Screening: Randy and the Mob
The married principals of Ginny Mule Pictures bring their latest production, the comedy Randy and the Mob, to the Virginia Film Festival this year. In previous years, the couple brought their Academy Award-winning dark comedy short, The Accountant, and their acclaimed 2004 drama, Chrystal, with Billy Bob Thornton. In all their films, Ray McKinnon writes and directs; his wife Lisa Blount and friend Walton Goggins co-produce; and all three star.
The trio hail from the South (McKinnon and Goggins from Georgia, and Blount from Arkansas) and their films, all set in that region, demonstrate an unerring sense of place and an appreciation of the region free from the usual Hollywood stereotypes. They are not, however, new to Hollywood; all are veteran actors with long lists of TV and film credits.
McKinnon’s credits include dozens of roles, especially in episodic television, for which he may be best known as Reverend Smith on Deadwood, while his recent film credits include O Brother, Where Art Thou? Lisa Blount’s first major role, as Lynette in An Officer and a Gentleman, garnered her a Golden Globe nomination as “Best New Star,� and her many subsequent roles have included parts in indie films, horror movies, and television, most notably Profit.
Their appearances and their films have been hits at several major film festivals; most recently, Randy and the Mob won both the President’s Award and the Audience Choice Award at the Nashville Film Festival.
