Greetings and Salutations! To all of you who have been so patiently waiting the release of the film event of the season...at last...the moment has come! This Friday April 30th,
the motion picture ENVY is released nation wide. That's right, baby! This movie is directed by Barry Levinson and stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black with Christopher Walken and...me!
You know, I've been fortunate enough to work on projects that have shot around the world, but this movie experience was the most profound. Not only was I working with some of the most talented people in the business, but I was being treated to living a life dream...going to Rome, Italy. Imagine a business where you as talent are taken to an ancient city, housed in a stylish hotel and asked to amuse the G-ds of filmmaking.
How cool is that?
My scenes in the movie are when the guys (Ben & Jack) are invited by the Roman government to sell their product " Va-poo-rize" to the people of Italy. I'm in some montage sequences we shot on a farm in the outskirts of Rome and in the Centro di Populo of the city of Rome! I spent four days with the production company on the shoot and then after the company finished, I spent four more days on my own in that great eternal city!
But, the most important scene for me was the hot tub! (Rubadubdub- FOUR men in a tub?) Get this, we shot that scene on a soundstage in LA. The set was two stories tall, and had all that set design that made it feel like we were on the roof of a fancy hotel. The scenery of the city of Rome was a blue screen for us on the set. I spent the day in a suit with my feet dangling in jacuzzi water with Ben & Jack and a Minister of Italy (actor Daniel Lugos). It was also the very last day of principal photography. It was cool to be there when everyone said their good byes and paid their respects to each other.
We shot on Friday, then flew to Rome that following Tuesday! I visited so many sites in that city and rekindled what I'm sure are past memories of ancient lives. Go ahead a laugh or even roll them eyes. I don't care, for me I knew I had been to that city before!
I have some wonderful present life memories with this movie. For me, the success has already happened. I got to work with some great people and visit a great land. Again, I played with a big Hollywood director and even bigger Hollywood stars! I wasn't edited out of the movie and that in itself was a major victory. Yeah, I'm happy about this film regardless of how it does. Would it be nice to be in a hit for once...HELL yeah!
But even still, it's better to be invited to be a part of any of it. I love this business and the opportunities it provides to brush against greatness.
I hope you enjoy the film and don't be too brutal if it does miss the mark. Remember, if filmmaking were easy, more of us would get laid!! =)
Enjoy and thanks for reading,
Let me know what you think or thought of the film,
Thanks again,
Frank
posted by Frank
at 10:47 PM