"Riot"

Last Monday night Gretchen and I attended the cast and crew screening of, “Riot” and both of us really enjoyed it; it was great!  John Lyde and Matthew Reese came up with a great concept and Spanky Ward crafted yet one more masterful script.  (Note: I couldn’t refer to the script as “great”, I’ve already used my non Donald Trump “great” allotment for this piece.)

I’d never worked with John Lyde before, but his conversion of the story from script to screen was as close to what I was imagining when I read the script as anything I can imagine.  On set John’s crew was wonderful to work with; consummate professionals among them, Paul Hunt, Leslie Kidman, and Larissa Beck- thank you, you couldn’t have treated me better during my time on set.

I’m so very grateful that I chose to participate in the Knightstar talent showcase in March, without it and without John’s participation as a judge for the showcase, I would not have been cast.  When I initially read the breakdown, I was thinking of reading for the role that eventually went to Dolph Lundgren, but for reasons I’ve since forgotten, I didn’t even audition.  So when my agent, Liz Knight called and told me that John had offered me the role, I was both surprised and grateful.  (Anyway, after seeing the film last Monday, my now very rusty Tai Chi and Tae Kwon Do skills wouldn’t have been enough to do the role justice.)

But the most important and best thing about “Riot” is this; and credit John for this, the movie knows what it is and it doesn’t try to be anything else.  Gretchen and I came up with this almost simultaneously, unlike, for example, Disney’s “The Lone Ranger”-a film that tried to be too many things and ended being a total mess, “Riot” is an action movie, nothing more, nothing less.  It doesn’t depend on the action to make it good, it has a good script and story for that, the action is just one ingredient out of many in a very good, entertaining movie.  Without giving too much away, I can safely say that it’s 87 minutes of punching, kicking, high energy action; so bring on the popcorn, Twix and diet-Coke!

At the screening on Monday night, John told us that Universal has already purchased the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights, so I’m looking forward to seeing it again and getting a DVD or Blu Ray copy of it (hopefully with some special features).  My only disappointment on Monday was that my favorite movie daughter, Eve Mauro, was unable to make it back to Salt Lake for the screening.  I’m thankful that I was cast in this movie and if I’m real lucky, I’ll get to work with this great group of filmmakers again soon.

So until then, or maybe sooner, I’ll be seeing you on set, on location, on the stage or in the studio…

Sundance 2015, two weeks later...

I started going to Sundance when it was still the US Film and Video festival.  A poster from the 5^th US Film and Video Festival hung over my fireplace for years.  Oddly enough, in 2008 after I’d started acting again I didn’t attend until this year; six years later.  The first three years, I had a play going on every year and between rehearsal and/or performances, I couldn’t get away.  Since then I’ve either been working, on some project or another or I didn’t have enough vacation hours at the “day job” to take the time off.

But a year ago I made a conscious decision to have enough vacation hours saved up to enjoy Sundance this year.  And, AND in December, for the first time, I was given credentials for the, “Independent Filmmaker’s Lounge”.

What did I learn at Sundance?

The first thing I learned was that every, and I do mean EVERY late model black Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban in Utah was either in Park City or on the freeway going to or coming from the airport.  The next thing I learned was that if, IF I parked where I’d initially planned to park, I was going to blow my four day Sundance budget on parking.  I also learned that if I executed parking “Plan “B”, the car would more than likely be impounded; and that would not only take the four day Sundance budget plus but, would also get me a semi-permanent spot on the couch.  So, improv kicked in and in the end, parking wasn’t a problem.

On day three, I learned that in spite of the fact I was wearing, dare I confess it, LL Bean fleece lined jeans, the door masters at the Eddie Bauer lounge granted me entry into their lounge.  On day three I also learned that it would be better if some restaurant owners would learn to relax during Sundance and, “go with the flow” so to speak (but that as they say, is another episode of, “Oprah”).

And on day three, or to be more precise Saturday night, I learned how kind and gracious actors can be.  The culmination of Daniel Thompson’s work and fund raising on behalf of “Be Like Brit” and “Operation Underground Railroad” was overwhelming.  And it was on Saturday night that it became incredibly apparent that the actors and celebrities I’d met at the lounge are quite simply, very good people.

So this year if I don’t see you on location, on set, on stage or in the studio, I’ll look forward to seeing you at Sundance 2016…