MadiganFilms.com
Issue #5
March/April 2006

Here’s the newest E-Zine!  There are some interesting new things occurring, so let’s get on with it!

NEW MOVIE IN POST PRODUCTION

In June of last year, Brian Weil and I produced and shot the short movie “Trick”.  That little thriller is still making its way around the movie industry as we speak.  In April of 2006, I produced and shot my newest movie and fifth short since moving to L.A., “Suit Coat.”  My budget was $500.00.

“Suit Coat” is a dramatic thriller that will run approximately 30 minutes.  It is the story of a fragile man named Edwin.  He is so desperate for friendship that he attempts to find solace in the companionship of a complete stranger whose phone number is found “by chance.”  Upon meeting, the stranger isn’t quite seeking the same kind of friendship Edwin has in mind, and what ensues is both disastrous and eerie!

I shot for three consecutive days here in LA, April 7th, 8th and 9th.  On April 18th, I compiled the very first rough cut of the movie.  As of April 22nd, I’ve completed the second rough cut.  I hope to have the premiere here in Los Angeles this June.

This is the best cast I’ve ever had to work with.  The acting was solid from every player, including (in no particular order), Rod Robles, Thomy Kessler, Julia Fazakerly, Rochelle Star, Mary Votava and David Larmore.  I can see some of these actors moving on to incredible careers.

EDITING PAYS  (BUT NOT LIKE IT SHOULD!)

In November of ’05, I suddenly quit teaching adult school in order to immediately start working as a full time video editor at a small post house in West Hollywood.  I have since left that job in order to pursue freelance editing and video work.

On April 11th and 12th, I was fortunate enough to land a job editing for Jimmy Smits, of “NYPD Blue” and “Star Wars” fame.  It was an easy project, simply piecing together a Western-style acting reel, apparently to aid him in landing a new role within the genre.

I was also fortunate enough to recently edit the acting reel of Beverly Todd (you may remember her from “Stand By Me”), who had a supporting role in the Oscar-Winning Best Picture “Crash.”

And are you familiar with the customized pink, crystal-studded motorcycle Paris Hilton recently received free of charge from Beverly Hills Choppers?  Well, the owner of BHC recruited me to edit three different promos for his company, which I have already done successfully.  Needless to say, editing three pieces focused on Paris Hilton has indeed injured my brain, if not my personality, but the owner of Beverly Hills Choppers and I have hit it off and I hope to land some more work on his upcoming TV show.

THE ELUSIVE KEVIN SMITH

It was last July that I bulldozed my way to Kevin Smith in front of an audience of 7,000 at the San Diego Comic-Con.  It was there that I was booed, then applauded, and ended up having Kevin ask for my last movie.  I handed him “Trick” and he said he would watch it.  But I haven’t heard back a damn thing yet!

The news I did hear about was received second-hand.  A few months ago, I went to a DVD-marketing workshop.  It turned out one of his pals was teaching the workshop, and at the end of it I approached him.  I asked him if he went to Comic-Con last year and if he’d seen the Kevin Smith panel.  He said yes.  I told him I was “the guy.”

“That was YOU?!”  he exclaimed.

I told him yes, and that I was booed at first but then he took my movie.

“I think I was one of the ones booin’ yah at first!” he chuckled.  “How’d he like the movie?  I heard he really liked it.”

“I haven’t heard anything back from him!”  I said.

“Well, I heard he really liked it.  I’ll email him about it.”

Which of course, who knows if he ever DID email him about it, because I still haven’t heard jack-shit!  Ha ha.  We’ll see…

The good news is, I did get it to Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) who did indeed watch it and called me back.  He said liked it “very much.”  I guess that and twelve bucks will get me a gallon of gas these days!

ROLE IN UPCOMING FEATURE

One of my filmmaker pals here in LA is Jim Metropole, who made the documentary “Back from Iraq.”  He is currently putting on the finishing touches on his new feature, “Oblivious.”  I did some good ole fashioned production assistant work for him on it, but more importantly I have a small speaking role.  Look for me as the loveable street urchin who pesters the leading lady in a dirty alley.

FEATURE LENGTH MOVIE IN PRE-PRODUCTION

“Dementia House,” a feature length psycho-thriller directed by Tom Madigan, to be co-written by Tom Madigan and Brian Weil (the latter is also the executive producer) is currently in pre-production.  Production is currently estimated to begin in August or September of 2006. 

TOBY MADIGAN RELEASES NEW POP-ROCK ALBUM

My magical musician brother Toby has finished and released a phenomenal new album entitled “Left Brain/Right Brain.”  Toby is the singer/songwriter behind it, and has either written or co-written all but two of the songs on the CD.

The flavor is pop-rock, a little pop-punk and some incredible ballads. And I’m happy to announce that I co-wrote the lyrics to the 8th track entitled “Paper Airplanes.”

You can find out more information at www.TobyMadigan.com, or you can directly purchase “Left Brain/Right Brain” from www.CDBaby.com very soon!

MYPSACE FILMMAKER’S PAGE

The ever popular networking website www.MySpace.com has launched the “Filmmaker’s Page.”  Now supposedly, a filmmaker has the ability to upload his or her shorts and/or movie trailers, but it hasn’t seemed to work out that way for me yet.  I uploaded my 40-second teaser trailer for “Lure of the Wicked” a good month ago, and it is still listed as “processing.”

In any case, feel free to look up my new filmmaker’s page on myspace, at www.MySpace.com/MadiganFilms.  This will be used as an addendum to my website, www.MadiganFilms.com.

I STILL LIVE IN BAGHDAD

Despite new owners “cleaning up” my apartment building in this shady neighborhood of East Hollywood, I still get the feeling that I’m in the third world.

Above me, in the cursed apartment #305, there were three people living in a studio.  The woman I suspected was a “lady” of the night, and two other men.  Thankfully, they have moved out!  On the downside, a single mother with two kids (who apparently don’t go to school) have moved in.  Noise noise noise!  But I’ve discovered that there is even a greater cause of noise, and after some investigation Madigan-style, I found the additional source of my misery on the fourth floor!  That’s right!  The untamed urchins in #405 (bastard kids) run back and forth through the hallways everyday and night.  Stomp stomp stomp!  They have little feet of thunder!  Perhaps their parents haven’t yet discovered the gorgeous park about eight feet away.  Or perhaps they are training for an Olympic Medal in relay racing, but the noise refuses to relent.

BAM!  THUD!  BANG!  THUD!  CRASH!   It starts at about 4 am, settles down from about 9am to 10am, then goes on for the rest of the day until about 11 pm.  I can’t tell whether to laugh or cry, but in either case, it would be from neither joy nor sadness.  It would be from insanity!

MAD MOVIE REVIEWS

Since the last E_Zine, I’ve gone through some financial “shifting,” if you will, and haven’t been able to see my preferred one matinee per week.  I did see at least a couple new movies in the theater since then though, so I’ll tell you a bit about it.  After that, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and look at some classics that you may not have seen in a while!

“Match Point”- Not everyone likes Woody Allen movies, but I think just about everyone will like this one!  It’s a masterpiece of writing, and it does deviate from the typical Woody Allen romantic comedy.

“Why We Fight”- A well made documentary about our ghastly invention” the military-industrial complex.  Not as entertaining or controversial as “Fahrenheit 9-11,” but it is very thought provoking and educational.

“V for Vendetta”- If you can get through the first twenty minutes or so, it really warms up into a nice politically oriented action drama.  And the politics are right up my alley, so that makes it a “seer” in my book!

On Video:

“American Movie” (1999)-the second-best documentary I’ve ever witnessed.  If you haven’t yet had your share of low-budget, Wisconsin style movie making, you must see it.  A highly entertaining and incredibly funny following of a thirty-something, lives in his parents’ basement movie-making hopeful.

“Batman” (1989)-Yeah, yeah, yeah, “Batman Begins” was a good movie, but Tim Burton’s is still the knock-out that made the modern cinema version of Batman possible.  There is more than one sequence in this modern classic that are as good as any story told on screen.

“The Pink Panther Strikes Again” (1976)- I never got to Steve Martin’s new version, but here is Clouseau at his very funniest!  I’m rolling after the first scene and it doesn’t stop much after that.  “What did you say?”  “Well, you said murder!”  “Who said murder!?”  “You said murder!”  “I said murder?!”  Hahahahahahahaha!

“Haunted Honeymoon” (1986)-Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise as a woman.  Need anything more be said?  This is a childhood favorite of mine, a comedic spoof at the old time horror/murder story that occurs in an old mansion.

IN CLOSING

I hope all is very well with you and that your dreams are being called forth on a daily basis.  I’m still holding fast that 2006 is going to hold some amazingly positive changes for all of us, politically, spiritually and joyfully.