Above Image: Pre-release poster of 'Officer Down' from the Official Facebook Page, all rights reserved, image not monetized (C) 2020 Simon Pearce
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. As most of my
audience knows I am a judge on the fantastic IDTV Action Fest for
2021, my second year. Across my desk and my festival judging comes a
brand new short film created by Simon Pearce. Simon is listed as the
director and c0\o-writer of the project, Tommy Draper is the other co-writer.
'Officer
Down' is a crime action/drama film that runs slightly over 18
minutes. Surprisingly, there is a massive plot development later in
the film which I will now spoil, yet bears mentioning. Usually short
films are proof of concept, 'Officer Down' rises above the mundane
with a conundrum an occurrence that forces the audience to think
about what they would do given the situation. A cop is pinned down
and tortured and manages to escape, with the help of one of the bad
guys.
The
stark contrast colors, grays and dimly lit building evokes, pensive
fear and anxiety. The cops are out maned, yet Wiley. There are many
running and action scenes, not fighting, and much gun-play as well.
By giving the audience more than 15 min, the movie has time to unfold
the plot and draw the viewer in.
'Officer
Down' is tight and well directed, each cast member including Martin
Delaney and Joseph Altin, move through the film with panache and
courage. Emotional reactions are visceral and it is obvious the
director had a clear grasp of the message and tone he was going for.
No one actor overshadows another. A smooth cohesive film, with
virtually no filler.
I
really hope this gets made into a series or feature. Obviously the
end goal here is to obtain funding for a feature release, and it
shows, the tone is serious and violent, yet having an intrinsic
message. Overall 'Officer Down' is quite good, actually surprised me,
and is worth multiple viewings and rates an 8 0\out of 10, yeah it is
that good! Incidentally the film should be shown at the IDTV action
fest as it is already entered. For more information on the festival:
http://www.idtvactionfest.com/
Above Photos: (C) 2021 Daniel Shippey, all rights reserved, used for promotional purposes only, images not monetized. Image one, Bruce Willis and director Jesse V. Johnson. Image two, Olga Kurylenko on the set of 'White Elephant'.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. A few of days back director Jesse
V. Johnson sent me a photo of him and Bruce Willis! No real
explanation, yet I held off publicizing it, as it was still private.
Fast forward to May 11th , Jesse has posted several photos
on his official Facebook Page, Olga Kurylenko has posted on her
official Instagram page a few photos from a a brand new film being
filmed now called 'White Elephant'. Actually IMDB does not have any
information about the film on the site, at the time of this post. The
only information I have is that the the two photos above were taken
by Daniel Shippey and the film is am action/drama.
Above: Olga Kurylenko from her Instagram page, with brass knuckles waiting to kick some ass! I shall jump to the head of the line!
Keep
reading Dan's Movie Report for up to date info on 'White Elephant'.
In the meantime, make sure to point your browsers to the official
social media sites below for additional photos and information!
Above Image: Alan Weissman, All rights reserved, image not monetized. All images on this interview are copyright by the original owners, and used for promotional purposes only.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. A special treat, an interview two
years in the making. Producer and actor Natalie Burn stops by for an
extensive chat about 'Hollow Point' and her film 'Acceleration' along
with newer projects. Natalie has a unique and deep background In film
and is highly knowledgeable on both sides of the camera. Sit back,
relax, because now is the time to burn and read the exciting new chat
with Natalie!
DMR:
Chat about your casting for Hollow Point, did you meet with Director
Daniel Zirilli and Producers Dilan Jay and Adel Nur prior to getting
the part with auditions or was it we have a cool detective part for
you.
NB:
I was very fortunate to know Daniel Zirilli for many years prior to
working with him on Hollow Point. He was gracious enough to call and
tell me there's a detective role that he's thinking of for me, and he
would like for me to meet with his producing partner, Adel Nur to
interview for this role; and that's how it happened! Adel and I
really connected with one another. He is extremely polite, and I love
his energy and enthusiasm over the movie. After getting acquainted
with Adel, he said that I'm definitely this role of Detective Emily
Plaza and he's excited to work with me on set. So, I didn't have to
read for the role, but I did have to do a proper meeting with the
producer and the director, in order to see if I fit the criteria. As
for Dilan, I met Dilan for the first time on set, and after we got
acquainted, we kind of felt like we've known each other for years.
He's an old soul, who’s very talented, and we were thrilled to work
together. I'm hoping to work with him again someday.
DMR:
Chat about creating some of the detective mannerisms for your Emily
Plaza character? How long did you rehearse the scenes prior to
shooting?
NB:
I try to work on my character as soon as I get the script, but that's
not always the case sometimes. I like spending the time to get to
know my character on a deeper level and understand the backstory as
well as mannerisms; however, I had limited time to prepare, as I got
brought into this project a few days prior to shooting. So, for me,
when I’m in this type of situation, the lines are the most
important thing right now and then we can work on everything else
from underlying meanings to specific actions taken by my character.
What primarily attracted me to the character Detective Emily Plaza is
that she’s a female detective in this man’s world. In the story,
she really cares about Dilan’s character and the fact that she
wants him to get justice after losing his wife and child; it’s very
personal to Emily Plaza, and I personally felt like there’s a
deeper connection that she’s feeling. She has this need to help him
no matter what, and that’s what I kind of been trying to find, but
within my own personal life; in other words, I try to find that depth
or loss of something and regain it or bring it back in the moment.
Basically, this approach drives me throughout the whole script and
guides my character to be strong and successful. Overall, it’s nice
to have more time to prepare for these roles but an exciting
challenge nevertheless.
DMR:
You had some pretty cool scenes on the film, discuss the helicopter
scene, and searching for the bad guy at the end, no spoilers please.
NB:
I was super excited when Daniel told me I'll be flying a helicopter!
Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to learn how to fly a
helicopter. It was part of a deal with my brother. When we were
young, we just told ourselves there's certain things we are going to
do no matter what, and one of them was how to learn how to drive a
boat, and the other one is to fly a helicopter. The instructor was
very nice, as he taught me how to operate the helicopter and once I
got the hang of it, it was amazing! The feeling is so overwhelming.
I'm not afraid of heights, I'd go up into the sky all day long and
just look over the amazing city view.
DMR:
Very cool story about flying! Chat about the interaction with the
established actors like Luke Goss and Michael Pare, what did you
learn from them?
NB:
Oh, I love Michael Pare! Michael Pare has been one of my good friends
for years, we've done at least four or five indie movies together. We
also worked together on my movie Awaken that I produced, as well as
Uwe Boll's indie movie called Blood Rayne: The Third Reich. Michael
is just a wonderful actor. He's also a member of the Actor's Studio,
like myself. I literally saw him grow and become this lifetime member
right in front of my eyes. He's such a fascinating person, who has
been acting for a long time, and yet, he's constantly open to
growing, and he is growing. He’s always trying to find different
ways of becoming a different character, in addition to finding a
different way of communicating with people in the scene. I mean, he's
exactly the actor that you want to be. I think what blends the most
from him is that no matter how much you had worked in this industry,
no matter how old you are, no matter how much you already know, it's
never enough. There's never a time where you can say 'I know it all
now. Now I can stop learning.' That's never the case about Michael
when it comes to acting.
Same
thing with Luke Goss. I mean, I didn't know him before Hollow Point,
but once I met him, I felt like I've already known that guy. He's
such an enthusiastic actor, and he gives it all his best. He's
physically strong, and knows how to do amazing action scenes, and he
inspired me to become an action star later on. I was already fighting
and training with some of the best trainers, including Arnold Chon,
but Luke is the one who kind of motivated and challenged me during
the movie, which shifted my focus more on actually becoming a female
action star because there's definitely a market for that. It's really
cool to be in an action movie. It's like a dream come true!
DMR:
I also like Michael Pare and Luke Goss, I am thrilled you got to work
with them. Chat about working with Dilan Jay as star and producer, I
know that your upcoming own film 'Acceleration' you wore two hats on.
What did you learn from working with Dilan, and for that matter
Daniel Zirilli and Adel, on 'Hollow Point'?
NB:
Dilan is such a smart person. His background is primarily in music
and real estate, but he's a true business oriented and artistic
entrepreneur, who is open to collaborating and multi-tasking on
several things at once. When I observed that type of work ethic, it
was inspiring. I also realized if he could do this, then I could do
it as well, which is kind of my curse and my blessing. I look at
people and for some reason I always feel the need to compete. And
it's not always the best thing to do in relationships, but it's great
in work because I get motivated by people's successes; not
necessarily out of jealousy, but I definitely always think like '
Well, if they can do it, I can do it.' I believe there's nothing that
I'm not capable of doing myself. Dilan made that film, which inspired
me to then later make my movie 'Acceleration.' I figured, 'hey, he
played the lead. He did action, and I can do the same.' The only
difference is that I'm a female and he's in man. I believe any woman
out there can commit to equal jobs as men do. So, like I said, he
definitely inspired me to become a producer and get control over my
own movies. When I worked with Daniel and Adel on Hollow Point. They
constantly work. They don't stop. They create their own content and
they continue making movies because that's their passion. They don't
wait for a phone call for some big studios to call them, they create,
and they just continue to succeed. That is kind of what I've taken
from the experience of not waiting for permission to achieve my own
goals and aspirations.
DMR:
Yes it is pretty amazing about how Dilan just decides to make his own
film. Final Hollow Point question, although you did not have a lot of
scenes together chat about working with actress JuJu Chan, and the
importance in general of having a balance of strong female characters
in current action films.
NB:
I think it's more important today to have a female action star who is
capable of doing her own stunts, or doing her own fight
choreographies. I believe the studios and independent market is more
open towards those type of female actresses with those specific
assets. That is why I feel JuJu has huge potential. Since she’s of
Asian decent as well as a professional martial artists, she
definitely has the traits and qualities to her advantage. The reality
is casting directors now are looking for talented actresses with a
wide array of skills depending on the role. An actress may look the
part, but if it comes down to two actresses who have the same look,
but one has a special skill that the other candidate doesn’t, which
also benefits or reinforces the creative vision, then it's convenient
to make a decision.
When I worked with JuJu, I saw her
fighting skills and I said to myself 'wow!' That's what I want to do.
I definitely want to push myself forward. Given my background as a
ballerina, I was able to transition easily into fight choreography
because I already had the same discipline, flexibility, and agility.
So, with my movie Acceleration, when I started training with Arnold
Chon, it didn’t feel as challenging, as it may with anyone who is
just starting out. On the other hand, those who do have a specific
skill set or training, I encourage them to utilize and leverage it to
their advantage while challenging themselves.
Below: Natalie does a shout out to Dan's Movie Report live on set!
DMR:
Acceleration really has piqued my interest with some killer
established stars including Danny Trejo, Dolph Lundgren & Sean
Patrick Flannery, chat about working with them.
NB:
I've worked with Dolph Lundgren on about five different projects
already, but we've been friends for about nine years. I've seen his
career rise back up and he definitely deserves the recognition for
his work in this industry. But working with him in general is always
a privilege. Especially, knowing somebody who has been in the
industry for as long as he has and still retains value and demand
from his fans, which is very inspiring overall. I mean, it takes
dedication, training, and perseverance to really continue working as
an actor. But, no matter what, Dolph is still here, he's still making
movies, and we still want to watch them. Once again, to me, that is
very admirable, which aspires me to eventually reach his level some
day. With Sean Patrick Flannery, I mean 'wow!' He's an amazing Emmy
Award-Winning Actor, who I just absolutely adore. He has got tons of
secrets and talents that a lot of people don't actually know; in
fact, Sean trained me a few times, and he's an absolute champ and an
amazing master. Sean was just wonderful to work with. He creates the
most unique and creative characters. Basically, I've never looked at
somebody's eyes and got so hypnotized that I couldn't stop smiling.
It always works against me because my character is so serious in
Acceleration. When I met Danny Trejo, I was so surprised by his
personality, by who he is, and in real life, I mean, you see him play
these intimidating bad guy-type roles, but he's actually a warm teddy
bear. Danny is so kind and extremely happy; he's always smiling!
DMR:
Working with Director Daniel Zirilli again and Michael Merino on
crafting the story and your character Rhona? Chat about working as
well with EP Eric Brenner.
NB:
I met Eric Brenner through our distributor. He's very kind and
supportive, and I hope to work with him again some day. With Daniel
and Michael, I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am that I put,
not one, but two great directors, who were both very flexible and
professional, on set. They worked really well together by being open
to each other’s creative suggestions and feedback; in fact, I think
that's the key in independent film-making. It's a collaboration and
everybody works together instead of against each other. It was
definitely a team effort at the end of the day, and having two
talented directors on set made the process move quicker.
DMR:
Must have been tricky to get the cast together on such a tight
schedule, how many days did you have for rehearsals, then principal
photography? Chat as well about your casting process.
NB:
It was very tricky! I mean, you always have a tight schedule with
independent feature films. I feel that as our industry grows with new
and innovative ways of film-making, the schedules get tighter, and
the budgets get smaller each time. Regardless, we still have to
deliver the same expectations and product because that's what
distributors want. I was fortunate to have such an amazing cast and
crew. Everybody was professional, came in on time, knowing exactly
what they were doing and why they were doing it. We shot 10 days of
principal photography and then we had three days of pickups. So it
was three to 13 days. With action it's tough because you have to be
ready to take the time to shoot it from all different angles,
different punches, etc. but still didn't have enough time. But the
priority is to just "get it in the can," as they say, and
figure it out in post later on. As for the casting process, my
distributors were helpful to let me know which actors they wanted to
recruit and that made the process easier. As I mentioned earlier, I
already had a preexisting relationship with Dolph Lundgren and got
him attached literally after shooting another movie with him called
'Hard Night Falling.' Dolph only had a one month time frame, so we
had to almost scramble to make it work but eventually the movie came
together and I couldn't of been more proud of how it turned out.
DMR:
Thank you for giving my audience insight to formulating a film from
scratch on limited time. Share a story from the set of
'Acceleration', can be funny, or scary etc...
NB: Oh my
gosh! I have an amazing story! During our pickups, my character had
to drive the Maserati throughout Downtown L.A.; unfortunately, we
didn’t have the budget to get permits and block off the streets,
but we were going to wing it anyway. So, here I am driving at 3:00 am
with a fake license plate with fake money and fake drugs in the trunk
of the car. I eventually get lost and while trying to find my way
back, I get pulled over and am surrounded by four cop cars. I
honestly thought I was being pulled over for the fake license plate,
but actually it was for driving towards traffic. Of course, I was
extremely apologetic and explained that we were shooting a movie, and
eventually the police let us go without a ticket.
DMR:
Indie filmakng, always an adventure, great story! Can you share
any non spoiler plot details, from the film?
NB:
I think the most interesting part of the film is how the entire plot
unfolds towards the end.
You
have the two most interesting antagonists Vladik, played by Dolph
Lundgren, and Kane, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, whom each have
their own goals and ulterior motives throughout the plot that
intertwines with Rhona’s primary objective of getting her kidnapped
son Mika, who’s played by Dobromir Mashukov, back. I believe the
audience will enjoy watching how all of the characters meet up, while
discovering the twists and revelations behind each of their motives.
DMR:
Chat about the release of 'Acceleration'.
NB:
The movie has already been released and is available on multiple
platforms, including Amazon Prime, where you can check it out, be
entertain, and leave a review afterwards. Also, feel free to connect
via social media and tell me your thoughts.
DMR:
Finally wrapping up, can you shed some
light on Hard Night Falling and The Fourth Horseman films, I noticed
the Dolph film Hard Night Falling has wrapped, can you chat a bit
about your character no spoilers of course.
NB:
Hard Night Falling is out on Hulu and Amazon, and you should
definitely check it out if you’re into cool, kick-ass scenes! The
Fourth Horseman is currently holding for the time being, but there
are plenty of other movies down the pipeline.
For
further information on Natalie Burn, please connect on these
websites:
Above: Poster for 'the Swordsman' (C) 2020 All rights reserved, image poster on IMDB and image used for promotional purposes only not monetized
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. Another rapid
fire, spoiler free review! The good folks at Trinity CineAsia have a
treat releasing for action fans and on DVD May 17th, and Blu-ray May 24th! 'The Swordsman'
delivers on the promise of action somewhat a straightforward story, yet surprisingly full of swerves and curves.
Actor
Jang
Hyuk plays a sword-fighter named Tae-yul who is going blind and
is searching for his daughter. There are other swordsmen in the film
of course, yet his story and fighting style, almost like a inhibited
drunken yet controlled aggression makes for an entertaining watch.
There is a particular scene in which there are so many fighters
stacked against him, it is almost to 'Kill Bill' insanity.
Director
Jae-Hoon
Choi manages to keep the actors completely focused on camera. His
handling of the emotional level of the characters keeps the audience
engaged. It seems like he did longer takes for the action, thus not
taking the two moves then stop and start again approach. I hope to
see more of his work in the future.
All
of the fighting in 'The Swordsman' is consistently crisp and tight.
The camera work shows the action, and much of it is in the clear
daylight. Seemingly in so many sword action dramas either the
subjects are filmed at odd angles or too far away, or they are so
poorly lit, it is hard to make out the sequences. This film also gets the distances from the camera to the fighters corrrect not so close we only see an eye or a tip of a blade, and not so far as to only see blurry shadows off in the distance.
'The
Swordsman' manages to avoid the bogging down of unneeded dialogue, in
fact compared to the action there is not that much. This Korean film
knows what the audience wants and delivers them in a sharp metal
poking package! Musically the film flows along, and sounds great in
headphones, even the clanking of the swords was realistic. As I
stated before the cinematography is clear and easy to view. The
costuming seemed a little bit plain, again though this is not a huge
budget film, so excusable.
Overall,
'The Swordsman' is an action lover's heaven, epic battle sequences,
big scope considering the budget and absolutely worthy of a rent or
purchase! The film rates a 7 out of 10.
Above: A proud director, Russ shares his Nutrisytem journey. Photo (C) 4-6-21 Russ All rights reserved.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Today I unleash an interview 16
years in the making. I have known Russ Emanuel since 2004 when he
released 'Girl With Gun' with Michelle Lee. I had a chance to meet
him and I covered that film in Vengeance Magazine. Fast forward to
2016, and the Florida Supercon, Russ was here for his parallel
universe film “Occupants”, I had the opportunity to be at the
booth to assist them when they had a screening at the 2016 Florida
Supercon, I had the opportunity to be a representative for Russ and
producer Paul Hickman's action film “The Assassin's Apprentice”.
Russ is one of the hardest working guys I know, a professional, and
a man of honor and dignity. Russ is quite interesting to chat with
and is a very personable gentleman, Russ is currently working on part
2 of “The Assassin's Apprentice” and “Staycation”. Russ chats
in depth about independent film making and the art of raising money
through Indiegogo and Kickstarter, and various people he has worked
with. Live long and prosper while Dan's Movie Report beams down a new
interview...ENERGIZE!
DMR:
Chat about the concept for “Routine”, working with Paige, and the
idea behind the comic book ending.
RE:
During a mysterious pandemic, Cassie’s quarantine life has turned
into a routine, day in and day out. Nothing new seems to happen,
until she realizes she’s out of coffee. And she’s determined to
get her cup of joe, even if she must face the horrors of the outside
world. Because “she’d kill for a cup of coffee.”
This
film is a test of our new 6K pixel resolution camera package which we
happened to get right before the Covid-19 outbreak. We decided if we
were going to do a test, we ought to create a meaningful film, one
that fit in with the pandemic times.
Therefore,
teaming up with my longtime film-making partner Emile Haris, along
with our lead actress, newcomer Paige Laree Poucel (who was amazing
to work with and she will reprise her role of “Cassie” in
“Staycation”), we set about thinking about what life has become
under quarantine – one of “routine”, but one where we thought
artistically outside the box, and subverted expectations, even under
the 5 minute length of this film.
With
additional voice talents of Alan Courtright and Bill Victor Arucan,
as well as working again my longtime composer Vasilis Milesis,
employing a wonderful song “The Moon and Back” sung by Ana Maria
Escobar, along with DC/Marvel Comics Artist Dave Beaty who literally
draws the “third act” of the film, we hope the audience will
enjoy this brief yet poignant story that reflects our present
realities.
We
drew the third act of the film because of the Covid-19 restrictions
which took place in Los Angeles around the time we filmed (April
2020). We couldn’t film outside so we had to think outside the
box. Hence, the employment of Dave Beaty our wonderful comic book
artist.
Above Image: Poster for the 2020 short film "Routine" (C) 2020 Russem Productions, all rights reserved image not monetized
DMR:
Always difficult to adjust to shoot with Covid restrictions. Chat
about the 'Staycation” feature, obviously no spoilers, chat about
working and filming during the pandemic, did you have to alter some
scenes?
RE:
“Staycation” is a midquel of sorts to 'Routine' where the
three main characters of the latter film make a comeback in
“Staycation” (Paige Laree Poucel as “Cassie”, Alan
Courtight as the “News Anchor” and Bill Victor Arucan as “Rob
Peterson”).
“Staycation”
expands on the storyline created in “Routine” but in a feature
film version. We decided that because of the success of “Routine”
at various film festivals including getting into one of the top genre
festivals in the United States, FilmQuest, we ought to see if there
was demand among potential investors for a feature version. And
thankfully there was.
We
raised enough money to film the B-storyline during November 2020 in
Burbank, California with “Star Wars” actress Olivia d’Abo and
“Star Trek” actor Sean Kenney, with further pickups in December
2020 with Tracee Lee Cocco also of “Star Trek” and Eileen Dietz
of “The Exorcist”.
Filming
during the pandemic was really tough because there were many Covid
restrictions put into place which dramatically increased our budget
and we unfortunately ran out of money after filming. Due to this, we
decided to do an Indiegogo Campaign to raise finishing funds which we
were too successful (at 201% raised) and now have an additional 50
actors to film. The film also has expanded by around 30 pages. We
will be filming these actors in May and June 2021 and two notable
name actors include Kelli Maroney of “Night of the Comet” and
Laurene Landon of “Maniac Cop”.
I
think many people outside the business do not even realize how much
additional work and money has to go into proper covid protocol, I
know many productions have to hire a dedicated Covid Complience
Officer. Shifting gears, Russ you are extremely experienced in the
art of raising money through Indiegogo and Kickstarter, as a writer,
I am always interested to listen to some of the good and bad things
from these sites. Do you feel more pressure, and does your sense of
honor and quest for perfection often make you lose sight?
It
was only out of necessity we used crowdfunding to raise monies. To
be honest, it is really stressful and if I could have avoided it, I
would have. But that said, a lot of good people including yourself
became a part of our campaign and for that I am truly grateful.
Above: Poster for "Staycation" scheduled for release in 2022 (C) 2021 Russem Productions, all rights reserved image not monetized.
DMR:
Thank you for the insight to the Covid filming issues and intricacies
of raising money. On a happier note, chat about some of the
incredible work you have done, do you have one feature film and
perhaps one short film you can say, wow, I am thrilled this happened.
Perhaps share some highlights.
RE:
By this point in my career, I have been fortunate to be able to have
directed five feature films with “Staycation” being my sixth and
also directed some amazing short films including “Girl With Gun”
way back in 2004 which was instrumental in my being able to direct my
first feature film “P.J.” (now called “Heaven’s Messenger”)
and met my producing partner Howard Nash who produced all five of my
feature films that are out.
I
would say the feature film that stands out for me is “Occupants”
which was my fourth feature film and is a sci-fi thriller starring
Robert Picardo of “Star Trek: Voyager”. As for a short film of
mine that stands out, it’s either “Girl With Gun” or “The
Assassin’s Apprentice”. Both are action films and the latter
stars some more “Star Trek” actors including Robert Picardo
(again) and Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi on Star Trek: The Next
Generation”).
DMR:
Russ I think you are a great action director, hope to see more of it.
When you look back on your earlier work such as Girl With Gun, what
advice would you give yourself now and perhaps discus some techniques
you have learned throughout the years of making films.
RE:
I would say learn to trust others under your crew to carry out their
responsibilities. I was very tight gripped back in my 20s and I
hopefully have mellowed out some since then.
DMR:
Very important to delegate and not hover over those you trust. Chat
about working on short films vs features, obviously much more work
goes into a feature, but a short film can lead to a feature, do you
approach short films a bit different than features, if no perhaps
tell me some of your techniques in pre-production etc...
RE:
I look at short films as the beginnings of a feature film. So for
instance, the first “The Assassin’s Apprentice” is Act 1, and
the second “The Assassin’s Apprentice” which is currently in
post-production is Act 2. I am discussing with my producer/writer of
those films Paul Hickman about a potential Part 3 thereby completing
the trilogy.
Above: Russ in red working on pick up shots for TAA2! April, 2021 Photo credit: Bill Victor Arucan - All rights reserved, image not monetized.
DMR:
That is a great way of thinking about it, eventually if you do a
third TAA film together length wise you have a feature. OK I have to
say it, you know we are both HUGE 'Star Trek' fans, and you had the
opportunity to cast a few Trek universe actors in your films, name a
few you would love to cast and why, for me hands down is Nana
Visitor! She is the real deal, complex and humble.
RE:
It would be amazing to work with Nana Visitor. I enjoyed her acting
on “Deep Space Nine”. Some other fine actors would be Sir
Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Jeri Ryan, Scott Bakula, to name a
few.
Above: The side by side weight loss- 11-8-19 to 4-12-21! (C) 2019 and 2021 Russ, all rights reserved, image not monetized.
DMR:
Bakula, good thinking! I know you have been knee deep in work, but
someone I see has lost 50 pounds, spill your secrets, so hard in the
pandemic!
RE:
Thank you for asking. So because of Covid, the gyms had shut down
and I was running a very tough Indiegogo Campaign for “Staycation”
causing my weight to skyrocket to 200 pounds which for a 5 feet 9
inch guy, that put me in the overweight category. Once the campaign
ended in late January 2021, I knew I would have time until we filmed
in May/June 2021 to do something about it. So I decided to try
NutriSystem for 2-3 months and I am very relieved to say it worked.
I lost 50 pounds in 51 days. Basically I just stuck to the diet plan
and through thick and thin, I persisted, persevered and prevailed. I
am very grateful at my age of 43 I was able to accomplish this.
DMR:
Russ, think of it as a lifestyle change not a diet! Chat about TAA2
are you still on track for a 2022 release, I am sure you are going to
want to wait until live film fests open again.
RE:
Yes “The Assassin’s Apprentice 2” is very much on track for a
2022 release. We are doing final pickups on April 25, ADR sessions
on May 15 and are knee deep in the scoring, sound design, and visual
effects part of the post-production process.
Above: Russ on location during pick up shoots for TAA2 April - 2021. Photo Credit Eric D. Brown. All rights reserved, image not monetized.
DMR:
Wrapping up, advice you young directors, if you could go back to your
18 yr old self and impart words of wisdom, what would they be?
RE:
Just stick to your guns and never veer from your goals.
DMR:
Thank you Russ for this insightful, illuminating, and honest
interview. We will do a Jen Psaki when The Assassin's Apprentice is
ready for viewing!
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