PULSE FILM: A Tale of Two Fledging Film Companies
BY HILA BERNSTEIN AND LISA M. ROBBINS
July 2005 - Ever notice that Irish gangster movies are few and
far between even though there are Italian mob movies aplenty? This apparent
shortage inspired Michael P. Kenney, also known by his stage name Mike
Shamrock, to write Townies, a screenplay about the struggles of an Irish
excon. In October of 2004, Kenney also started Shamrock Films in Stoneham,
MA; Shamrock, with Kenney for now wearing many of the hats, including
that of president, is the organization responsible for the screenwriting,
prep work and pre-marketing aspects of the film. Pre-marketing has already
started via the film’s website, which is still under construction
but has already received over 5000 hits since October of ’04.
Kenney’s goal is to make a film that Irish American audiences can
be proud of and that they, and the general public, will want to watch
over and over again. He explained, “Townies, even in pre-production,
has already been said to be the Irish version of Goodfellas. I didn’t
just replace the ziti with potatoes; it’s much more than that. Moviegoers
are going to get a true account of what it’s like to live a life
within the Irish Mafia in Massachusetts.”
The screenplay for “Townies” tells the story of Mickey Callaghan,
an excon who falls in with a mob boss following his release from prison.
Their relationship sours rapidly and Callaghan rapidly becomes immersed
in hostility and fatality.
The Irish mafia has fascinated Kenney since he was a child, as have all
things Irish, including the stereotypical shamrocks, boxing and drinking.
He boxed for a year in his twenties but gave it up when he realized it
didn’t mix well with socializing and a “normal” life.
Kenney began considering a career in film after he received encouragement
from some film indus-try veterans while he was working as an extra on
the film Monument Ave. in 1997. By the middle of ‘04, Kenney was
busy surfing craigslist (www.craigslist.com), a sort of nation-wide, community-centered
site known for attracting artists and would-be artists, amongst others,
in search of parts in low-budget independent films. Too often, though,
he found screenplays that were disappointing in their predictability.
“The scripts I read didn’t interest me, it was all clichéd
material that had been done many times before on-screen. It was then that
I committed all my efforts to creating my own original movie.”
In Townies, audiences can expect a gangster movie devoid of the usual
fancy silk suits, pinky rings and Cadillacs. Kenney explained that his
characters drive regular cars, wear regular clothes and drink regular
beer to escape the daily grind; they’re characters that regular
people can relate to in spite of their brutal nature. He expects Townies
to initially attract an audience of males from 18-35. But the film is
not just about brutality and mobsters, it’s about much more, and
that’s what Kenney hopes people will take away from it. The film
is about having pride in your heritage, about casting aside stereotypes,
and about realizing that decent people can be drawn into “indecent”
circumstances.
Kenney hopes to begin screening Townies in Massachusetts theaters, especially
in larger cities like Worcester that are known for having an independent
and foreign film niche. He said, “It’s really important to
me that Townies is engaged in theaters in the Worcester area where there
is a significant Irish population.” Kenney also hopes that others
interested in the film industry will be inspired by his process and will
consider starting their own projects. Shamrock Films encourages persons
of Irish descent to submit their headshots and resumes. No definite casting
date has been set, but for more information about Towniesand about Shamrock
Films, please visit www.towniesmovie.com.
VisionCraft Productions
By Lisa M. Robbins
VisionCraft Productions, based in Lancaster, MA, is a relative newcomer
to the local indie film scene but already has a ful length film poised
for distribution to small arthouses in the Central MA area: “Cracked,”
shot entirely in the Worcester area and starring local actors, deals with
themes of alienation and shines a light on the dystopia of modern society.
As is the case with Shamrock Films, VisonCraft has its roots in creative
frustration; Executive Producer Damian Bonazzoli was so disappointed by
the general quality of available screenplays and scripts that he decided
to take matters into his own hands. “There are very talented artists
who just happen not to live in California or New York, who happen to believe
that creative expression in the film medium shouldn’t have to happen
only within those two states. There is a wealth of talent right here in
New England.”
It was this belief that gave birth to VisonCraft. The young company was
created to give local actors, filmmakers, screenwriters, musicians and
artists of all types the opportunity to explore and display their talents
in the film/video medium. “The process is a collaborative effort,”
reports Cinematographer Brian Daigle. “Although actors have their
specific jobs as do the artistic and technical folks, there’s so
much quality input from everyone. It’s like everyone was just waiting
for someplace to channel all this creativity. We all have the common goal
of creating something great, something that gives the local film scene
some credibility.”
VisionCraft encourages people to submit work samples, original musical
compositions, resumes, and headshots. Its next project, a drama entitled
“A Terrible Darkness,” is scheduled to begin shooting in late
August. Please send submissions/inquiries to visioncraftproductions@
yahoo.com.
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