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No Breakdown in
Communication for Hueston's 'Traveling Man'
Monday,
October 31, 2005
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Just as the feature film "Communication
Breakdown" prepares for its grand unveiling, three of the
film's stars--Fred
Hueston, Aleks
West, and Dan
Lashley--are teaming up with Writer/Producer/Director Richard
O'Sullivan once again to shoot a television pilot called
"Traveling Man."
The pilot, scripted by O'Sullivan, from an original story he
co-conceived with Hueston (the show's star and Executive Producer),
focuses on a character named Johnny Love, a traveling sales rep for a
major drug company who juggles women like a clown juggles oranges.
West, in her sixth collaboration with O'Sullivan, plays Tulip, a
brainy paid escort-turned-cosmetology student, while Lashley appears as
Johnny's odd yet likeable pal, Dale. Also joining the
"Communication Breakdown" threesome in the "Traveling
Man" cast is actress Shan Holleman, last seen in the comedic
slasher film, "Motor Home Massacre."
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Hueston Set to Star in
New Comedy Pilot
Wednesday,
October 26, 2005
|
Fred
Hueston began his acting career a little later in life than most
thespians but he's more than making up for it. Like Dennis Farina and
Ben Stein, two well-known performers who first established themselves in
other fields (Farina was a cop, Stein a speechwriter for Richard Nixon),
the actor has a noteworthy past which proceeds his foray into Hollywood.
Regarded as one of America's foremost home improvement experts,
Hueston has authored numerous books on the subject, writes a syndicated
newspaper column, and hosts a radio show for Clear Channel
Communications. He is also the world's leading consultant on stone,
marble, and tile issues, having worked with everyone from NASA to the
White House.
But unbeknownst to most, Hueston's hidden passion was to act. A
lifelong lover of the movies, he sought out acclaimed acting coach
Elizabeth D'onofrio (sister of "Full Metal Jacket" and
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star Vincent D'onofrio) and
proceeded to learn his craft.
Collaborating with Writer/Producer/Director Richard
O'Sullivan, Hueston is now developing a new television comedy called
"Traveling Man" (in which he'll star as a character named
Johnny Love).
"It's about a sales rep for a major drug company who has quite
the eye for the ladies," says Hueston. "It's sort of in the
'Curb Your Enthusiasm' or 'Arrested Development' vein. We hope to have
it ready to pitch to HBO and such by early 2006."
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Communication
Breakdowners All Up in the MySpace
Wednesday,
October 26, 2005
|
Recently purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (the
owner of Fox), MySpace.com has been one of the rare success stories
since the dot-com boom began. Billed as "A Place for Friends,"
MySpace has become the "virtual worldwide community" that
proponents of the Internet have prophesized about for decades.
"It's a pretty amazing hangout," says
Writer/Producer/Director Richard
O'Sullivan. "At the touch of a fingertip, you can network
business deals, find nookie, or listen to an entire Fiona Apple album
for free. It's one of those rare cases where the world wide web is
actually living up to its potential."
O'Sullivan and several of his "Communication
Breakdown" cohorts have been MySpacers for some time now,
joining such juggernauts as R.E.M. and U2 in harnessing the power of the
net to interact with friends, fans, and collaborators.
O'Sullivan pals Dan
Lashley, Brian
Heffron, Satu
Rautaharju, Lovehammers, Blair
Peery, Katie
Lester, The Swamp Candles,
Aleks West,
Jasmin
St. Claire, Judson, Vanelle, and The Situationals are among the
thousands who can now be seen at MySpace as well. To check it out,
Click
here...
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Director Talks on DVD
About Pride in Outlaw Status
Monday,
October 24, 2005
|
It's been more than a year and a half since
Writer/Producer/Director Richard
O'Sullivan was ordered off the lot of Blue Ridge Motion Pictures
under threat of arrest on the very last day of production on "Communication
Breakdown."
"I take a certain sense of pride that we lasted
the full thirty days," says the filmmaker. "My previous record
on a feature film set before full-scale anarchy broke out was two
weeks."
The battle to complete "Communication
Breakdown," the little indie that could, has been a titanic
struggle. Amidst a revolving door of editors (before O'Sullivan himself
handled the cutting solo); multiple sound mixers from Burbank to
Charlotte; legal woes; illness; and the always-present political
turmoil, the quirky little comedy about a rebel DJ giving the middle
finger to the establishment has chugged on.
"It seems like every project I work on has the
element of true life imitating art," says O'Sullivan. "The
story behind the making of this film pretty much mirrors the chaos of
the script. Fighting with 'The Man,' friends turning against friends,
plots, power plays, sexual intrigue. In a way, the real story has been
even wilder than the movie."
Soon, all (or most) of the crazy happenings will be
unveiled as "Communication
Breakdown" prepares for its international DVD release (to
coincide with an American college tour featuring bands from the
soundtrack and other festivities). A second audio track hosted by
O'Sullivan and Writer/star Dan Lashley will recount
behind-the-scene stories from the making of the film.
"It sounds trite to beat the 'outlaw drum' I
guess, but what else can you say," says O'Sullivan. "Blue
Ridge has been in business for five or so years, yet they claim on their
website to have made films that are, in some cases, ten years old or
older. 'Communication
Breakdown' remains, to this day, the only feature film shot
there--from start to finish--and they completely ignore our existence.
Probably because they've been unable to control us like they try to
control everyone else they deal with. I'm actually rather proud that
they're embarrassed by us, and thrilled that that they've provided us
with countless stories for our DVD...which they do have points in I
might add."
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Hero of Golden Age of
Television Dies
Sunday,
October 23, 2005
|
Reggie "The Crusher" Lisowski, a television fixture for half a
century, has died in Milwaukee at the age of seventy-nine. One of pro
wrestling's original bad boys during the early days of TV, The Crusher
was the forerunner to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the
beer-drinking non-conformist tough guy who put honor and friendship
above all else.
Known for his catch phrase, "Roll out da barrels," The
Crusher held a version of the World heavyweight championship on numerous
occasions. He also formed a tag team with another legend, the late Dick
"The Bruiser" Afflis, who was often billed as his cousin.
Lisowski's rise to stardom came at a time in which wrestling aired on
ABC, NBC, and the old Dumont network simultaneously.
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DW Box Proves to Be More
Than Just One Song
Friday,
October 21, 2005
|
New York-born singer/songwriter d.w. box (essentially a solo act who
performs as d.w. box & one long song), continues to impress critics
and fans alike with her varied collection of songs. Upon first listen,
she's techno. Then you hear jazz. Then alternative country. Then it's
indie pop of the highest degree.
Dubbed "A Human Mix Tape," the XM Radio Most Notable
artist, now based out of Muhammed Ali's hometown of Louisville,
Kentucky, scores a knockout in the first round with her sizzling
release, "I.C.D.T.O.T." (short for "It Comes Down to One
Thing"). To pick up your copy,
Click
here...
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O'Sullivan to Direct
Video for Rachel Merchand
Friday,
October 21, 2005
|
Filmmaker Richard
O'Sullivan is set to helm a new music video for acclaimed
singer/songwriter Rachel
Merchand, an artist whose work has been featured on the
internationally distributed cable show "Steelroots," as well
as radio stations throughout the U.S.
The video, for the song "My Love," comes
from her critically lauded debut album, "The Ashling" (Ashling
is Gaelic for dream or vision). Merchand, most often compared to the
likes of Sarah McLachlan, brings a unique and haunting voice to a sound
that is simultaneously bittersweet and uplifting. She is currently on
tour in the northeastern United States, appearing tonight in
Philadelphia, with dates to follow in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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Actor Charlie Rocket
Dead of an Apparent Suicide
Monday,
October 17, 2005
|
|
Comic actor Charles Rocket, 56, was found dead today after
apparently slitting his own throat, Connecticut authorities say. Rocket, who
was fired from "Saturday Night Live" in the early 80's after
uttering an obscenity during a parody of the TV show "Dallas,"
appeared in such TV series as "Max Headroom" and "Flying
Blind," as well as such films as the Academy Award-winning "Dances
With Wolves," "Dumb & Dumber," and "Short Cuts."
|
|
Filmmaker Richard
O'Sullivan expressed sadness at the news. "This hits me on a personal
level because four years ago we were in talks to get Charlie attached to
'Radio Free Babylon.' He was such an underrated talent. This shocks me on a
Phil Hartman-like level."
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O'Sullivan Helms
Situationals' 'Boys of Troy' Music Video
Monday,
October 10, 2005
|
Filmmaker Richard
O'Sullivan was back in his old stomping grounds of Charlotte, North
Carolina this past weekend, directing a music video for the song
"Boys of Troy," a driving anthem from acclaimed indie rockers
The Situationals.
The clip features the band performing live onstage at Charlotte's
Neighborhood Theatre (an historic movie house converted into a cutting
edge music venue) as well as walking among the masses on the streets of
the Queen City. The video was Executive Produced by Fred
Hueston.
"Boys of Troy," while making reference to the lost Greek
city, was actually inspired by Caleb Carr's murder mystery, The
Alienist, a dark tale about then-New York police commissioner Teddy
Roosevelt's quest to apprehend a serial killer who preys on boy
prostitutes. The song was written by Situationals guitarist Michael
Carinelli.
To see photos of the "Boys of Troy" video shoot,
Click
here...
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'Communication
Breakdown' Director Not Getting Into the Ring
Sunday,
October 9, 2005
Despite recent talks with World Wrestling Entertainment (the producer of
the USA network's "Monday Night Raw" and UPN's "Friday
Night Smackdown") Writer/Producer/Director Richard
O'Sullivan will not be joining the creative team at the legendary
sports entertainment production company founded by Vince McMahon.
"Talks kinda hit the skids when they asked me point blank what I
thought of their current product," says O'Sullivan. "I told
them their creative team -- headed up by Vince's daughter Stephanie --
had no understanding of what internal logic in storytelling meant and
didn't have a clue as to how to build a visceral connection between the
performer on the screen and the viewer watching at home. You could
almost hear the sandbag hit the floor. But I wasn't gonna lie. That
company is full of 'yes men' who do nothing but placate the higher-ups.
They just wanna maintain the status quo, which quite frankly, has made
their current product stale, malaise-ridden, and utterly uncool to most
of their target demographic."
O'Sullivan said he wouldn't rule out working with WWE Films (which is
distributed through Lions Gate and Universal) but isn't holding his
breath. "Honestly? I'd like to work with the old, take-no-prisoners
Vince McMahon. The guy who changed the face of entertainment through
sheer will and testicular fortitude. If that Vince ever wants to wake up
and take his balls back from his daughter's safety deposit box, we'll
talk. It's gonna take a tad more than seventy-five grand a year to get
me to be his little girl's whipping boy though."
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Member of Legendary
Musical Family Reaches Out to a Wider Audience
Thursday,
October 6, 2005
|
Kellin Watson was born into a respected and beloved family of musicians.
Her father is the acclaimed guitarist and violinist Fox Watson (whose
style was such an influence on his friend and collaborator Bruce
Cockburn that the Canadian rock icon wrote the tune "Foxglove"
as a tribute to him) and her cousins are Grammy-winning American music
legends Doc Watson and the late Merle Watson.
With that type of artistic pedigree, it's quite an accomplishment for
the twenty-four-year-old Kellin that many people are starting to whisper
that she may go down as the most lauded member of the famed brood yet.
Having opened for a diverse range of acts (everyone from pop princess
Jessica Simpson to Grammy-toting critical darlings The
Duhks), Watson is
ready to take the center spotlight for herself.
With a style that's been compared to everyone from Nina Simone to
Norah Jones, the North Carolina-bred singer/songwriter blends a
variety of musical styles -- rock, jazz, rhythm & blues, and
folk -- into a voice that's uniquely her own.
Filmmaker Richard
O'Sullivan, set to direct a video for Watson's tune
"Breakdown," believes that the sky's the limit for the young
tunesmith. "When Kellin walks onstage, you're immediately taken by
how movie star pretty she is," says O'Sullivan. "But then she
starts playing and singing and you realize the depth and richness of her
art. There's such beauty and intelligence in her work that you rarely
find from someone that young. It's gonna be really exciting watching her
career as she grows and evolves. She's the type of artist that in twenty
years people will be talking about in the same way they talk about the
Bob Dylans and the Joni Mitchells now."
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‘Communication Breakdown’ Rockers Play With INXS and Jessica Simpson
Wednesday,
October 5, 2005
|
Some two years ago on lostcolonyentertainment.com, Writer/Producer/Director
Richard O'Sullivan went out on a limb and proclaimed the Chicago band known as Lovehammers "the world's biggest rock & roll band just waiting to be discovered." Now, that prophecy seems to be coming to fruition.
"The first time I heard Lovehammers, I was blown away," says O'Sullivan. "I immediately dropped to my knees and begged Dino [Kourelis, the band's bass player] to let us use their music in
'Communication Breakdown.' Those guys have been very supportive of us, always offering encouragement, lending their music. The fact that they're about to blow up has us thrilled beyond belief. It couldn't happen to cooler people."
After Lovehammers lead singer Marty Casy was eliminated in the finals of the INXS audition process (which was captured for television by "Survivor"
creator Mark Burnett as part of his ”Rock Star: INXS” series on CBS), a bittersweet mood fell over fans of the band.
"Dino had gone on record as saying he didn't wanna go on with Lovehammers if Marty left to join INXS," says O'Sullivan. "As much as everyone wanted to see Marty kick ass and win, the truth is, he's not out there to fill someone else's shoes. He rode Lovehammers to the dance and I think a lot of people are breathing a sigh of relief that the band will go on."
"Go on" might be an understatement. The group, just off the heels of opening for pop sensation and "Dukes of Hazzard" star Jessica Simpson in front of 20,000 fans at Chicago's Tweeter Center, is now set to be the opening act on INXS' comeback tour (with new lead singer J.D. Fortune).
"I'll reiterate what I've been saying for the past two years," says O'Sullivan. "Lovehammers will soon be the biggest rock & roll band in the whole friggin' world."
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'Communication Breakdown' Team Joins Forces With XM Radio Notable
Wednesday,
October 5, 2005
|
Hot on the heels of being named one of XM Radio's "Twelve Most Notable Artists,"
d.w. box & one long song, fronted by acclaimed singer/songwriter Diane Williams-Wettig, will collaborate with the creative team behind
"Communication Breakdown" on a video for her infectious tune, "Tall Blonde Girls."
"Diane's an enigma," says Writer/Producer/Director Richard O'Sullivan. "She's this genius writer, producer, and artist who basically does it all, so you'd think she'd come in bein' all control freakish. But she's like the exact opposite. Completely laid back, totally cool. I'm flattered that she trusts my artistic judgment but if I were a truly sinister filmmaker, I'd be tempted to craft a video that's so 'out there,' so 'dada,' that people would accuse us all of dropping acid on the set. But that's just not my style, now is it?"
The "Tall Blonde Girls" clip, starring Dan Lashley and
John Michael Burgess from
"Communication Breakdown," certainly promises to be noteworthy for its originality. "I think the best way to describe this video is high concept," says Executive Producer
Fred Hueston. "I don't think there's been anything quite like it."
The previous d.w. box video, for the song "I Got the Headache from the Dream," was directed by filmmaker Williams Wallace. |
Richard O'Sullivan Returns to the World of Rock Videos
Wednesday,
October 5, 2005
|
A year after helming "Love Divide" by the band Always Sunday (featuring R.E.M. opening act and "O.C." soundtrack contributor Trent Dabbs),
"Communication Breakdown" director
Richard O'Sullivan is ready to rock and roll again.
Following a grueling weeklong shoot for a series of clips for emerging singer/songwriter Judson (in which the filmmaker went three straight days without sleep), O'Sullivan has been tapped to direct the upcoming videos from indie rock favorites The Situationals ("Boys of Troy") and Gerty ("Generica").
"I've been really lucky with videos thus far," says O'Sullivan. "In that, I've only worked with artists whose music I really, really dig. Judson's a guy who paints all these beautifully complex personal tales, and then on the other end of the spectrum, you've got The Situationals and Gerty, bands who listened to the same shit I did growing up, and who just like to come in and throw a party onstage. It's like a well-balanced meal and I'm happy to be sitting at the table."
The "Generica" clip will feature Gerty's new drummer, Melissa York, last seen in the ”Send Me You” video from her other group, the legendary punk trio, The Butchies.
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Bellglide Pegged For Major Label Breakout...and Theatres
Wednesday,
October 5, 2005
|
After tearing through an impressive set at last month's CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, the group known as Bellglide is being tapped by many music insiders as a breakout band to watch. With a self-titled CD produced by legendary Let's Active
front man Mitch Easter (who did three R.E.M. albums) under their belt, the group recently met with noted super-producer David Kahne (Paul McCartney, The Strokes) about future collaboration.
In addition, Bellglide is also going to the movies. Two of their songs, "Addiction" and "Everyday," are featured in the Will Clegg film ”The Rest of Your Life,” while the uber-moody track entitled "Home" can be heard on the soundtrack to
"Communication Breakdown."
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