SMALL APARTMENTS (Jonas Åkerlund, 2012)

[Jox]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-Mi ... 8403006088

Rebel Wilson, whose star-power is on a deservedly meteoric rise, plays Rocky in "Small Apartments" -- Tommy Balls's (Johnny Knoxville's) one-night-stand.

In Rebel's scene with Johnny, she tells him she's "in the middle of a 40-day cleanse."

I inserted that line at the last minute because my sister-in-law, Sarah, actually was in the middle of a 40-day cleanse -- a process which, frankly, I found to be hilarious.

As an ode to great "circular dialogue" films like "The Big Lebowski," -- where characters learn new phrases from other characters, then use them later -- Johnny uses the same phrase he learns from Rebel in a later scene with James Caan (Mr. Allspice).

In another scene, I wrote a line for Peter Stormare (Mr. Olivetti) where he calls Matt Lucas (Franklin Franklin) "cupcake." That's because, at the time, my son Harrison -- like some New Jersey wise guy talking outta the side of his mouth -- was addressing everyone as "cupcake."

[Jox]

The outstanding character actor, Ned Bellamy, plays a Los Angeles EMT in "Small Apartments." His character is named for my lifelong pal, Dan Allen.

At first, the role had no significance in the story -- indeed, the character was simply named "EMT" and was tasked with little more than wheeling a dead body from an apartment.

But, during filming, the opportunity arose for me to expand the EMT into a character that plays a pivotal role in the development of Burt Walnut (Billy Crystal). This revelatory moment could only occur if the new lines were delivered perfectly by a gifted actor.

Needless to say, Bellamy nails it.

In September 2012, I went to the premiere of a play at The Actor's Gang in Culver City (a theatre fronted by Tim Robbins -- who was there all night taking tickets, bartending, circulating among the crowd). During the after-party, I looked across the lobby and -- Wham! -- locked eyes with Ned Bellamy.

It had been a year and a half since Bellamy and I were working on set together, but that time evaporated as we immediately embraced and proceeded to spend the rest of the evening shooting the shit. For me, it was another gratifying lesson in the process of filmmaking. It was also a powerful reminder of how we artists, no matter what means we choose to express ourselves, are all in this thing together.

Billy Crystal's character in "Small Apartments," Burt Walnut, likes to take a swig off his hip flask while investigating suspicious Los Angeles County fires.

Billy supplied his own flask for the film -- one he got on the Concorde. He showed it to me. Sure enough, it said "Concorde" right on it.

I had a silvery bag of lightly salted peanuts in my pocket from Southwest. I didn't bother showing them to Billy.

The beautiful Saffron Burrows plays Franklin Franklin's MILF neighbor, Francine, in "Small Apartments." Burrows, along with Juno Temple (Simone) filmed an extended dream sequence that shot into the wee hours of the morning and included pole dancing in an apartment filled with bubbles and sloshing around in a seven-foot-tall martini glass filled with Moxie cola.

Unfortunately, because of the storytelling arc that developed during the edit, many of Burrows' scenes were cut or reduced in length. Maybe someday, in an extended Director's Cut after the film achieves cult status, those scenes will resurface.

I feel especially badly that Burrows' moxie-martini glass scene was cut. But it worked out great for me because she gave me a big hug before she left set. A big, Saffron Burrows hug.

[savagesketch]

As a loyal fan of Dolph, I typically buy his films upon their release. Sadly, this'll be one that I see by way of a rental first...

[Jox]

Moxie cola, produced by Cornucopia Beverages Inc. of Bedford, New Hampshire, plays a big role in both the novel and film versions of "Small Apartments."

Moxie was introduced to me in high school by the father of my good pal, John Sullivan. Sully's dad passed away when we were in college and I still have the last bottle of Moxie his dad handed me as I was leaving their house. That unopened bottle of cola is 24 years old and sits on a shelf in my office.

Sully once told me that his dad, who was from Boston, is mentioned somewhere in the Warren Commission Report on the assassination of JFK. To my recollection, he was interviewed over some remarks overheard in Dallas prior to Nov. 22, 1963 about how Kennedy would get "his head blown off" if he ever set foot in Texas.

Moxie is a bitter-tasting beverage that is decidedly not for everyone. Sorta tastes like carbonated medicine. Indeed, Matt Lucas requested that Diet Coke be swapped into the Moxie bottles he slugs back on screen. Nevertheless, I love the stuff and buy some whenever I'm in New England.

At the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival, Lisa and I were at dinner with director, Jonas Akerlund, his wife, B, Director of Photography Par Ekberg, Matt Lucas and a few other friends when Jonas surprised me by saying, "I just learned recently that the word moxie has a double meaning."

Jonas is Swedish, but his understanding of English is sharper than many Americans I've met. It had never once occurred to me that he might not catch the metaphorical value of having our sad-sack protagonist ironically drinking a cola called Moxie throughout the film.

"I was talking to Fergie," said Jonas (who knows pretty much everyone), "and she said that moxie also means to be bold or courageous. To have balls."

When it comes to discovering a thematic trope in a cinematic work of fiction, for both the creators and the audience, I guess the rule should always be: Better late than never.

[Jox]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-Mi ... 8403006088

Rosie Perez plays Nurse Sally Baker in "Small Apartments." The role originally belonged to Nastassja Kinski, but she pulled out at the last second. Perez was gracious enough --and game enough -- to take on the role the night before shooting.

Learning her lines on the fly, Perez kept tripping over the word "inoperable" in take after take. The line just wasn't clicking for her. We said, "Let's just skip over it, or make a change."

But Perez said, "No. I want to get this." She was determined to nail her delivery. Which, naturally, she did.

As I'd done with the other cast, I asked Perez if she would sign my script. She said, "No. I won't."

Pause.

"I'm just fucking with you."

After she wrapped her scene, when asked how she thought the film would turn out, Perez said, "“I think it's going to be kickass. And if it’s not then I’m a monkey’s uncle.”

[Jox]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-Mi ... 8403006088

Juno Temple plays the rebellious "Simone" in "Small Apartments." For those familiar with my novel, this is the character known as Little 101 -- Franklin's neighbor first described as "hot, teenaged trouble."

In the 20-minute "Making of Small Apartments" documentary that is included on the DVD and Blu-ray, Temple says of the film, "It’s this incredible combination of a lot of different emotions. It made me go on a roller coaster with my feelings, and I love that. All the characters are so alive and so interesting. Every one has their own story that you could happily watch a movie about just them. I think the movie is going to really make a stamp.”

Another script of mine now nearing production is called "On Tilt" -- a dark, online poker heist comedy with a quirky "Star Wars" fanboy element. I wrote it with Dr. Chris Marker and it has Goran Dukic attached to direct ("Wristcutters: A Love Story"). For the lead of that project, we've focused on getting Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild").

During the wrap party for "Small Apartments" at the Pig & Whistle on Hollywood Blvd, I got a big hug from Juno Temple and we had a nice conversation about the terrific performance she gave in the film.

Later, after the party had wound down and only a few remained drinking, Scott Sheldon said to me, "Did you see who Juno Temple's boyfriend was?"
"No," I said. "I didn't even notice him."
"He was standing next to her the whole time you were talking," said Scott.
"Who was it?"
"Emile Hirsch."

I had been trying for months to get in contact with Hirsch to interest him in the lead for "On Tilt." Meanwhile, he was standing right in front of me at my own wrap party.

"I'm a fucking idiot," I said.

[Jox]

'Small Apartments' screened Wednesday at Kansas City's Alamo Drafthouse with executive producers Q&A

Kansas City, Mo. (January 29, 2013) -- AMUSE, the film and TV division of Kansas City's Universal Uclick is proud to announce the release of their film, "Small Apartments." The film will have a Kansas City showing on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Alamo Drafthouse (14th and Main, Kansas City, MO) at 7:30 p.m.

"Small Apartments" stars Hollywood legends Billy Crystal and James Caan. This dark and hysterical comedy features "Bridesmaids" and "Little Britain" actor Matt Lucas in the lead role as Franklin Franklin, a lonely alp-hornist living in a run-down apartment complex in Los Angeles. The rest of the ensemble cast includes 2013 Sundance Film Festival darling Juno Temple, Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass), Golden Globe-nominated Amanda Plummer, Rosie Perez (Pineapple Express), Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables), James Marsden (NBC’s 30 Rock) and Kansas City’s own David Koechner (Anchorman).

The movie is based on Chris Millis's novel of the same name. Chris is the assistant to syndicated cartoonist John McPherson who creates the Close to Home comic strip, distributed by Universal Uclick to more than 400 global newspaper clients.

“Small Apartments” won the annual "3-Day Novel" contest run by Canadian publisher Anvil Press. After its contest victory, Mr. Millis showed the book to Bridget McMeel, who runs AMUSE. She instantly thought it would make a great independent film. Says McMeel, "It was dark, funny and sad but ultimately uplifting. Chris did a great job in creating memorable, quirky and unique characters. The actors did a great job of capturing the essence of each of them."

"Small Apartments" will make its Kansas City premiere at the Alamo Draft House on Wednesday, Feb.6 at 7:30 p.m. As a part of the experience, the film’s executive producers Bridget McMeel and John Glynn of Universal Uclick will introduce the film and host a Q & A session following the movie. The initial screening was sold out but has expanded to a larger auditorium. Tickets are available for advance purchase here: http://www.tugg.com/events/2790. Bridget McMeel and John McMeel are available for interviews prior to the film.

Universal Uclick is the world's largest content syndicate and is headquartered in downtown Kansas City in the historic Boley Building at 12th and Walnut streets.

[Jox]

Apparently the trailer passed the 2 million views on iTunes...

[leigh1975]

Juno Temple... I would.

[Jox]

[dolphage]

I'd hit it but I wouldn't tell anyone about it.

[leigh1975]

I'd hit it but I wouldn't tell anyone about it.

Guilty pleasure.

[Jox]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chris-Mi ... 8403006088

In pre-prodcution for "Small Apartments," as the final cast started coming together and actors began to tweak their characters, director Jonas Akerlund asked me to come up with a little something extra for Johnny Knoxville's portrayal of Tommy Balls.

Tommy's life is very project-based. He likes to set goals for himself and accomplish something every day. Indeed, in the "Making of Small Apartments" doc that's included on the DVD, Knoxville says, "Tommy Balls sets his goals real low and hits them about half the time."

Tommy's main project for the day, just as it is in my novel, is to build a gravity bong from the instructions provided to him on a cocktail napkin.

What I came up with for Tommy's additional project is to "Correctly use six new words in conversation." This goal is posted on Tommy's daily calendar -- which appears so quickly on screen that you can easily miss this set-up.

And if you do miss the set-up, it may seem odd that a lazy stoner from a run-down apartment complex peppers his everyday speech with such eloquent vocabulary. But of course, that's the gag. And Knoxville pulls it off seamlessly -- even dropping bon mots such as "capitulate" under extreme duress.

So, if you miss that quick shot of Tommy Balls's wall calendar (pictured here), this is just a heads up as to why this pothead who looks like Tommy Lee occasionally speaks like Harvard faculty.

[Jox]

Clip from the making of:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/mpd/permalink/m ... nt_fb_link

Billy Crystal and Dennis E White at L.A. premiere

[Dawn]

Went to the screening/Premiere of Small Apartments in Kansas City. I didn't know it, but the producer Bridgit McMeel is from Kansas City (KC)! She and another producer named John took over 20 minutes of time to talk about the film after the movie and answer a few questions.

First, about this film:
I thought this was a great film. Honestly, going in I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I have not liked many dark comedies at all. I've liked comedy, action comedy, action and about every other genre I can think of except this one. Simply put...this is how dark comedy should be done! The characters were all funny and added to the story. Dolph's character does not have tons of screen time. I did however ask if there were elements that Dolph added to this character. They said yes, his character from the book was "not as flamboyant." Watch the film, no spoilers here, but you will see what they mean. The original character was pretty straight-laced apparently.

This movie had everyone in the theater rolling. A tough sell as some parts are a bit gruesome, but they pull it together very well with some excellent acting, dialog and character development. This also has a great moral to it as well, which I find dark comedies never quite accomplish. This one hits all the marks.

And as the producers said, finding the right actors was key. They waited for quite some time to do this movie when their first choice for the lead fell through. I have more on this, but I am flat out tired and need to go to work tomorrow.

Go see this movie! Like it on Facebook, Twitter etc. Get some momentum going so this can get a wider release!