Hey People,

Been following the progress of your film considering I'm in the same boat with my indie, All Saint's Day - www.AllSaintsDaythemovie.com - (shameless plug, sorry, you know the deal) although the guys at Coming Attractions wouldn't give me a page.

Question is - Did you try Sundance or Slamdance or any of the majors again? How about the IFFM? Any distribution deals for direct to video or small theatrical run come down the pipe yet? Have you thought about perhaps direct distribution? Maybe you've addressed these issues in previous posts and I've overlooked them. I would like to be able to see your movie. Kinda hard considering I'm in New York. Anyway, best of luck with your continued progress.

Thanks,

James Patrick McArdle

-- James Patrick McArdle (JamesMcGack@aol.com), December 06, 2000

Answers

Hey there.

Nice page. I like the intro. Look forward to seeing it.

Actually we have kind of put festivals on the back burner until we can secure funding to finish. We rushed it last time we submitted and caused ourselves a lot of pain. We'll start submitting again after we finish the edit and cut the neg.

Any suggestions for finding funds? You fellas appear to have gotten to the print stage somehow without selling PAs into slavery. How, man? HOW?!

Ahem.

-- Michael Fitts (michael@noextraday.com), December 06, 2000.

Well Michael,

It goes like this - the co-writer and director, Tommy La Sorsa, is a born hustler. I think he burned every bridge he could cross along with the other writer, Chris Lynn, raising the cash for the film. I'm sure this is very familiar ground for you. We originally shot the film on video about 2 1/2 years ago. We used that to get people's interest for the film shoot. The video version got us into the Brooklyn Film Festival where we won "Best Work In Progress". The prize for that was two weeks of camera and lighting equipment free from Du-All in NYC. This coupled with the fact that Tommy worked at the restaurant, Nick's, where a majority of the film takes place, help out in a big way. They catered the picture for free - Big plus. Free location shoots after they closed - Another bonus. I believe they even came in for some cash, although I'm not sure on that point. It's a win-win situation for them. If the film goes nowhere, they use a percentage as a tax loss, and if it does make it they get all the free publicity a restaurant could possibly ask for. So, free camera equipment, locations, catering (The best freebie - you know what I mean), no actors were paid (ie. me) and the shoot went exactly two weeks.

Now, I've been involved for over 3 years, but mainly as an actor although I kicked in a couple of bucks when needed. I began pushing it as a producer (per se) because Chris Lynn wrote another movie called Crooked Lines that is shooting now. He's got Colin Quinn and Jim Breuer from SNL, Anne Meara and Amy Stiller, Adam Trese and even Buster Poindexter in this one. Good things for him but that leaves him very busy. So, I've been calling anyone under the sun trying to get things going. Called Blockbuster to try and get it in there - figured because Chris worked there, it would be a good story for both of sides with "The Former Employee Makes Good Angle". Haven't reached anyone yet, always a machine. We've received distribution offers (Not really at liberty to talk about those on a public forum - Tommy will kill me) but we want it in theaters. We got into the IFFM in NYC. Sundance turned us down, but they also turned down every other movie in the IFFM this year which is unusual. The only name actor we have in our movie is Anthony Mangano from NYPD BLUE and POINTBREAK (He was the undercover cop in the last bank robbery that gets killed by P. Swayze). That just doesn't cut it with Sundance. So, we just keep pushing and pushing and pushing...

It comes down to this - did you make a movie so it could sit on a shelf in your bedroom or so people could see it? You know the answer.

Jeez, I wrote a new verse of the bible. Sorry. That's what happens when you start talking about projects you love.

Love to hear more of your story (horror) behind making the flick. I'll go back to the earlier posts on your site. By the way, I love the "Breakfast Club" homage in your poster.

James

-- James Patrick McArdle (JamesMcGack@aol.com), December 06, 2000.

Do you have any plans to try and submit your movie to the SXSW film festival in Austin?

-- Charles Mitchell (cyke@bolt.com), January 13, 2001.

Hey There Mike and Charles,

Just wanted to let you guys know the flick (All Saints Day) I'm in got picked up by Winstar Home Video. It's currently being pre-sold on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com on DVD and video. The release date is 6/12/01. A small theatre run is starting today in Brooklyn, NY. Blockbuster video picked it up, but I think only for a regional release around NY. Not really sure.

Goes to show that it can be done. Best of luck with your films.

Sincerely,

James Patrick McArdle

-- James Patrick McArdle (JamesMcGack@aol.com), May 04, 2001.