Tag: Paul Sorvino

Here’s the Thrilling Trailer For Yael Stone and Paul Sorvino in AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios Company, has acquired North American rights to Ali Askari’s romantic thriller AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE. The film will be available to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable and satellite platforms through Gravitas Ventures on February 26, 2021. Check out the trailer:

Malcolm is thrust into depression after his wife, Sarah, tragically dies. When he meets Nya one year later, he finally allows himself to give over to new love. And that’s when he starts seeing his dead wife, telling him how abandoned she feels, terrorizing him at every turn. Every time she appears, debilitating headaches cripple him, as well as doubts about his sanity. With the help of his sister-in-law, Dee, and his mentor, Jim, he must reconcile his past with his present in order to forgive himself, mourn properly, hang onto his new love – and not lose his mind in the process.

Directed by Ali Askari and written by Askari, Joe McKernan, Adam C. Sherer, and Golan Ramraz. AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE was produced by Ramraz and Sherer. AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE stars Josh Helman, Yael Stone, Jennifer Allcott, Paul Sorvino, Yvonne Cone, Slate Holmgren, and Danny Lane.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Gravitas Ventures on this project. The characters that Josh, Yael and the rest of the cast bring brilliantly to life are astonishing. The story is as suspenseful as it is touching, and I can’t wait for the world to see it,” said Writer/Producer Golan Ramraz.

“Rooted in the layered and tortured performance of Josh Helman, Ali’s film is a haunting thriller that will keep audiences guessing and make them question what is real. We look forward to unveiling the film to North American audiences,” said Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.

BAD IMPULSE – Review

This time of year family’s at the forefront of the thoughts of many. Aside from being together (tough right now for some), the matriarch or patriarch is thinking about how to keep the home crew safe from harm and secure in their toasty beds. Unlike the Garrity clan from this week’s other big release GREENLAND, the Sharpe’s (well, mainly the papa) isn’t dealing with a planet-killing comet. His fears arise from the possible onslaught of stealthy intruders in the dead of night. It’s too bad that he doesn’t recall the quote from one of the founding fathers (maybe more of a cool uncle), Ben Franklin: “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”. Still, it probably didn’t occur to him that his fears could inspire his whole “unit” to succumb to a BAD IMPULSE.

The story does indeed begin (well, after a nasty vignette of homicide/suicide) with the wholesome, seemingly happy Sharpe family outside their two-story plush home on this sunny day. Mom Christine (Sonya Walger) is trying to get on the road for a day trip with her eldest daughter, sixteen-year-old Angela (Abbi Ford), and her two sons, fourteen-year-old Mike (Nicholas Danner) and eight-year-old Sam (Oscar Debler). Dad Henry (Grant Bowler) can’t join them this time, though. Tonight’s a big “one on one” dinner with his boss (perhaps a promotion). Just as he goes back into the house he hears a knock at the door. It’s a somber middle-aged stranger dressed in a black suit and fedora. He introduces himself as Lou Branch (Paul Sorvino) and asks Henry if they could discuss his home’s security system. Branch insists it’s the state of the art hi-tech, but Henry’s got to get going and takes his card after the “pitch”. Dinner with his boss Mr. Reilly (Dan Lauria) ends abruptly when the real reason for the night is revealed. It seems that the company has lost a lot of money on a bad investment made for their biggest client. Reilly and the board decided that somebody has to take the blame, so….Despite the offer of a big “under the table” pay-off for silence, Henry angrily storms out. He’s so enraged he doesn’t hear the group of thugs that push their way in as he opens his front door. They deliver a vicious beating which causes Henry to awaken in the hospital. This spurs him to sign up with Branch’s security company. He, along with his wife, kids, and their live-in nanny/maid/cook Lucia (Stephanie Cayo) get microchips implanted under the skin, close to their permanent ankle “bracelets” which interact with the many mounted wall monitors in the home. Things slowly get back to normal, but only for a while. Sam now squashes ants for fun, while brother Mike retreats into his violent “single shooter” video games as he deals with several school bullies. Meanwhile, Angela’s getting tattoos and shoplifting. Christine (now the main breadwinner) is indulging in an office affair, as Henry boils with rage as he begins his at-home sales gig (maybe Lucia now digs this about him). Hmmm…could there be more to Branch’s “tech” than mere home security?

We can almost sense the strained effort of the cast to overcome this turgid trite tale of a self-destructing family unit. Bowler tries to roll “with the flow” of his inconsistent character. First, he’s got to be the easy-going 80s TV dad (cue the laugh track), then gets to nearly froth at the mouth at the big job dinner. He’s pretty dazed after the beating (head trauma is hinted at), but he eases into phone sales before lashing out with little reason. Then Bowler seems to be falling back into a SHINING riff as the punishing “Daddy-monster”. He does try to sell it, but it makes little sense. Ditto for the talented Walger (forever Penny of TV’s “Lost”) whose Christine is the perfect working mom, but her professional exec persona morphs into a petty “Queen B”, jealous of her flirty aide and too receptive to the “company creep”. Ford introduces Angela as the cute shy gal yearning to be the knock-out that catches the eye of the “school hunk”, but her character changes into one that would seem too much of a clichéd teen “B-girl” in a reboot of the POISON IVY flicks.  In the case of Danner’s Mike, he conveys the fearful air of the perfect “patsy” for the school predator, but there’s little motivation for his attempts to bribe the bully before finally acting on his video game alter ego. And Debler’s Sam has little to do until he’s the “tot in danger’ for the story’s finale. Oh, 15 minutes in we’re introduced to the unofficial family member as Cayo plays a caretaker who appears to have stepped right off the fashion show runway.  She seems to be there only as a temptation for papa, as we wonder about her aggressive pursuit of him as he naps on the couch. As for the biggest “name” in the cast, Sorvino tries to bring a bit of sinister energy to Branch but comes off as a cross between Willy Loman and a menacing 1930s school headmaster (with a touch of Mitchum from NIGHT OF THE HUNTER). He looks to be trouble right on Henry’s doorstep, so it hard to fathom why he places so much trust in this somber sad-eyed salesman. And to make the whole thing a tad more strange and “arty”, James Landry Hebert (the giggly tire deflator in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD) pops up in multiple creepy small roles, usually leering at Angela.

Director Michelle Danner attempts to wring some drama from the predictable script from Jason Chase Tyrrell, but the film is often just “spinning its wheels” until the big “surprise” climax we can see coming from miles away. Perhaps they were hoping for an “edgier” take on THE SHINING or AMERICAN BEAUTY, but it feels like a very drawn-out episode of a second-tier TV anthology like “The Hitchhiker” or “Tales of the Unexpected”. The movie wants to stun and shock, but often chooses to wallow in clumsy ugliness. If you’re thinking about spending 100 minutes (and the VOD fee) on this, do your best to squelch that extremely BAD IMPULSE.

One Half Out of Four

BAD IMPULSE is available as a Video-On-Demand via most streaming apps and platforms

Glenda Jackson in A TOUCH OF CLASS Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archives

Glenda Jackson in A TOUCH OF CLASS is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives

They thought it would be a simple fling. Instead, they got flung. Being free and easy proves neither free nor easy for already-married Steve and divorced Vickie when they fall in love.

George Segal and Glenda Jackson bring the right touch to A Touch of Class, a glossy, grown-up romantic comedy directed and cowritten by Hollywood veteran Melvin Frank (The Court Jester, Li’l Abner). At his harried best teetering between two households, Segal plays sometimes sly, sometimes fumbling Steve. As Vickie, Jackson slings verbal jabs and hotel furnishings with equal glee – and won the second of her two Best Actress Academy Awards®.* The honors for this classiest of romantic romps don’t stop there. The two leads each won Golden Globes®. And the film earned five Oscar® nominations in all, including Best Picture. All in all, it’s entertainment touched by magic.

Director Melvin Frank’s bittersweet comedy romance about an attempted illicit affair between a married American (George Segal) and a divorced Englishwoman (Glenda Jackson) proved a surprise smash hit thanks to its charm, humor and fine performances all around including Paul Sorvino and Hildegard Neil. After a chance encounter, Vickie Allesio (Jackson) and Steve Blackburn (Segal) attempt to have a tryst far from prying eyes in Málaga, but a series of mishaps and muscle spasms throw a monkey wrench into the romance. Growing closer through adversity, they decide to continue their affair back in London, but the relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn. A Touch of Class arrives looking love-at-first-sight fresh thanks to this new HD master that shines with warmth and immediacy. 16×9 Widescreen.

Paul Sorvino To Star In PRECIOUS METTLE

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Paul Sorvino will star in Amarok Productions’ murder mystery PRECIOUS METTLE shooting this summer outside Chicago.

Police Commander Frank Walsh, after losing his wife and daughter in a tragic car crash many years ago, is about to retire. Facing further emptiness in his life, Frank learns that a heroin addict, Judy, may be his daughter from a relationship 26 years ago. While coming to terms with this reality, his best friend Charlie, a retired cop, is murdered and his money and gold goes missing. Frank must now find the killer, search for the gold, help Judy overcome her demons and allow himself a second chance to be a father. PRECIOUS METTLE takes us on a dangerous discovery of murder, motives and money.

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PRECIOUS METTLE joins a vibrant list of feature films and top-notch television shows shooting in the Chicago community this summer including Michael Bay ‘s Transformers 4, Neil Burger ‘s $40 million film Divergent, the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending,Chicago Fire, its spinoff Chicago PD, and Robert Redford ‘s Chicagoland, showing a significant resurgence of production in the Windy City. Amarok combines Hollywood experience with Midwestern roots to bring PRECIOUS METTLE, a Chicago-style story, to life. Fiona Dourif (True Blood, The Master) plays Sorvino’s daughter and Chris Browning (Cowboys & Aliens, Book of Eli) the menacing presence that threatens their relationship.

Along with Todd Bridges, Malea Mitchell and Joe Estevez, Chicago’s own local actors will be well represented on the big screen: Jodi Russell, Andy St. Clair, Yasen Peyankov, Dan Waller, Loren Lazerine, Fernando Albiar, Paul Tinsley, Diane Shaw and Dianne Bischoff. Members of the Press are invited to visit the set in Chicago’s western suburbs during production from June 4th to June 23rd.

PRECIOUS METTLE is helmed by Italian director Edmond Coisson, who also co-wrote the script. Coisson is the founder of the Naperville Film Festival (NIFF), now qualifying to be one of the 64 festivals recognized by the Academy Awards. After stepping away from directing for the past several years to create NIFF, he is excited to get back into the directing chair and create a thrilling movie ride that keeps you guessing.

Join the search at preciousmettlethemovie.com.

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KILL THE IRISHMAN – The Review

KILL THE IRISHMAN is a film based on the true story of Danny Greene, a Cleveland man of humble origins and Irish ancestry. Greene never graduated high school, but had an abundance of both street smarts and intelligence, known for his impressive reputation for reading books. Greene was also a man who had both an intense, fundamental good nature matched only by his intimidating toughness and confidence. These traits would combine to mold the man into a legend on the streets of 1970’s Cleveland.

Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, best known for 2004’s THE PUNISHER starring Thomas Jane, KILL THE IRISHMAN has another connection with the popular Marvel Comics vigilante in it’s star Ray Stevenson, who played the anti-hero Frank Castle in 2008’s PUNISHER: WAR ZONE… not written or directed by Hensleigh. Neither film pale in comparison to this slice of reality, based on recent history but spiced up subtly with street humor and a slight touch of classic gangster film flair.

Greene became known as a local hero for his charitable work and his sincere interest in the lives of the working class, but also as a dangerous and formidable wild card by the mafia and police. His story shifts between being a good guy and a bad guy, residing effortlessly in the gray area of the anti-hero, a role Stevenson seems quite adept at capturing. Many people are still relatively unfamiliar with Stevenson, whose work includes roles in THE BOOK OF ELI, THE OTHER GUYS and the upcoming THOR. What I found most intriguing about KILL THE IRISHMAN was Stevenson’s performance, an effort I would have no qualms with calling a galvanizing step towards becoming an actor of a higher caliber.

KILL THE IRISHMAN also benefits greatly from a truly impressive ensemble cast of talented, gangster film genre veterans. Vincent D’Onofrio (BROOKLYN’S FINEST) plays John Nardi, Greene’s friend, organized crime figure and one time employer. Christopher Walken (TRUE ROMANCE) has a short-lived but welcome role as loan shark Shondor Birns. Val Kilmer (HEAT) makes a big screen return as Detective Joe Manditski, but I feel his performance was dull and stiff, perhaps suffering from what felt like a distinct effort on his behalf to hide the weight he has gained. I say, you are who you are, so play off it… a la Marlon Brando in THE SCORE, or Orsen Welles in TOUCH OF EVIL.

As great as this cast is already, there’s still much more to offer the film fan well-versed in genre actors. KILL THE IRISHMAN seems at times like a gangster film genre class reunion, including Paul Sorvino (GOODFELLAS), Vinnie Jones (SNATCH), Robert Davi (LICENSE TO KILL), Mike Starr (GOODFELLAS), Steve Schirripa (THE SOPRANOS), Tony Darrow (THE SOPRANOS) and Fionnula Flanagan (TV series BROTHERHOOD, and LOST).

KILL THE IRISHMAN maintains a sense of the era, combining a touch of graininess in both image (shot by Karl Walter Lindenlaub) and sound with attention to detail in apparel, architecture and automobiles.The film also connects with the 70’s era through it’s sense of humor, especially in relation to violence and language, which tiptoe in and out of the grindhouse essence of 70’s cinema. It’s subtle, but it’s there and it adds an authentic texture to the film.

KILL THE IRISHMAN falls back comfortably upon a fairly standard but effective Irish-influenced score from Patrick Cassidy. The film, filled with little details that add to the viewer’s transportation to the 70’s, was based on Rick Porrello’s book “To Kill the Irishman” and ends with a bit a archival news footage of the real Danny Greene, much like THE FIGHTER ends with a moment with the real-life Micky and Dicky.

KILL THE IRISHMAN falls fittingly within the “stranger than fiction” category. Danny Greene survived multiple assassination attempts, conveying a fearlessness that is rarely seen outside of fictional characters. After all the explosions, violence, and graphically colorful language have passed, this is ultimately a film about one man’s struggle to find his place in a world that’s far from perfect. KILL THE IRISHMAN is a film about a man struggling with his own legacy. I suspect this film will help convey what kind of man Danny Greene was for a whole new generation.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

KILL THE IRISHMAN Poster & Trailer

Here’s a look at the trailer from Anchor Bay Films’ KILL THE IRISHMAN in theaters this Friday, March 11th. Who doesn’t like a mafia movie set in the 1970’s?

If that trailer isn’t enough to convince you, click HERE to watch Stevenson talk about the invincible man, how he got the role and mustaches on G4’s Attack of the Show.

Synopsis:

Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonate in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) and the Italian mafia. Based on a true story, Kill the Irishman chronicles Greene’s heroic rise from a tough Cleveland neighborhood to become an enforcer in the local mob. Turning the tables on loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) and allying himself with gangster John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio), Greene stops taking orders from the mafia and pursues his own power. Surviving countless assassination attempts from the mob and killing off anyone who went after him in retaliation, Danny Greene’s infamous invincibility and notorious fearlessness eventually led to the collapse of mafia syndicates across the U.S. and also earned him the status of the man the mob couldn’t kill.

Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and also starring Val Kilmer, Paul Sorvino, Linda Cardellini and Christopher Walken, KILL THE IRISHMAN is inspired by Rick Porrello’s true crime account To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia.

Visit the film’s official site HERE and on Facebook HERE. Running time is 106 minutes. Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.

Review: ‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’

Travis:

Attention, everyone! The Rocky Horror Picture Show of the 21st century is here! No, it’s not a remake, a reboot or a sequel. It’s ‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’ and it’s totally friggin’ awesome! I know there are many of you out there that have already taken part in the theatrical experience, some of you multiple times, but for those who haven’t and won’t be able to, you really need to go out and rent (or buy) the DVD, which released on Tuesday, January 20. ‘Repo!’ is more than a musical. It’s a futuristic Goth rock opera for the 21st century, complete with costumes, gore, violence, drugs, greed, scandal, conspiracy, sex appeal and a damn good soundtrack. ‘Repo!’ is written by Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith, based on their original stage play and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV).

If you pay attention to what’s hot and what’s not in the movie world, you may have noticed that ‘Repo!’ is getting torn limb from limb by some of the “major” critics out there. Don’t listen to them! I’ll admit this movie is not going to be for everyone, but it’s a movie you MUST see for yourself and make your own decision. I truly believe anyone who liked ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ will like this movie and I loved Rocky Horror. I confess, I’m not amidst that infamous fan base that goes in costume, singing along and throwing toast, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love the movie just as much as anyone else. Same goes for ‘Repo!’ as the film’s already garnered a loyal and rapidly growing fan base, many of whom have shown up at the very limited theatrical tour dates in full costume with Zydrate viles in hand, prepared to belt out their favorite rock opera tunes. This is how ‘Repo!’ is truly meant to be experienced and the creators fully encourage it at the screenings.

In my opinion, there have been only three musicals that have had this captivating effect on the audience and can be called true cult classics. The first, of course, is Rocky Horror. The second would by Little Shop of Horrors and the third being ‘Repo!’ (although, I would add an amendment for Cannibal! The Musical, but it never really caught on). ‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’ takes place in the not-so-distant future after a global epidemic of organ failures devastates the population. Just in the nick of time, Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) comes to the rescue with his company called GeneCo, specializing in organ transplants and various cures for various diseases and conditions. The only hitch is that these are expensive transactions. In response, GeneCo offers organ financing on strict payment plans. For the recipient, everything is hunky-dory so long as they keep up on paying their debt, but if they fall behind… beware! Miss a payment and GeneCo sends out the Repo Man to collect the unpaid property.

Largo has three grown children, all of whom have their own unique flaws. Luigi (Bill Mosley) has the worst of violent tempers, Pavi (Nivek Ogre) is obsessed with facial replacement and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) is addicted to surgery and Zydrate. The three of them are each vying for control of GeneCo once their father passes from his terminal condition that even he can’t cure. Rotti, on the other hand, can’t stand the sight of his kids and devises a plan of revenge against the Repo Man (Anthony Head) who happens to be Shiloh Wallace’s (Alexa Vega) father. Rotti wants to give full control of GeneCo to Shiloh because he feels she is the child he was meant to have with the Repo Man’s late wife, before she left Rotti. There is much more to the plot, but you’ll just have to watch the movie and experience it for yourself. The cast also includes Terrence Zdunich as Grave Robber, a sort of narrator in the film and vocalist Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag, an operatic singer with cybernetic cornea transplants that has a tumultuous business relationship with Rotti Largo.

‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’ is loads of fun and is an experience for the ages. Despite only having an $8.5 million budget, the filmmakers were able to pull off a visually arresting, perfectly paced orgasm of the senses. The special effects for the futuristic city are great and the costumes are fantastic. The special effects for the gory scenes involving the Repo Man are perfectly rendered and none of the movie feels amateurish or cheesy. Bill Mosely and Anthony Head are an absolute blast on screen to watch. Sarah Brightman is also fantastic, both as an actress and as a mesmerizing voice in the soundtrack. Which brings me to one of the most successful elements of this experience, the music. The Saint Louis screening was introduced by Bill Mosley, writer Terrence Zdunich and director Darren Lynn Bousman. They had some interesting stories about the process of making this movie, as well as creating the soundtrack. The music of ‘Repo!’ includes performances by Richard Patrick (Filter), Steven Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Clown (Slipknot), Ray Luzier (Army of Anyone), Brian Young (David Lee Roth’s band), Richard Fortus (Guns & Roses), Sonny Moore (First to Last), David J (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets), Daniel Ash (Love & Rockets), Blasko (Ozzy Osborne), Tommy Clefetus (Rob Zombie’s band), Melora Creager (Rasputina) and of course, Sarah Brightman. The original cast recording soundtrack is now available on CD, so you can run out and own the movie and the music!

On an important side note, ‘Repo!: The Genetic Opera’ has experienced a loss of love from the studio who feels the movie is a failure based on it’s box office numbers, but the catch is that the filmmakers had to fight tooth and nail just to get the extremely limited theatrical screenings they’ve had. So, naturally the box office numbers wouldn’t be stellar without a decent number of screens playing the movie. The filmmakers stayed for a question and answer session after the film and also asked for the support of it’s fans to help get word out to others. Bousman said that there are a total of 12 prints of ‘Repo!’ and only six of them are circulating to theaters. Therefore, that means there are still six prints just sitting in a warehouse collecting dust. Bousman said the only thing keeping them from making runs in theaters is that no one has contacted the studio requesting them. With that said, anyone who wishes to have a run of this movie in their city now has a mission to work with their local theatre(s) and the distributor of the prints. Bousman made it clear that there is an audience for this film, we just need to make it known to the studio by requesting the prints, buying the CD Soundtrack and buying and/or renting the DVD.

[Overall: 4 stars out of 5]