Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 3, 1994 TAG: 9409070115
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOHN HORN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
``My Life's in Turnaround,'' ``... And God Spoke'' and ``Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star'' all follow struggling filmmakers and actors as they really try - and mostly fail - to succeed in show business.
As a group, the three movies offer a fresh portrait of life at Hollywood's edges.
While that world is filled with frustration, disappointment and hopeless determination, it is also rich with humor. The films are often darkly comic, and most of the comedy springs from real-life situations.
``A lot of this movie is drawn from my work on big Hollywood films,'' says Arthur Borman, a former production assistant who directed ``... And God Spoke.''
The movie's limited release begins Sept. 23.
The three new films were made on shoestring budgets, and they look it. The production qualities are often crude, and what passes for big cameos are Soupy Sales, Phoebe Cates and former Miss USA Kelli McCarty.
Most important, the three new films track people looking for a big break and not finding it. That may help explain why filmgoers and distributors are not tripping over themselves to get to these movies: Failure isn't as alluring as success.
Tod De Pree's ``Rhinoskin'' is the one true documentary among the trio. Co-director Dina Marie Chapman followed De Pree for a year as the unemployed actor looked for work and encountered the town's cottage industry of actor-support personnel.
Between auditions, De Pree consults with a self-help author, acting coaches and dollmaker. He gets workout tips from a trainer, and even visits a colon hydrotherapist.
All of it amounts to very little. De Pree's most visible acting job is playing a dancing chicken outside a Los Angeles restaurant. His stardom is elusive.
``... And God Spoke'' follows two fictional low-rent filmmakers whose credits include ``Nude Ninjas'' and ``Alpha Deatha De Kappa'' as they struggle to adapt the Bible for the big screen.
The original script's 2,000 pages are trimmed substantially to ``cut the depressing parts'' and Job's role is axed. A dwindling budget leaves them without enough disciples; when pyrotechnics don't fire, the burning bush looks like a cigar puff.
``We deal with the nuts and bolts of filmmaking,'' Borman says. ``Our movie begins where `The Player' and `The Big Picture' (a 1989 Hollywood comedy) end,'' says Borman. ``I think that's different: It's not the deal; it's physical production. People want to know how films are made.
``We deal with the things you don't see.''
The movie's jokes elicit laughs from industry veterans but may have limited its commercial prospects. Its distributor, Live Entertainment, has virtually no theatrical experience.
``Everybody had a really positive reaction,'' producer Richard Raddon said of trying to sell ``... And God Spoke.'' ``But people would say, `It's too industry-specific. It will only play in New York and Los Angeles.'''
Set in New York, ``My Life's in Turnaround'' spends its time on a narcissistic cabbie (Eric Schaeffer) and lecherous bartender (Donal Ward) tired of performing inept comedy routines. They want to make a movie - even though they don't know what it will be about.
Typical dialogue: ``I'm in AA,'' says one. ``'Cause that's where all the big deals are getting made?'' ``No. Because I'm a drunk.''
The movie is now playing in a handful of cities.
by CNB