Blackbird at Buster's... Busted

A bit of bad news, I'm afraid.

A few of you might remember my shameless pitch for Blackbird at Buster's, an independent film written by a friend of mine, from a couple of months ago (June 1, actually). Well, the film's two producing partners had a vicious (even by Hollywood standards) falling out, and it appears that the film is in serious jeopardy.

There is, however, a chance that it will still get made, but without the assistance from the screenwriter and slated director, Rich Leder. To me, without Rich, you have no movie. Blackbird at Buster's has a very specific sense of humor. So specific, it's fairly apparent that one would need Rich involved to make it work properly. Sure, it'd still be funny without him, but much of the nuance would be lost.

At any rate, Rich is scheduled to regain the rights to Blackbird at Buster's sometime in late 2007. So, if you get any calls pertaining to working on Blackbird at Buster's, simply, as Nancy Reagan would say, "just say no."

Slam-time: Several of you are familiar with my long-running concern that Rich partnered with the wrong man when deciding to raise money for his film. This man, well call him "Hal," was not a film producer; he merely had a lot of "money" experience. I must admit, I have a degree in business, have a level of familiarity with the film industry, and was... taken aback... by the way with which the money was to be raised. Innovative, yes. Industry standard? Hell, no. Hal, to me, seemed a risk from the get-go.

Still, there's no reason it shouldn't have worked. But a wannabe producer's greed and dreams of grandeur turned into spite, and Rich was basically forced out of the production. Hal's career in Hollywood, as such, is likely going to be short-lived. I'll certainly never work with him, and I'm sure Rich, an established writer, wouldn't piss on Hal were Hal on fire.

But... some positives came out of all of this. No fewer than six of Rich's screenplays have been produced in one form or another this year. And he's got two more feature scripts in the pipe (one's finished, one's almost finished). He even has a lead actress in mind for the two scripts (Sunny Mabrey of Snakes on a Plane and Species III... check her out... she's a looker). Basically, the debacle didn't bring him down and he's still writing with a fury (something I need to do).

Here's to hoping that Blackbird at Buster's comes back to its rightful owner next year. In the meantime, keep an eye out for Rich Leder films.

Blackbird at Buster's: A Shameless Pitch

I just read a script... and it's pretty damn funny. I don't find myself often laughing out loud when I read something, but this particular script managed to force out chuckles on several occasions. To be honest, it's probably because I know the screenwriter, and I know how he is. Trust me when I say this, seeing him come through his characters is funny in and of itself. But I guess that's why he's decided to direct this particular script himself... he knows what works in the script, and he knows how to make it as funny as it can possibly be. Meat Loaf saw enough in the script to attach himself. So did Henry Winkler. Sure, they're not A-listers, but they're talent, and one made a living out of being funny. I'm pretty positive that Mr. Winkler is a good judge of comedy.

Not only is it a comedy, but it's almost a musical. It should be, after all, it's about a band who robs a bank to fund their demo... the robbery goes off (almost) without a hitch, but the getaway becomes a little, well, convoluted. Through a twist of fate, they wind up hiding out in a record store owned and operated by an old music producer (Meat Loaf). Guess what happens? They record a single.

Now, assuming that this movie is going to kick ass, it's going to need a kick-ass band to do the soundtrack, right? Well, I'm not too sure, but I've heard that Queens of the Stone Age kick ass, and they've sure as shit agreed to do the soundtrack.

The writer's name is Rich Leder, and he'll be directing, as well. Check him out on the Internet Movie Database. He's got a resume, and the personality to go with it. He's also a musician, which I guess helps a bit when writing about music.

Where am I heading with all of this? I'm sure from the title of this blog that you already know, but I'll write it out for you anyway... This little movie, Blackbird at Buster's, is still in the process of raising money. It has a $4 million dollar budget, a drop-dead date of March 2007, and needs your help.

For any of you that have ever even thought of funding a movie, this is probably the safest offer you'll ever hear of. Yes, I know I sound like a salesman, and I apologize, but all of what I'm saying is true.

The producers of Blackbird at Buster's are asking for investment units of $15,000. Yes, that's a decent chunk of change, but the risk is negligible. How? Well, 88% of that $15k ($13,200, to be exact) gets shoved into an interest-earning escrow. The rest is split among Blackbird at Buster's producing team for operating expenses. So what happens if the drop-dead date comes and goes? You get the $13,200 back, plus any interest that it accrued. Basically, you have a risk of less than $1,800 versus a reward in which the sky's the limit.

Interested? Want more information? If film's your thing, you like to invest, and you've got money available, drop me a line.