Vincent D'Onofrio guests on WMAC Radio tomorrow

Coming up on WMAC Radio's The Roundtable on Friday, October 1 at 9am:

We'll celebrate the 11th annual Woodstock Film Festival and get a preview of the festivities with Festival Founder and director, Meira Blaustein, and meet some of the big names coming to the festival Vincent D'Onofrio, Edward Burns, Adrian Grenier, and Bob Berney. Plus, we'll hear about the cinematic shorts being shown, meet some of the filmmakers showing up and get a preview of some of the amazing panels. Guests include Baltasar Kormakur, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Doug Block, and more!

Sarah LaDuke interviewed Vincent on Sept 7.

Join Joe, Sarah, Ray, Alan, and the rest of The Roundtable crew at 9:00.

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WRXP's Matt Pinfield introduces "Don't Go in the Woods" at WFF

VH1/MTV personality Matt Pinfield will introduce “Don’t Go In the Woods” at Friday’s “Fright Night” event at Woodstock Film Festival on October 1.

How to get film festival tickets--

WOODSTOCK — Admission prices for Woodstock Film Festival screenings and panel discussions range from $7 to $20.

Tickets can be purchased online through Thursday at www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2010, and those tickets must be picked up at the festival box office at 11-13 Rock City Road.

Tickets for all screenings and special events also may be purchased in person at the box office throughout the festival.

Box office hours during the festival are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today through Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon Sunday. Tickets will be available at the box office until four hours before each screening or special event; any tickets left after that will be available on the standby line at the venue and must be purchased with cash.

Tickets for screenings at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck and the Rosendale Theater also can be purchased at those venues.

via DailyFreeman.com

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Zaritsas, Russian Women In New York – A Life-Changing Documentary

The Happiest Medium
by Lina Zeldovich on September 29, 2010

Zaritsas: Russian Women in New York – a life-changing documentary by Elena Beloff will be screened on Oct 24 at the Astoria/LIC Film Festival.

Elena Beloff, a graduate of the New School University where she had studied film production, wanted to make movies since she was a little girl in her hometown in Tatarstan, Russia. When she was in high school she came to the USA as an exchange student and returned later to pursue her dreams. While living in New York Elena came across the infamous phenomena of the Russian women stereotype as materialistic gold-diggers and mail-order brides so she decided to make a film to explore the alleged stereotypes. As she was composing her student version of Zaritsas, she worked as an extra on the set of Law & Order where she met Vincent D’Onofrio who also starred in Men in Black and produced The Whole Wide World, and who became interested in her work and sponsored her film.

Elena’s documentary tells the stories of five Russian women in New York. Sasha, an exchange student loved the city and decided to stay. Katya’s dream is to quit her prestigious job at La Perla and become a photographer. The rapper Elena Ouri lives and breathes her songs and music – many about her vision of God. Tatiana rebuilt herself from rape and loss of her husband. Irina, an exotic dancer, takes refuge at a spiritual retreat to rebuild herself, and finds a job in the New York Jewelry district – with the emotional support of all the other women in the film.

The film is named Zaritsas, (The Queens) because of a Russian song about women locked in a cage of societal judgment much like the medieval Queens were trapped in their castles. Full of personal dilemmas and intense emotions, the film was an interesting cultural insight, and Elena Beloff was excited to answer the questions it raised.

What prompted you to make this movie? Did you feel bogged down by the stereotypes? Were you yourself tired of being placed in a stereotype bucket after telling people you are Russian?

EB: When I first came to the US, I began hearing stories about Russian mail-order brides and how easy it was to get a Russian wife if one wanted to. Then, in New York in 2000 I often heard about the article “From Russia with Sex” by Michael Gross which depicted Russian women as cold hearted gold-diggers. Also, while living in Brooklyn for a few years I became aware of strippers’ phenomenon – so many Russian girls were doing it that it seemed like a norm. I became curious about the stereotypes and how and why they developed. Over the years I met Russian women who married or went out with older rich men to better their lives without being really in love. My heart was aching when I saw women in such situations.

You followed several Russian women in New York to tell their life stories and journeys. That took a lot of time and effort. How long did it take you to make the film, how did you manage your life while making it?

It took me two years to make this film. It was certainly a lot of work, but it was worth it. I was working on my film full time and also supported myself doing hypnosis sessions. I am also trained hypnotist.

You mentioned that the film was produced by Vincent D’Onofrio. How did you find him and convince him to be your producer – or was it his idea?

I met D’Onofrio on the set of Law & Order, I was an extra there. I was still studying the New School University at the time and just finished a student version of my film about Russian women. He saw a trailer and believed in my film. His production company sponsored it. Full Article

Produced by Elena Beloff, Vincent D'Onofrio, Erika Hampson

Astoria/LIC International Film Festival

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Music to die for

NY Post, 9.26.10
by VA Musetta

'Hello, Vincent? It's Vincent," says the voice at the other end of the phone line. It belongs to actor Vincent D'Onofrio, who's calling me to talk about his directorial debut**, "Don't Go in the Woods," a slasher musical which will unreel this week at the upstate Woodstock Film Festival.

It's about five indie rockers who go into the woods for a quiet weekend writing songs. A few young women crash the session, creating an unwanted distraction.

Pretty soon the guys and gals start disappearing one by one, victims of a mad stalker. But this is not your typical horror movie because people are forever bursting out into song -- even while being murdered.

"My wife and I and my kids have a house upstate in Kingston, and we're driving home and talking about my next project," D'Onofrio says.

"I thought, let's make a musical horror. In two or three weeks Sam Bisbee and Joe Vinciguerra knocked out a script, and I was already casting it from the street.

"I actually got my art director and two of my actresses at a tea shop around the corner from me in Manhattan. It was basically going around and finding the most talented young people."

The movie was shot in 13 days on D'Onofrio's 100-acre property in Kingston, at a cost of $100,000. "That's all I had to spend."

Next up for the talented D'Onofrio is directing "Johnny and Me," about a man with Asperger's syndrome who is fixated on Johnny Cash's life and music.

"Don't Go in the Woods" will unreel Friday at 8 p.m. at the Emerson House in Mount Tremper, not too far from Woodstock. The cast of the movie will perform after the screening and a Q&A with D'Onofrio.

D'Onofrio's first big-screen role was as a harassed Army recruit in "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), directed by the notorious perfectionist Stanley Kubrick, who had been known to drive his actors to distraction with unending retakes.

"He was a lot less strange than I think he's made out to be," says D'Onofrio, who spent 13 months working on the film in England and never had to do more than six or seven takes of any scene. "I was very young and it was my first film, and I was just happy to be there."

Thanks Linda!

**Vincent D'Onofrio's directorial debut was the film "Five Minutes, Mr Welles".

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D'Onofrio concocts talent mix for thriller

RecordOnline.com, 9.26.10
By DEBORAH MEDENBACH
Times Herald-Record

KINGSTON — Is it a compliment when your friend likes your music so much that he wants to kill for it?

Actor/director Vincent D'Onofrio was driving back to New York City feeling a little frustrated that a film about Johnny Cash was not lining up as quickly as he'd hoped. Tooling down the Thruway, he thought about his friend Sam Bisbee's music and a dark plot started building in his head.

"There were a couple of songs I really liked that were kind of "emo," D'Onofrio said. "His songs are brilliant and I said to my wife, Corinne Carin, 'What could we do? I have a good friend who's an amazing musician. I have a writer. I have 100 acres of woods. Let's just make a musical horror film."

The result is somewhat "John Mayer meets Rocky Horror." D'Onofrio nails the horror genre stylings of the 1980s with the music video generation's drive for a steady song stream and strewn body parts. "Don't Go in the Woods" is a wry romp through song and psychos.

"The premise is that everybody sings and everybody dies." D'Onofrio said. "They're really vulnerable and the killings come out of nowhere."

Ten years of playing a detective on NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" may have given him plenty of murder plot fodder, but it was the trust he built with film crews that made it possible to shoot the film in 12 days on his Kingston property.

"I have really good friends who will come when I call, so I had sound guys, grips, electricians, stunt guys — everybody showed up," D'Onofrio said.

Musicians pepper the cast, with no professional actors on board. That makes for pleasant listening and guileless acting performances.

Writer Joe Vinciguerra said the script was effortless, starting with the mood of an 1980s B horror script and then fitting the music into the story. It's been a hit on the college circuit, but also among 40-somethings.

"It was the kind of mood they grew up watching," Vinciguerra said. "That kind of low-budget horror film with actual characters and storyline."

Source: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100926/NEWS/9260325

Actor/director Vincent D’Onofrio's “Don’t Go in the Woods” will screen simultaneaously with “Bitter Feast” as part of the Woodstock Film Festival’s Fright Night Friday. The screenings are at 8 p.m. Friday at the Emerson Resort Pavilion, Route 28, Mt. Tremper. A Q&A with directors and performance by the “Don’t Go in the Woods” musical ensemble cast will follow.

Vincent D'Onofrio's "DON'T GO IN THE WOODS" on Facebook.

Visit our Filmography section for more on "Don't Go in the Woods".

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Documentary filmmakers put 'The Vanishing City' and New York's urban renewal in spotlight

NY Daily News, 9.24.10
By Joe Neumaier

Signs of urban renewal are everywhere in New York. Yet in "The Vanishing City," a gripping new documentary, filmmakers Fiore DeRosa and Jen Senko reveal ominous trends that could forever change the city's neighborhoods and communities, and not for the better.

The film, which screened earlier this week at the Harlem International Film Festival, will be shown Saturday, Sept. 25, at 10 p.m. in Brooklyn at The Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Ave.) as part of the Williamsburg Film Festival, which ends Sunday Sept. 26.



"At first, we wanted to document the changes in the city, coming at it really from a nostalgic point of view," says Senko. "But the more questions we asked, the film became more of a journalistic expose, a detective story.

"Essentially, we found that the city was using taxpayers' money to more and more finance luxury housing, pushing out people and businesses that had been there for generations. These developers got huge subsidies and tax breaks, while taxes on small landlords and co-ops were going up nearly 40 percent.

"The result is changing the whole culture of Manhattan, and the film took on that focus."

"In short, New York is losing communities, a vital part of what makes it special," add DeRosa. "People and families who've lived here for 20 or 30 years -- and small mom-and pop-stores that had existed for decades -- face steep hikes in rent. The small businesses can't afford to stay here, and middle-class people are getting priced out."

The directors have experienced several sides of New York since each moved here separately from New Jersey in the late 1970s and early '80s. DeRosa has supported himself as a construction worker while pursuing acting and directing in off-Broadway theater; Senko has worked as a presentation artist with financial companies. "The Vanishing City," exec-produced by Oscar-winner Erika Hampson** and narrated by actress Kathryn Erbe ("Law & Order; Criminal Intent"), reflects a love of the entire city and their mutual concern about local government's unspoken policy of what the film terms "luxurification."

"If you have these types of high-rent-only structures and pricey commercial locations that only flagship stores can occupy, you don't get to know your neighbors, and you don't have small businesses that have a stake in your community," says DeRosa. "We're not against development – a healthy city evolves, of course. What we're against is using taxpayer dollars to only subsidize luxury housing, and the rezoning of neighborhoods."
Full article

**For short film, "The New Tenants" - Producer

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Actor Vincent D’Onofrio to Receive Publisher’s Columbus Award

The Italian Tribune, 9.24.10

Publisher Buddy Fortunato, this week announced that he will present the Publisher’s Award at the Italian Tribune’s 40th anniversary Christopher Columbus Gala to acclaimed movie actor and TV star Vincent D’Onofrio.

Vincent D’Onofrio is known as an “actor’s actor.” The wide variety of roles he has played and the quality of his work have earned him a reputation as a versatile talent. He studied at the Actors Studio and the American Stanislavski Theatre. His debut on stage was in 1984 in the Broadway play Open Admissions, followed by work in numerous other stage plays. As a film actor, D’Onofrio’s career break came when he played a mentally unbalanced recruit in Full Metal Jacket (1987), directed by the renowned Stanley Kubrick. For this role D’Onofrio gained nearly 70 pounds. He had a major role in Dying Young (1991), and appeared prominently in the box-office smash Men in Black (1997) as the bad guy (Edgar “The Bug”).

Other films of note in which he has appeared are Mystic Pizza (1998)*, JFK (1991), The Player (1992), Ed Wood (1994), The Cell (2000) and The Break-Up (2006). In 1996 D’Onofrio garnered critical acclaim along with co-star Renee Zellweger for The Whole Wide World (1996), which he helped produce. He also made a guest appearance in the TV Series “Homicide: Life on the Street” (1993) in a 1997 episode, where he played the accident victim who could not be rescued and was destined to die. For this performance he won an Emmy nomination. In 2000 he both produced and starred in Steal This Movie (2000), a biopic of radical leader Abbie Hoffman.

In 2001 D’Onofrio took the role which has likely given him his greatest public recognition: Det. Robert Goren, the lead character in the TV series “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (2001). Most recently, D’Onofrio acted in the Academy Award winning live action short film “The New Tenants” (2010) and also directed his first ever feature, a horror musical entitled “Don’t Go in the Woods.”**

Mr. D’Onofrio currently is finishing the filming of “Crackers” with Brenda Vaccaro, Sal Richards and Dan Hedaya.

Mr. D’Onofrio will join a long list of past recipients including Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Pesci, Tony Bennett, Tom Lasorda, Connie Francis, Rosanna Scotto, Dom DeLuise, Chazz Palminteri, Vic Damone, Frankie Avalon, Dion DiMucci and more.

http://theitaliantribune.com/?p=706

Thanks Linda!

Note:
* Mystic Pizza was released in 1988.
**Vincent D'Onofrio's directorial debut was the film "Five Minutes, Mr Welles".


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The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival

TFAW.com, 9.24.10

The 15th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival (HPLFF) and CthulhuCon returns to the Hollywood Theatre at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. October 1 through 3. This frighteningly entertaining event celebrates film and literature influenced by the master of cosmic horror, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, with three full screens of horror, fantasy, and science fiction.

This year, Stuart Gordon (Eater, Stuck, Re-Animator, From Beyond) makes a special appearance as the Filmmaker Guest of Honor, presenting a retrospective on his bizarre take on the Cthulhu Mythos. Caitlín R. Kiernan (Threshold, Low Red Moon) is Author Guest of Honor. Other notable artists and authors include scholar S.T. Joshi, editor Ellen Datlow, authors Richard Lupoff, William F. Nolan, and Michael Shea, and many more.

“I look forward to the H.P. Lovecraft Festival all year,” said Dark Horse Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie. “It’s a great time for everyone who loves horror–the actually strange, scary stuff–to load up on hard-to-find film, fiction, comics, and other works of art. The Fest helps keep Portland weird.”

HPLFF is also proud to present Pan’s Labyrinth, the Oscar-winning film from director Guillermo del Toro, as well as The Whole Wide World, Vincent D’Onofrio’s tense, sophisticated portrait of Robert E. Howard. Other films include David Prior’s short AM1200, At the Reefers of Madness, El Monstro Del Mar, The Burrowers, The Unnameable, Fyren (Keeper of the Light), Canon Albreic’s Scrap-Book, Necronomicon, Tell-Tale Heart, Dunwich, DERAILED, and Roe.
Full article

Thanks Linda!

Naples International Film Festival

InTroubleZoneProductions.com, 9.23.10

Itz CEO Chuck Ardezzone, the Vice President of the Naples International Film Festival helped secure Vincent D’Onofrio as one of the celebrity guests at this years Naples international film festival, Mr. D’Onofrio”s sister, Elizabeth teaches acting every Thursday at 6pm at the Itz studios located at 3640 Pine Ridge Road on the 2nd floor of the john Marazzi Nissan building.

Source

Naples International Film Festival runs November 4-7, 2010.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT IS BACK!!

Here’s some great news for TV junkies who still need their fill of unpredictable “Detective Robert Goren” (Vincent D’Onofrio),” Law & Order: Criminal Intent is coming back for a tenth and final season. Talks are underway to also bring D’Onofrio’s co-star Kathryn Erbe back to the fold (Jeff Goldblum recently announced his exit from the show). One of the reasons for the renewal is that the USA network is also in the Dick Wolf business, as they they have also given the producer a pilot commitment for a new project. The 10th season of L&O: CI consists of eight episodes, but and Wolf is hinting that this may not be the final season of the beloved series. “Only time will tell if this is a fond farewell or a renaissance for Detective Robert Goren,” said Wolf in a statement. “But everyone is ecstatic about going back to work on a show that’s a passion for all of us.” New episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent starts next year.

Source: Hollywood Outbreak


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USA Picks Up 'Law & Order: CI' For Final Season With Star Vincent D'Onofrio

Deadline.com, 9.21.10
by Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: After months of negotiations, USA Network has closed a deal to bring Law & Order: Criminal Intent back for an 8-episode 10th season with the series' original star Vincent D’Onofrio, who will return as Detective Robert Goren, a role he played for the first eight seasons. Discussions are under way with Kathryn Erbe and other CI alums sans Jeff Goldblum, who recently announced his exit, to come back for the show's farewell season. Throughout the entire dealmaking process, USA's intention was to bring Law & Order CI back only if D'Onofrio agreed to return.

Additionally, USA plans to extend its relationship with Law & Order chief Wolf beyond Criminal Intent. The network's production arm, Universal Cable Prods., which produces the series with Wolf Films, has handed him a pilot commitment for a new project.

Law & Order: CI will return with new episodes next year. “We have been the fortunate caretakers of this legendary series, and we plan to give it the world-class farewell it so richly deserves,” said Jeff Wachtel, USA's president of original programming and UCP's co-head of original content.

He listed several factors that were key in the network's decision to push through with the deal. "First, it was to bring devoted audience for the finale and create an event," he said, noting that the series finale of USA's Monk still ranks as the highest-scripted cable telecast of all time. "Secondly, you have an opportunity to create a new launch pad," Wachtel said as the network plans to use the final season of Criminal Intent to launch a new series or help an excisting series grow much like the final season of Monk was used to launch White Collar.

Given Law & Order: CI's big pricetag as an nine-year-old high-end procedural, especially as it started off on broadcast TV, making the deal was not easy, Wachtel said, praising NBC Universal's cable maven Bonnie Hammer for her help in making it happen. "Everybody had to make concessions, but it is the hallmark of a good deal when everyone has to suffer equally: the network had to absorb some of the cost as did the studio, and Dick and the above-the-line talent were gracious in addressing a very specific set of circumstances."
Full article


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Vincent D'Onofrio is definitely coming back!

Hollywood Reporter, 9.21.10
by James Hibberd

"CI" lives -- for one more year.

USA Network's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is getting a tenth and final season.

The network has ordered eight episodes of the veteran spinoff, putting to rest whispers of its demise.

Jeff Goldblum, who replaced Chris Noth two years ago, has said he's not returning to the show. The actor originally cited "uncertainty" about the show's future as the reason he wanted out. But sources say the network is still in negotiations with several actors on the series. Vincent D'Onofrio is definitely coming back.

The crime procedural already did a major casting shakeup earlier this year, with D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian exiting the series and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Saffron Burrows joining.

"CI" was on the bubble during its summer run and the actors contracts expired in July. But USA struck a deal with creator Dick Wolf to bring yet another "L&O" series back from the brink.

“We have been the fortunate caretakers of this legendary series, and we plan to give it the world-class farewell it so richly deserves," said Jeff Wachtel, president original programming at USA. "Dick and his team promise to create a major event for television with incredible surprises. The plan is for this to be the series finale, but with a Dick Wolf franchise, one really never knows until it’s over.”

"I want to thank Bonnie and Jeff for bringing 'Criminal Intent' back for a tenth season,” Wolf said. “Only time will tell if this is a fond farewell or a renaissance for Detective Robert Goren but everyone both here and in New York is ecstatic about going back to work on a show that’s a passion for all of us. Signed, Brett Favre."

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VINCENT D'ONOFRIO TO RETURN FOR TENTH SEASON OF "LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT"

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - September 21, 2010 - Vincent D'Onofrio, who portrayed Detective Robert Goren on Dick Wolf's hit USA Network series LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT for eight seasons, will return for the tenth and final season, it was announced today by Jeff Wachtel, president original programming, USA & co-head original content Universal Cable Productions. USA Network will air eight all new episodes beginning in 2011.

In addition, Universal Cable Productions has made a pilot commitment for a new project with Wolf Films.

"We have been the fortunate caretakers of this legendary series, and we plan to give it the world-class farewell it so richly deserves. Dick and his team promise to create a major event for television with incredible surprises," said Wachtel. "The plan is for this to be the series finale, but with a Dick Wolf franchise, one really never knows until it's over."

"I want to thank Bonnie and Jeff for bringing CRIMINAL INTENT back for a 10th season," said creator and executive producer Wolf. "Only time will tell if this is a fond farewell or a renaissance for Detective Robert Goren but everyone both here and in New York is ecstatic about going back to work on a show that's a passion for all of us. Signed, Brett Favre."

D'Onofrio gained attention for his intense and compelling performance in 1987 with a haunting portrayal of an unstable Vietnam War recruit in Stanley Kubrick's gritty "Full Metal Jacket." He received an Emmy Award nomination in 1998 for his riveting guest appearance on the critically acclaimed series "Homicide: Life on the Street" episode, "The Subway." Recently D'Onofrio directed, produced and starred in a short film, "Five Minutes, Mr. Welles" and co-starred in the film "Brooklyn's Finest" opposite Richard Gere and Don Cheadle.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, produced by Wolf Films and Universal Cable Productions, created and executive produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, was developed by Rene Balcer. Shot entirely in and around New York City, the third installment of the "Law & Order" franchise takes viewers deep into the minds of its criminals while following the intense psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its crimes.

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Cable Productions.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 98.5 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Thanks myrocketman1701!

Source: Futon Critic

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/09/vincent-donofrio-to-return-for-final-season-of-law-order-criminal-intent.html

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/09/21/law-order-criminal-intent-final-season/



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Hollywood partnership formed on playground films in South Amboy

NJ.com, 9.21.10
by Stephen Stirling/For The Star-Ledger


SOUTH AMBOY — Hollywood writing partnerships are often forged in meetings with studio executives and can be wrought with arguments and differences of vision and passion.

But Westfield resident Greg Principato and Mountainside resident Timothy Reinhardt may have stumbled on a secret — theirs was formed on a school playground and couldn’t have worked out any better.

“We met because our kids went to pre-school together,” said Greg Principato, who is directing the short film “Crackers,” which he co-wrote with Reinhardt. “We sat down for like two hours and I basically told him the story. Within a week he had close to 60 pages written for me. It all just kind of clicked. I’ve worked with other writers before and a lot of writers are kind of flaky but with him right from the outset it just worked.”

“Crackers” is a dark-comedy starring “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” star Vincent D’Onofrio and Academy Award-nominated actress Brenda Vaccaro. It follows the story of Gus (D’Onofrio), an Italian chef whose life is turned upside down when his father-in-law (Dan Hedaya) chokes to death on an ossobucco bone and his mother-in-law (Vaccaro) is forced to move in with him and his wife (Beth Ann Bonner).

Reinhardt said the experience has been surreal, particularly how smoothly his partnership with Principato evolved.
beth.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “We’ve been telling people the story and they don’t believe us.” Principato, Reinhardt and the cast and crew descended on South Amboy last week, where the movie was filmed in its entirety in five days with eyes on a winter release.

“Crackers” was largely filmed in the home of Chris and Dawnn Marconi, whose Victorian-style home on Bordentown Avenue was deemed perfect for the project by Principato.

Chris Marconi the prospect of vacating his home for a week, while dozens of people roam through his house with heavy equipment and tear up his backyard, was daunting at first, but he enjoyed the experience.

“The house has taken a little bit of a beating, so it’s been a little bit stressful, but fun,” he said.
marconi.

The Marconis may have gotten a new garden out of the ordeal as well. The crew of “Crackers” had to construct one in their backyard to fit the script, and though they offered to replace the grass, Marconi said they might keep it.

“We kind of like the idea now,” he said.

Both Reinhardt and Principato, who just wrapped up work as a first camera assistant on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” said South Amboy turned out to be a perfect location.

“The script kind of has a Jersey flavor,” Reinhardt said. “And the town’s just been great.” The movie may have unearthed some local talent as well.

Ten year-old Jaime Morani and her mother saw D’Onofrio sitting in the front lawn of Marconi’s home and walked over to get the Emmy-winner’s autograph. When the not-so-shy Morani said she always wanted to be in a movie, before she could tell her school friends she was on the set, preparing for a role as an extra.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I want to be an actress, definitely. You get to be out in the world.”


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Another Harvey Weinstein biopic

Still waiting for "Down and Dirty Pictures" to get rolling--

IFC picks up Harvey Weinstein biopic doc

Hollywood Reporter
Director Barry Avrich calls subject 'the Last Bully'
By Borys Kit

Sept 16, 2010, 12:51 PM ET
Making it's third acquisition during TIFF, IFC Films has picked up worldwide rights (but excluding Canada) to "Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project."

Yes, it's an unauthorized biopic documentary on Harvey Weinstein, whom Avrich calls "the Last Bully."

Produced and directed by Barry Avrich, the doc is described by IFC as "a powerful, uncensored, no-holds-barred account that traces Weinstein's path from concert promoter on the cold streets of Buffalo to his first trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where he arrived with one pair of pants and closed his first movie deal, to winning an Oscar, and breaking the bank with his first $100 million film. It examines his complex relationships with his brother, his staff, and the Hollywood community at large and features interviews with industry insiders and the Hollywood creative community."

Avrich is best known for directing and producing The Last Mogul," the documentary on Lew Wasserman. Peter Fonda narrates the film.

IFC's previous TIFF acquisitions include James Gunn's "Super" and Werner Herzog's 3D "Cave of Forgotten Dreams."

Thanks Linda!

Video Clip from "Don't Go in the Woods"

Cassandra Lee Walker's Reel from Cassandra Lee Walker on Vimeo.

sent in by battac, thanks!

More on Don't Go in the Woods

Photo from filming of "Crackers"

Sept 17: Vincent with actress Beth Ann Bonner, filming "Crackers" in South Amboy, NJ

via Stephen Stirling

Gregory Principato of Westfield Directs First Feature Film; Film Stars Brenda Vaccaro and Vincent D’Onofrio

AlternatvePress
By Savita Iyer
9/16/2010

WESTFIELD, NJ - Gregory Principato is remarkably calm for someone who is directing his first feature film -- one, that stars, no less, such big names as Emmy award winning actress Brenda Vaccaro and Law and Order: Criminal Intent’s Vincent D’Onofrio.

He’s calm, he says, because "[the actors] are all pros and they’re deeply committed to the project."

Most importantly, though, they’re all friends – or friends of friends. In the 16 years that Principato – he’s lived in Westfield for over a decade -- has been working behind the camera on the sets of numerous TV shows and movies, he has come into contact with and developed friendships with many actors, and now, a few of them have come together to join him in his maiden venture: "Crackers," a dark comedy about an Italian chef named Gus whose life is turned upside down after a mishap during a Sunday dinner when Jack, his father-in-law, chokes to death on an ossobuco bone, and his insupportable mother-in-law, Bidelia, takes over his home and his life.

The half hour short, which is shooting this week in South Amboy, NJ, also stars Dan Hedaya of "Cheers" fame; comedian Sal Richards; "One Life to Live’s" Beth Ann Bonner; and Anthony Laciura, a former opera singer who stars in HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" (the most recent show Principato worked on). It is the "culmination of years of hard work," Principato says, who first thought up the story idea 10 years ago after a trip to New Orleans. Since that time, he has had plot and characters floating around in his head, but things only came together last year when he met his co-writer, Tim Reinhardt.

"I sat down with him for two hours, I went through the story and the characters and in six days, he had 60 pages for me," Principato says. "We shaped things from there and all of it just came together very quickly."

"The two of us have a similar sense of humor and it was all there, so everything went fast and it was just a question of making the story sharper," Reinhardt says.

Selling the script to a team of talented actors was no problem either: "They all loved it," Principato says, and this is what gives him the most encouragement for shooting "Crackers."

"When you have a team you can count on, who are all on the same page as you are and who are thrilled with what they’re doing, things just flow all that much more smoothly," Principato says.

A professional photographer, Principato has steadily worked his way up the ranks in the 16 years that he’s been a part of the film and TV world. He’s worked on a mix of shows and features, including "Spin City;" "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" (where he met Vincent D’Onofrio), HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," his latest movie project in which he even has a small cameo. But although he loves being behind the camera, he’s always wanted to direct.

"I have a good rapport with actors and I want to be more creative," he says.

In 2008, Principato both produced and directed the documentary "Mr. Laughs, A Look Behind the Curtain" about the life of comedian Sal Richards (who also stars in "Crackers"), for which he won several awards. "But I wanted to make a different kind of movie in order to prove myself," he says.

While he was able to raise some of the funds for "Crackers," Principato is doing most of the producing himself – a tough call, but one that may well be worth it in the long run, since what he really wants to do is make movies. "I will be able to use ‘Crackers’ as my calling card, in the hopes of getting other projects to direct or at the very least, getting an agent," he says.

He also hopes to enter "Crackers" in several high profile, academy-qualifying film festivals, including Cannes, Sundance and Telluride.

http://www.thealternativepress.com/article.asp?news=15210

Crackers: A Dark Comedy

Crackers is a new comedy by Exit 135 Productions. The website is now up and running.

Become a sponsor: Crackers is currently seeking donations of home made goods, snack foods, beverages, coffee, tea, water, and Nutcrackers.

Vincent D'Onofrio is Gus
Brenda Vaccaro is Bidelia
Dan Hedeya is Jack
Anthony Laciura is Frank
BethAnn Bonner is Cat
Sal Richards is Blind Willy
Vincent Mora is Luke

You can read the Story of Crackers, or meet the Cast & Crew at crackersthemovie.com


Exit 135 Productions sole mission is to make quality movies through classic story telling. We are currently in pre-production, (shooting begins on September 13), for an independently financed short film titled Crackers. All of the locations for this film are in the Garden State. A full production crew is made up of professionals working in the industry from the Tri-state region. We welcome community participation and look forward to working with the city of South Amboy.

Thanks Scott!

A National Day Of Service And Remembrance

9/11: A 'National Day Of Service And Remembrance'

This September 11, President Barack Obama has asked the country to pay tribute to the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center through action, dubbing the anniversary as a day of "service and remembrance."

Rather than just remember the lives of those lost, his hope is that thousands of Americans will take part in service-related activities to "rekindle the spirit of unity and common purpose felt in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks," he said in a press conference Friday.

To help achieve this, a new and innovative website, 9/11 National Day of Service offers ways for Americans to make their actions on September 11 felt year-round.

The Obama administration's goal is to have 100,000 organizations join the site between now and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 so people can locate volunteer opportunities across the country.

Partner networks including the Corporation for National and Community Service, HandsOn Network and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum ("9/11 Memorial") provide volunteer opportunities, charitable causes and remembrance-related activities.

Visit http://www.911dayofservice.org/

Photos: Woodstock Film Festival Launch Party

Joe Vinciguerra, Vincent D'Onofrio, Matt Latino (Don't Go In the Woods)

More photos at Woodstock Film Festival's gallery

LAUNCH PARTY CELEBRATES 11TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL
Tuesday, Sept 7
More than 200 'fiercely independent' filmmakers and industry luminaries attended the 2010 Woodstock Film Festival Launch Party at Libation on NYC's Lower East Side Tuesday, Sept. 7. Sponsored by Ketel One Vodka and Libation, attendees included Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order, Men in Black), (whose directorial debut Don't Go in the Woods, screens at the 11th annual indie fest), along with emerging and established filmmakers, all obviously thrilled to be part of this years celebration.

WFF director Meira Blaustein told the crowd, "A filmmaker once told me that coming to the Woodstock Film Festival was like walking into a warm embrace. I hope all our filmmakers this year will feel similarly nurtured and cared for, in an environment where their films are being viewed by an engaged and intelligent audience, where they will meet many like-minded filmmakers and accomplished industry members, have a wonderful time and advance their careers." WFF 2010 kicks off Wednesday, September 29 through October 3 in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Mt. Tremper, and Kingston NY.

Snag Your Tickets to the Exclusive Woodstock Film Festival Screenings and VIP Events

>>at the Emerson Resort & Spa

DON’T GO IN THE WOODS:
This unique thriller, the directorial debut directed by acclaimed actor Vincent D’Onofrio, follows a group of young musicians into the woods where they unplug from the world to work out their musical chops. Described as Glee meets The Blair Witch Project, the film cleverly walks an unusual line; maintaining a sinister/creepy sense of dread, with characters bursting into song (Composed by Sam Bisbee).

Friday, October 1st --

8:00 PM: DON’T GO IN THE WOODS screens at the Emerson – Catamount Pavilion. Question & Answer session with film makers directly following the screening.

10:00 PM: Special Musical Performance by DON’T GO IN THE WOODS cast at the Emerson Campfire.

FILMMAKERS PARTY BASH- (Screening Ticket Holders Only)

Buy Your Tickets HERE $50
Don’t Go in the Woods: Screening, Musical Performance & After Party

Woodstock Film Festival tickets available soon

Tickets to all of the films, events, concerts and panels at The 11th Annual Woodstock Film Festival will be available in person the festival Box Office at 11-13 Rock City Road, Woodstock, NY in the coming days.

ONLINE tickets will be available beginning September 6.

150 Films, Reeves, Beresford & Berney Set for 11th Woodstock Fest

including Kate Erbe's "3 Backyards".

IndieWire.com
by Brian Brooks

150 Films, Reeves, Beresford & Berney Set for 11th Woodstock Fest
Melissa Leo and James Gandolfini in a scene from Jake Scott's Woodstock Centerpiece, "Welcome to the Rileys." Image courtesy of WFF.

Some 150 films are on tap for the 11th Woodstock Film Festival, with the New York premiere of John Curran’s “Stone” set to close the event taking place September 29 - October 3 in the Upstate New York towns of Woodstock and neighboring Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Mt. Tremper, and Kingston in the Hudson Valley Catskills. Eleven world premieres, 20 U.S. and 14 East Coast debuts will screen during the fest along with 13 New York premieres (the festival will announce its opener later).

Other noted titles include “special screenings” of Michael Epstein’s “Lennon NYC,” Anthony Waller & Ray Kurzweil’s “The Singularity Is Near,” (East Coast Premiere) and an event dubbed, “Fright Night Friday! Double Horror Header!” with Vincent D’Onofrio’s “Don’t Go In the Woods” and Joe Maggio’s “Bitter Feast.”

In addition to Reeves, director Bruce Beresford (“Driving Miss Daisy,” “Mao’s Last Dancer”) will receive the fest’s Honorary Maverick Award, while distribution exec Bob Berney will receive the WFF Trailblazer Award.

Films screening in the Narrative Competition include “3 Backyards” by Eric Mendelsohn, “Cherry” by Jeffrey Fine, “The Colonel’s Bride” by Brent Stewart, “The Locksmith” by Brad Barnes & Todd Barnes, “Norman” by Jonathan Segal, “Stranger Things” by Eleanor Burke & Ron Eyal, “The Tested” by Russell Costanzo and “White Irish Drinkers” by John Gray. Full article

More info, visit the Woodstock Film Festival



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Woodstock Film Festival full lineup released.