By Belinda Bremner
Okay, SAG members, we did it! Now let’s move forward. And that first step forward is voting a big fat NO on the Governance Plan. No doubt you’ve been besieged with literature and I won’t belabor the point, but why on God’s green earth would we want Hollywood to have a whopping 54 percent control of the National Board.
And speaking of things political...No doubt you’ve already heard through various the grape vines and on the tom-toms about a major letter writing campaign mounting to actually DO SOMETHING about runaway production, AKA, that sucking sound to the north. House Bill 3131 is being introduced to the floor shortly attached to a small business bill. Its passage could mean so much to all of us trying to make a living on both sides of the camera on this side of the border. It includes a wage tax credit that we need DESPERATELY if we are going to get and keep any production out of Muckalukland. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) and Congressman Jerry Weller (R-Ill) are leading the fight, but they REALLY need to hear from you, their constituents. If you don’t know where to write (and shame on you for not knowing, but we’ll get past that) or what to say, call the Illinois Film Office at 312/814-3600. They can also provide you with a boiler plate letter on which to base your personal missive. But we gotta do this ASAP! Like before April 4! And later, Senate Bill 1278 will be coming up. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) is supportive, but Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill) needs persuading (on this and so many, many other things). Why do we need to do this? Take a look at the film production around here, or should I say, not around here. Or not around anywhere. Our buddy Ron Ver Kuilen at The Illinois Film Office reports that things are real tough in Toronto these days, geegollygosh. Yeah, only 11 projects shooting down from 28. And we have...? Poor Toronto. No tears being shed here, I’ll tell yah that fer nuttin’. So crank out those letters and let’s get back to work.
On the film front there is some summer scouting around for Universal and Artisan. Neither "ER" nor "Bernie Mack" will be back anytime soon and "Mind of the Married Man" won’t come into view until May. There are some definite maybes but we need to get busy and pull the work back down to the good ole’ US of A.
The lovely ladies at Claire Simon Casting send word that they are working on commercials for Express Med and Steak 'n’ Shake. They are casting pilots for ABC including "Sun Gods‚" the untitled Terry Minsky project‚ "My Wonderful Life" and "Legally Blonde." And a pilot for Dreamworks entitled "Life on Parole." And NBC pilots "Mister Sterling," "Class of 06," "America’s Most Terrible Things," "The Rerun Show," and "Leave Me Alone." And, just so that they never get a rest, they cast yet another episode of "Twilight Zone" with Roz Alexander, Guy Barile, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Maestro Harrell, Richard Henzel, Martin Hughes, Rich Komenich, Turk Muller, Lauren Patton, Roderick Peeples, Doug James, Linda Reiter, Adam Tanguay, Ed Begley, Jr. and Blair Underwood. Phew!
Tenner Paskal are working on the usual bunch o’ commercials as well as casting the new HBO/Jessica Lange feature Normal. They have another feature in the hopper as well as casting the new IFP competition winner’s new short film, What Are You Having? That and pilots for ABC. Busy, busy, busy.
Word from Lily’s is that there were commercial bookings for Nancy Greco, Rachel Archbold, Diane Pryde, Vanessa Reeves, Patrick O’Brien, Joe Sherman, Fiona Brogni, Nancy Oda, Ray Thompson, Thomas Gaitsch and Heather O’Brien. Heidi Lee booked an industrial and Audry Fisher had a voice-over. The Lucky Seven for April are: Daniel Aparicio, Vanessa and Christian Delgado, Gabrielle Eugenio, Lucy Bianchi, Eric Hunicutt and Evelyn Hubbell.
The Chicago friends of universally loved actress Nancy Linari will be sad to learn that her husband, music producer Monte House died suddenly on Mar. 11. He was only 48 and leaves behind two small children. They are in our hearts and prayers.
Peace.