We’re in the home stretch on shooting “The Violent Kind” and man, what a ride. Since this is my maiden voyage into producing a film, I’ve been really staying back and trying to learn as much as I can from executive producers Jeffery Allard (Executive Producer of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes!) and K’Dee Miller. These two are in constant motion from under stacks of paperwork that keeps everyone paid and keeps us all legal. While I always figured there was bunches of finer points in a fairly big film production, I had no idea this much work goes on behind closed doors. Brutal.
The other producers Michael Ferris Gibson, Jeremy Platt, Malek Akkad and Andy Gould are all bringing something special to the party. Jeremy Platt is like Johnny Hustle, constantly working the phones, texts and emails to keep the buzz going on the film. Malek and Andy are holding down the fort in L.A. as they’re undoubtedly knee-deep in prepping “Halloween II” but having them on-board means a ton to the film plus they added to our buzz at Comic-Con. But the guy I’m clinging to like a bad rash is Gibson. He and I are both Bay Area guys and watching him work and maintain a sense of sanity is pretty cool. The guy knows his shit and not only does he not pull any punches, he isn’t a jerk about things. He’s calm and cool and gets shit done. Definitely someone who’s style I’d like to emulate should I decide to produce another film. While these guys and K’Dee are the brain trust, it’s truly a team effort in creating this film.
Directors Mitchell Altieri and Phill Flores (aka The Butcher Brothers) are complete pros on set. They know what they want and are capable of explaining it in a way that is direct, friendly and makes sense. It helps when your DP is James Laxton, Independent Spirit Award nominee for the phenomenal film “Medicine for Melancholy.” While I’d love to single out each crew member and PA and give them props, no one wants to read that besides them and I guarantee you they’re all too busy working or sleeping to care at this point. Plus, that would leave room for our amazing cast who I’m constantly in awe of in both their process and performances.
While I’m still not going to spill much info on what “The Violent Kind” is about, I can say a few things about our stars and what I’ve seen from them thus far on the shoot. Our lead Cory Knauf as “Cody” is a guy I (and the rest of the world) really noticed in “The Hamiltons.” While just barely out of his teens then, Knauf has always had “it.” A quiet intensity coupled with a likeability you just don’t find everyday. I had heard he’s a really hard worker on sets but that’s really an understatement. The guy is on when that camera rolls and watching him get to the on position is pretty incredible. Our other leading man is Bret Roberts who plays “Q” and he’s been damn good at matching Cory in his intensity.
Much like Knauf, Roberts is a guy whose day in the spotlight is going to happen soon. He reminds me of a moodier and more intense Josh Brolin and having him on set is just plain fun. The guy can be in full on ass-kicking mode as Q. one second and then the next, he’s cracking everyone up on set. He’s also the unofficial ring leader of “The Yard,” a fairly private little section of dorms at a nearby college campus where after work parties rage until noon. Why noon? Because everyone is getting off of work at 6:00 a.m.! Our other male cast member is newcomer Nick Tagas who plays Q. and Cody’s wingman Elroy. Again, since I can’t go too much into the plot of the film, I’ll just say Elroy is the kind of guy you simply cannot make a solid horror film without. Call it comic relief or some kind of everyday relatability, Tagas has all that stuff and then some. Plus, he’s a fellow San Francisco State alum and a great guy. Now, for the ladies…
Our leading lady is Christina Grace who plays Megan, a kind of sweet and preppy girl stuck in with a bad group of bikers. Grace has been in all sorts of TV shows but she’s been incredible to watch filming “The Violent Kind.” Let’s just say bad things happen and it must be exhausting to act and react through them all each and every night. But she does it and looks perfect in the role. Taylor Cole who plays Shade is probably the biggest name we have in the cast and to be honest, I was intimidated to meet her. She was on “Heroes” and “Summerland” and she’s a total knock-out. I’m just some film geek from Northern California so I was afraid we might have a diva in our midst but fortunately, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Cole is a total trooper as she carries on each and every night in the cold and bloody world the Butch Brothers have created. Her characterization of Shade is exactly as I pictured it when I read the script; sexy, smart and not afraid to throw blows. And then, there’s Tiffany Shepis as Michelle.
I’ve known Shepis for years and we’ve only hung out once. When I was at AFI Dallas I was stoked to see she was participating on a horror panel and that night, we partied down and I talked to her about the Michelle role in “The Violent Kind.” After we got back from Dallas, I sent her the script and before I knew it, she was in! Not only is Tiffany much hotter in person than she is in her films, she’s more fun than you’d expect. Be it harassing young PA’s all through the night, managing arm wrestlers at 7:30 a.m. in “The Yard” or just going to town as Michelle, a definite highlight in making this movie has been watching Shepis work and then partying with her afterwards. This chick is the shit.
We’re set to wrap this Sunday morning around 6:00 a.m. so I hope to get some more blogging in before then. But between the shoot, my writing, my family and my day job….who knows.
“The Violent Kind” is a horror film being directed by The Butcher Brothers. Film Threat writer Don R. Lewis is co-producing the film and this blog is serving as a journal of sorts to mark progress on the film. You can also follow “The Violent Kind” on twitter
Posted by Matthew Sorrento in Writer's Corner at 6:28 PM
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Editor’s Note: I acquired the screener for the film “Vote Jesus” from the film’s editor, Greg Sucharew, on the set of “Living Will” starring Ryan Dunn and April Scott (my interview with the two actors is forthcoming). Greg appeared to be a cultured and friendly guy…little did I know his film featured a festering sore of a leading man — who’s pretty sore about our negative review. Below is Film Threat critic Jessica Baxter’s response to a 7/27 email from “Vote Jesus” star Vermin Supreme (no lie). I wonder where director Vic David stands on all this.
-M. Sorrento
* * *
Many filmmakers and (and even actors) choose to ignore their critics, or take their reviews in stride. Perhaps even learn something from them. But sometimes they don’t. This is one of those times. First the letter (sic throughout):
Dear Matthew Sorrento of Film Threat,
In regards to Jessica Baxter’s July , 26 review of the film Vote Jesus :
With culture jamming comes the risk of confusion .
>>” A Google search reveals that he’s run for office before under a platform to promote dental hygiene and the promise to fund time travel research. It’s surreal performance art, to be sure. But he’s not exactly taking a stand.”
The same Google search would reveal that The Museum of Hoaxes ranks Vermin Supreme #7 in their ranking of the Top 17 Satirical Candidates of All Time,
(Pat Paulson is #6 and Steven Colbert , #8 ) It would also reveal, with some minor digging, the depth and thoughtfulness that go into my ‘wacky’ packaging.
The only thing that I, and my character in Vote Jesus , have in common is that we have both run for president.
Nowhere in the film, Vote Jesus, is it stated or implied that Ken Stevenson is anyone other than who he says he is in the movie .
To confuse my character in the movie, with my real life persona is truly bizarre , and would change the entire meaning of the film.
>>”At the start of “Vote Jesus,” Supreme reveals his plan. He will pose as a man named Ken Stevenson and run for president of the U.S.A.” <<<<
Contrary to Ms . Baxters’ assertion, this simply does not occur in the film . In the film ,
I am portraying a character . I am acting .
How it is she can write an entire review based on a complete fabrication, and false understanding, is beyond me .
I agree that if it was just me pretending to be ‘one of them ‘ to elicit their not -so -secret-agenda it would be a much crappier premise.
It would be like Sacha Baron Cohn , at the beggining of his movie, saying,
“Hi , I’m Sacha Baron Cohn, and I’m going to pretend to be Barot /Bruno in order to exploit some social situations.”
It didn’t happen.
Unlike The Yes Men or Bill Mahr , this actors’ true identity is never revealed during the movie.
The movie follows my character’s quest for fundie votes , not my own .
In this context the motivation of the character is clear and straight forward.
He is on a political and spiritual quest .
The name Vermin Supreme appears nowhere in the film until the closing credits.
The character, Ken , is never at odds with his beliefs or motivations.
Maybe our movie really does blow , I don’t think so, but a factually accurate based review would carry much more weight .
As it is , this fictional review of our fictional mockumentary is going to cause us some real life problems .
>>”And thus, his project, like his film, just feels like a big waste of time. “<<<<
I will tell Ms. Baxter , the same thing my character tells conservative film critic/blogger Michael Medved,
” I respectfully disagree”
Sir, I ask you . What can we do to make this right ?
Thanks for reviewing the 102 minute rough cut .
We would be more than happy to provide the leaner , meaner 88 minute finish cut .
I am ,
Vermin Love Supreme
PS Prior to the making of ‘Religulous’ , Bill Mahr’s people, who requested our original script , liked it so much, that we never heard from them again. So there.
So this is my attempt to “make this right”. Although what follows probably isn’t what Mr. Surpreme is after.
I shall dissect his letter as he did my review.
With culture jamming comes the risk of confusion .
Wikipedia defines “Culture Jamming” as “a tactic in which an activist attempts to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions.”
In the case of “Vote Jesus”, the activist (Vermin Supreme) attempts to disrupt the cultural institution of the Religious Right by pretending to be one of them. Whether or not Ken Stevenson reveals himself within the film’s narrative, this is his film’s intension. The premise stands. Therefore, my review based on this premise is still accurate.
The same Google search would reveal that The Museum of Hoaxes ranks Vermin Supreme #7 in their ranking of the Top 17 Satirical Candidates of All Time,
(Pat Paulson is #6 and Steven Colbert , #8 ) It would also reveal, with some minor digging, the depth and thoughtfulness that go into my ‘wacky’ packaging.
OK, so maybe I didn’t read every single result of my Google search. But who has time for that? This is one film and I have a whole box of them yet to watch. Many reviewers would just read the press notes that came with the screener (in this case, there weren’t any) and that’s it. I don’t know how prestigious a ranking from the Museum of Hoaxes is, but I do know that Steven Colbert’s satire is very accessible. He is mocking a precise sort of conservative “journalism” and, in doing so, reveals the ridiculousness of their hypocritical and reactionary viewpoints. Even after hearing from the man himself, I’m still not sure what Vermin Supreme’s deal is.
>>”At the start of “Vote Jesus,” Supreme reveals his plan. He will pose as a man named Ken Stevenson and run for president of the U.S.A.” <<<<
Contrary to Ms . Baxters’ assertion, this simply does not occur in the film . In the film ,
I am portraying a character . I am acting .
Fair enough. Here’s how that happened. I was attempting to fully understand and represent the thesis of a film about which I had little to no information and in doing so, received too much information. During my research on Mr. Supreme, I came across this trailer: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIew3R_jAIk] in which he DOES reveal himself and his plan. Along with a line that definitely occurs in the 102 minute cut, in which Ken Stevenson says in regard to the Values Voters, “I need to find out what kind of things these fine Americansneed to hear. I need to learn all the right phrases and code words…I need to convince them that I am one of them. Better yet, I need to become one of them.” Perhaps I am the only viewer who would draw the allegedly erroneous conclusion that Ken Stevenson is posing from a statement like that. But I doubt it.
Regardless, he seems to think that in my misunderstanding his film’s premise, I gave a low rating to an otherwise brilliant film. The fact that Ken Stevenson is a character and not a subversive does not change my core criticism.
To confuse my character in the movie, with my real life persona is truly bizarre , and would change the entire meaning of the film.
Not really. If it is a “mockumentary”, as he calls it, it does change the fact that we can now “trust” our narrator to be who he says he is. However, even when a sincere character interacts with sincere real people, the final paragraph of my review still applies. “Agreeing with these people, even facetiously, accomplishes nothing and Vermin is the only one who’s in on it. It’s clandestinely subversive. And thus, his project, like his film, just feels like a big waste of time.”
If it’s meant to be more “Spinal Tap” than “Borat”, we also have a much simpler problem. It’s not very funny.
I will tell Ms. Baxter , the same thing my character tells conservative film critic/blogger Michael Medved, ” I respectfully disagree”
Of course he does. He made the film. No one likes to hear bad news about his or her babies. It’s perfectly normal. But I am a critic and it is not only my right but also my job to tell people what I think of a film.
We would be more than happy to provide the leaner , meaner 88 minute finish cut .
It would appear that Mr. Supreme acknowledges some problems with the film if they’ve since found 14 minutes to remove. I stand by my rating.
PS Prior to the making of ‘Religulous’ , Bill Mahr’s people, who requested our original script , liked it so much, that we never heard from them again. So there.
PS: “So there”? If anything, Mahr’s people used his script as a guide of what not to do because “Religulous” is not only vastly different, but also vastly superior.
And with that, I bid Mr. Vermin Good Day. I SAID GOOD DAY!
Posted by Mariko McDonald in Writer's Corner at 11:01 AM
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This week on Sound on Sight, our coverage of the 2009 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal continues with looks at Lee “Jesus Christ Vampire Killer” Demarbre’s new film, “Smash Cut,” starring porn auteur Sasha Grey and grindhouse legend David Hess.
I’m totally exhausted. I’m exhausted from working on “The Violent Kind” and I’m not even working anywhere near as hard as the cast, crew and directors. We went into all-nighters on Thursday and while I’ve yet to make it all the way through an entire 6:00 pm- 6:00 am shoot, I’m still wiped and my sleeping schedule is shit.
I’ve been on small film sets before and I’ve worked on some TV shows but the crew involved with “The Violent Kind” is bigger than any I’ve seen yet they’re all clicking like a well-oiled machine. There’s at least 30 people running around on set at all times and more times than not, there’s over 50. To me, it’s like any great team effort with an all-star at every position. Each person is doing their very best at their job and when they fumble, someone is there to pick them up. There’s a true feeling of camaraderie on-set and it’s pretty neat. Not to mention the fact that the acting has been pretty amazing thus far.
Our IMDB page went live the other day and you should check it out. The film stars lots of up and comers like Cory Knauf, Bret Roberts, Nick Tagas, Joe Egender, Samuel Child and Joseph McKelheer. Add to that the trifecta of hotness that is Christina Grace, Taylor Cole and Tiffany Shepis and long nights are slightly more tolerable. We also made formal our top brass which includes Jeffrey Allard who was executive producer on the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes and Malek Akkad and Andy Gould who produced the “Halloween” reboots so as you can see, there’s some serious shit going on with “The Violent Kind.”
We have Sundays off and I think there may be a party with cast and crew going on at the dorms where most of them are staying. But since I still have my day job coupled with working on the film, I’m enjoying some peace and quiet….for now. Other than that, I’m just taking it all in and watching the process closely as I film footage for the behind the scenes DVD extra I’m making. This whole thing has been an amazing learning experience and we aren’t even halfway done with filming. Off to grab a beer and relax with a movie.
“The Violent Kind” is a horror film being directed by The Butcher Brothers. Film Threat writer Don R. Lewis is co-producing the film and this blog is serving as a journal of sorts to mark progress on the film. You can also follow “The Violent Kind” on twitter
This week, and for the rest of the month, Sound on Sight is overtaken by Fantasia madness!
Episode 135 - Fantasia 2009: Bruno, Must Love Death & The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle: Simon, Ricky and recurring guest Chrystina Benyo discuss the dirty business of comedy with looks at Sascha Baron Cohen’s latest, “Bruno” & two Fantasia flicks: the rom-com/torture porn hybrid “Must Love Death” & David Russo’s South By Southwest indie favorite, “The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle.” Includes an interview with “Must Love Death” director Andreas Schaap. Episode 136 - Fantasia 2009 - Euro Thrills and Spills: In one of our many specials on this year’s massive Fantasia Film Fest lineup, Ricky, Simon and Al take a look at three of the fest’s European offerings: Norwegian Nazi-zombie splatterfest “Dead Snow,” German mystery-thriller “Kaifeck Murder,” and Danish noir-comedy-thriller “Terribly Happy.” Episode 137 - Fantasia 2009 - Asian Cinema: Thirst & Love Exposure: Ricky, Simon and Al are back with looks at hotly anticipated South Korean vampire movie “Thirst,” from “Oldboy” director Park Chan Wook, Sion Sono’s four-hour romantic comedy “Love Exposure,” and Thailand’s fantasy epic “Queens of Langkasuka.” Tune in for Al Kratina’s review of the Warps Tour, which has nothing to do with Asian Cinema…
I think I’ve been here at Film Threat for over 8 years. In that time, I’ve made a slew of friends that will last a lifetime as well as colleagues, enemies and drinking partners that come and go. While I adore film criticism and am a semester away from getting my Masters in Cinema Studies, through my time at Film Threat I’ve found that I love filmmaking as well.
I’ve directed two short documentary films that have played all over the U.S. and about three months ago, I was presented with an opportunity to produce a fairly huge project. This, is fucking scary. While I can’t go too much into detail about what it is, I can tell you the following…
The film I’m producing is the much awaited new Butcher Brothers film. I met the Butcher Brothers about five years ago at a crappy bar here in Northern California. I detailed this meeting and our subsequent friendship here. Since then, we’ve remained friends and I, like most fans of their work, couldn’t wait to see what they brewed up next. A few ideas came forth from the ether and I got on board with one of them to try and raise some money via some pals of mine that are loaded. Then, the financial crisis hit and every hedge fund, fun money and rainy day fund dried out quicker than Lindsay Lohan at a Malibu treatment center.
Never ones to back down from filming, the Butcher Brothers came up with a better, leaner, cheaper script that completely kicked ass. We were back on again and now, shooting has begun here in Northern California.
While I have no plans to step away from writing about film, the shooting of this movie is going to take me away from the site for a bit, at least in terms of writing reviews. However I’d like to invite you all to follow my virgin exploits into film producing here on Film Threat and on our twitter account. The official website is forthcoming.
So without further adieu, Ladies and Germs, welcome to my experiences producing “The Violent Kind”…..
Episode 133: A Space Oddity - Duncan Jones’ Moon, Steven Sodderberg’s take on Solaris, plus the Sound on Sight Fantasia preview!
Episode 134: Frank Henenlotter - Speaking of Fantasia, this week’s second hour is a look at cult master Frank Henenlotter, including Basketcase, Brain Damage, and his latest, Bad Biology.
I just watched the “Doors” movie for the 3445th time.
I’m sick and tired of these European rags/magazines with FREE CDs always dismissing Jim Morrison, the Doors and their legacy as “Los Angeles pomposity, sheer egomaniacal bullshit and rubbish” - Bottom line is this…
I was 16 in 1991 - Oliver Stone’s “THE DOORS” came out in theaters and I demanded that my father (a well respected doctor in the Tucson community, and HUGE Doors fan) take me to see this new risky bio pic full of drugs, sex and rock-n-roll. We went and watched it one Sunday afternoon together, without my straight-laced sister or my way-too-young-to-realize-what-was going-on-brother - and I winced in horror as Jim Morrison sexxed up, drank up and snorted up everything he got his hands on. BUT the reason I was so skittish was because my father, a pinnacle of health, sort of watched the film with a bit of disdain and disbelief … His reaction made me think this was all so bad for me to see… I asked him, “Dad, was that how the 60’s really were?” Dad broke it down like this: “Well, yeah, I knew a lot of people who lived like that, but we all experimented to some extent. Only, a few of us had long term goals and were the few that are still here today…” I thought to myself, “YEAH, but by age 27, i will probably have had enough - seems like a good age to die…”
My father’s willingness to take me to see the film made me kind of cool at school. Suddenly, I was the Doors liaison for kids whose parents had forbidden them to see the flick… I was a God amongst the prudish types I had grown up with because I had seen the hedonism up close (with my dad,I know) - but it was considered to be bad ass - whereas everyone else I knew was scared to make the pilgrimage to Park Mall for the actual filmgoing experience. When the VHS tape came out, I dropped 45 FUCKING DOLLARS to BUY IT!!! (Fuck pre-digital age prices, that was 4 times my allowance). True Story.
Now, initially I went to see “The Doors” for 2 reasons. My dad liked the Doors, and I dug the song “Love Me Two Times,” and it starred Val Kilmer, young bad ass actor I had seen in “Real Genius” and “Top Secret,” “Top Gun” and everything else I idolized innocently. This was a different role for him. A DEEP role. When all was said and done, and Jim had died mysteriously in Paris, I left that theater a lifelong Morrison/Doors convert. A year later, at Venice beach for a summer camp trip, I first noticed the early 90’s Morrison adulation and worship. By the time I realized how awesome these tunes were I was listening to regularly, I had convinced myself that Los Angeles was the place for me to move to. I applied to every single school on the southern California coast that next fall for college, getting into ONE. USC.
So there I was, 1993 - 18 years old, Venice beach with a shitty handful of kind bud and an even shittier wooden pipe, huffing down smoke as the waves crashed upon the beach. Suddenly, I became an outlaw, a poet, a journeyman, a traveler, a wanderer, a mystic, a shaman, a sage, a savior and a teacher. I introduced 45 people in my dorm to the powers of pot and music and Jim and Los Angeles and eventually the band LOVE with Arhtur Lee (Thanks to my step dad - the war story-sharing drug fiend-turned drug counselor who had lived with me since I was 9 - AND who had told me that the “Doors” movie was a bunch of inflated egotistical Hollywood bullshit…)
My stepdad, however, had given me “Forever Changes,” saying “This is who Jim Morrison wanted to be…” Lo and behold he was RIGHT. That record “Forever Changes” - (Oh man, what a soundtrack to my psychedelic lifestyle) is the single greatest collection of original songmanship I have ever heard TO THIS DAY… Still, it was easier to like the Doors and their capricious ways - My intake? I began on the pot - and further down the road, started experimenting with LSD and mushrooms, cheap canned Mexican beer and lyricism… My buddies and I would smoke for weeks on end analyzing “Waiting for the Sun” and “Morrison Hotel” before deeper records like “The Soft Parade” invaded our senses. Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, John Densmore and Ray Manzarek were the instructors to a life well lived - and a life well balanced. When analyzing these guys and Oliver Stone’s vision of what they meant to late 60’s Vietnam-riddled and war-torn America, I felt like a lost soul stuck in a world 30 years too late. YET, I marched on, forraging new territory as they dazzled me with lyrics of the American night.
“Blood in the street it’s up to my ankles…” - Peace Frog
MAN!!! God bless the Doors. Check me out in any photograph from 1994. There I am, my hair long and unruly, suede jacket framing my skinny body, beaded red-and-white patterned necklace around my collarbone, cigarette in hand and beer in pocket. All I wanted was to head to Laurel Canyon with a young girl, some LSD and a guitar when I felt like writing a song…
My life’s progression eventually led me back to the Laurel Canyon hideaways where these heroes of mine squatted - I became a throwback to 1968 - wallowing in Laurel Canyon for anything miraculous to happen. Unfortunately, in those times, other “Hootie and the Blowfish-like” tunes owned the atmosphere - and aside from Counting Crows, Tonic, Toad, Jayhawks, early Wilco, even dudes like Willy Porter, Black Crowes, Dave Matthews and the Spin Doctors, I felt lost to any current musical revolution. I only wanted to listen to the late 60’s and early 70’s.
So, when I left college, I embarked on my own journey, and for a few years, I tried to live in that Jim Morrison-like mode - drugs, whiskey and women. Went well, too, aside for the fact that I wasn’t making any music… But eventually I discovered my talents laying dormant in the back of my mind… Met a beautiful woman and then my real journey began — love, companionship, trust, music, spontaniety, togetherness and eventually fatherhood. I’m only 34, but fucking A - I am 7 years older than I thought I’d be when it should have all fallen apart - and I have never been stronger. Still, I watch this film whenever its on TV and it makes me want to drift back into an unknown land of experimentation and self discovery.
Now you must excuse me, I’m off to Laurel Canyon to find some LSD and a guitar - Feel like writing a song…
ZACH SELWYN Los Angeles, California July 2, 2009 12:20 a.m.
