Monthly
"the world of teen angst in the late 2000s...I'd like to think that if Harmony Korine made Megan is Missing, it would have resembled something like this film. The film feels so real at times...as far as capturing the day of angsty teens of the 00s, Ryan completely nailed it" -Day of the Woman
"It scrapes your senses with raw human elements such as fragility, despair, and pain." -Yahoo
"a great story...like a poem, it was told beautifully...with the portrayals feeling so real, I was able to immerse myself in the puzzle that was the story. It was like watching twisted home movies of people that really exist...I have to say, with high praise, that this one hit the mark." -HorrorMovies.ca
"It's depressing, horrid, terrifying and terrific...This film will haunt you. Find it." -Movies Made Me
"the feel of Harmony Korine’s Gummo or Larry Clark’s Kids depending on what scene you are watching. Director Shane Ryan really creates an art house film that is going to be heavily talked about one way or another." -WickedChannel.com
"Ryan unveils loss of innocence and tasks viewers with understanding. Never straying or shying from the ugly, life is served as it is, raw...As I watched I was reminded of the seminal work of John Cassavetes. Ryan shares the filmmaker's immediate and spare style which made Cassavetes' best work so intimate. The actors tell the story without ever having to spell it out...Dynamic performances from the entire ensemble hard wire the film and provide a sobering reality to the proceedings" -KillingBoxx
"a rather brutal and depressing affair to watch and it is those traits that make this an intensely moving experience." -Nerdly.co.uk
"reckless, heartbreaking, bold...poetic, dreamlike images...even days later My Name is 'A' is still reverberating...Shane Ryan has created a gripping, dark true crime drama" -Unsere Kleine Filmwelt
"The production is simple but effective and that combined with a very hard to watch, disturbing story is a real visual assault.....not only a powerful film but an important one as well...realistic and brilliant performances...gritty, shocking and scary...it's a wake up call...draws the audience in, grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go till the heart breaking end. It will leave you thinking about it long after it's over." -Video Views
"an unflinching portrait...[and] a deeply troubling film, but one which, in all honesty, should probably be seen and discussed by as many people as possible. Bold, daring, disturbing and heartbreaking." -The London Film Review
"Not for the faint of heart, [the film] and the filmmaker behind it really seem to be inventing a new subgenre that could almost be described as 'horror-realism,' in which the real lives of the characters seem more filled with horror than a horror movie...Shane Ryan is definitely a filmmaker to watch. He can sure disturb and upset with the best of them." -FugitiveCinema.com
"It is a stunning and sometimes shocking piece of underground cinema." -More Horror
"The casting of this film is flawless. You will be hard pressed to find many indie films that are so well acted...Ryan also deals with self injurious behavior very adeptly with a clear social statement...It is truly an unforgettable and powerful piece of film making." -HorrorFansReview.com
"a very astute observation on the human condition...[and] an experience that is unlike any other. For those who can handle it, I highly recommend it...it is a truly imaginative and intriguing way to tell a story." -Rogue Cinema
"Ryan looks at what happened in the way a skilled documentary maker might make a murderer human....a profoundly sad tale which covers the reality for many troubled teenagers, against the backdrop of a tragic murder." -International Syndicate of Cult Film Critics
"a film that crawled under my skin and rattled me to my core" -FilmPulse.net
"A very chilling tale not so much about murder but about social neglect and teenage wastelands...puts an emphasis on atmosphere and makes you identify with the girls and their inner emptiness...shocking...so powerful...Absolutely recommended...but be warned, this is one depressing film." -[re]searchmytrash
"raw...not a comfortable film...not a pleasant one...Shane Ryan manages to create a cinematic experience that is as arty as it is unsettling...I liked having all the different stories play out simultaneously and then, at the very end, suddenly finding myself forced to question all that I had just experienced, for good or bad. The value in the film, for me, is that journey." -Film Threat
"Shane Ryan is one of the most underrated independent directors out there" -Moria: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
"Ryan’s film puts Elizabeth’s death at the feet of a damaged and twisted society rather than the act of a single person, and does so in a way that is equal parts disturbing and heart wrenching." -Life After Undeath
