BRINGING IT HOME
New Mexico native films ‘Top Gunner’ in Land of Enchantment
For independent filmmakers, it’s often difficult to see a finished product.
It’s almost David versus Goliath when indie films go against major studio releases.
But filmmaker Daniel Lusko is working hard and beating some of the odds.
He’s moved away from his native New Mexico and returned to make films.
His latest film, “Top Gunner,” was released on demand on June 26 on platforms including Apple TV+. It stars actor Eric Roberts.
He always wanted to film in New Mexico and finally did with this movie.
“I’ve made movies in Los Angeles and Nashville,” he says. “But there’s a unique attitude to New Mexico that you don’t find elsewhere. I love the people here and the spirit towards it. That’s what happened when we finished this film. A group of New Mexicans outside of our production pulled together.”
Another milestone that was reached was that many of the above-the-line positions were held my New Mexicans.
“This is my chance to bring film to my home state and hire my fellow New Mexicans,” he says. “I keep creating new content and have the distribution through Amazon to get the productions seen.”
To read more about Lusko’s journey with “Top Gunner,” see Page 10.
Inside this week’s issue, two new films have hit both Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
The first is the Dave Bautista-led “My Spy,” which was originally scheduled for a theatrical release before the pandemic hit. Amazon Prime Video picked it up for streaming. The review is on Page 4.
On Page 6 is a review of “Hamilton, which features the original Broadway cast, which begins streaming on Friday, July 3.
Saturday is Fourth of July, and there are social distancing and virtual events going on. See Page 8 to read more about the statewide events.
Be safe over the holiday weekend, and thank you for turning, once again, to Venue for your entertainment.