Interview with Baron Jay Star of The Condo

From Gravitas Ventures comes an instant urban comedy classic that paints The Hangover only slightly tipsy, The Condo!

Baron Jay Films and director James Cullen Bressack invite you to an abode of laughs and lust, available from December 5!

Four married friends buy a condo to share as a bachelor pad, a place to bring their mistresses, until the wives and girlfriends bust the cheating spouses!
Trae Ireland (#FromJennifer), Jackie Moore (Pernicious), Baron Jay (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp), Michael Joseph (Restoration), Tracy “Stresh” Mcnulty (Emma’s Chance), Chris Sapone, Aria London, and Johanna Rae (Psychos) lead an outrageous cast of characters in The Condo, a hot Winter comedy available digitally 12/5 from Gravitas Ventures.

Produced by Baron Jay and Michael Joseph for Baron Jay Film Group, directed by horror genre veteran James Cullen Bressack (Bethany) and penned by Bill Dumas & Bill Maroni.


When and where did the idea for “The Condo” come up?

The idea of the “The Condo” came about when I was binge watching DVD movies that I checked out from the public library in North Hollywood. While lying in bed I watched “The Apartment” Directed and written by Billy Wilder and staring Jack Lemmon. The premise of “The Apartment” A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue. When I watched movies I always put myself in the characters shoes and play the game in my mind…what would I do and how will I react; from that visual experience I develop the idea of “ The Condo and I commissioned Bill Morroni to write the script who is a directed that directed my first feature film “Safe House” not the Safe House starring Denzel Washington….lol…


What appealed to you about producing this particular film?

What appeal to me about producing this particular film “The Condo was giving myself permission to produce, act and utilize my creative entrepreneurial instincts. I was tired of waiting around for someone to give me permission to utilize my gifts and talents. I said to myself if all the grocery stores close down for a year….I would not let myself starve to death because I enjoy food and I love living life. I would learn how to garden and cook my own food. So I lean how to produce (the garden) the acting (the food). I enjoy films that are character driven with a multi-cultural cast with a few locations and “The Condo” I like the premise of “The Condo” a group of guys coming together to solve a problem that all of them was experiencing in fun child like way. After I produced the film I realized that men actually have and do have a man cave where they take their mistresses.

Being a comedy, was it hard to ground? How do you maintain that balance?

It was not hard to ground. Want nothing and get everything. I maintain balance by listening to the other characters, reacting in the moment and do not tried to be funny……just be present and everything will work itself like the digestion of food.


By the same token, what kind of pointers do you give your actors that they don’t play it too over-the-top?

I tell my actors; just react how you would in a real life situation and this pointer usually help them not too be over the top. By the way when you are doing a independent film on a used car budget its like doing theater because you only get 1 take not 10 takes as you would in a studio film or bigger budget film.


Tell us about putting together the cast. Who gets the credit there?

I follow my angel like gut instincts about the cast. I did not audition people in a room with a camera. I invited everyone to have lunch with me at Shakey’s Pizza and had a conversation with them. I wanted new fresh faces. I also asked each other to invest as well and 70% of them invested.


And are you anything like Duke?

I am like Duke in some ways and those some ways you will need to discover. Enjoy the movie.


The Condo is on VOD December 5

Danielle Harris' INOPERABLE Checks Into Cinemas December 1st

Los Angeles, CA - Zorya Films and Millman Productions are putting scream queen Danielle Harris under the knife with the December 1st theatrical release of Christopher Lawrence Chapman's Inoperable.  Harris (Halloween 4 & 5, Rob Zombie's Halloween, the Hatchet franchise) stars as Amy, a hospital patient who must battle nature and the supernatural before she ends up trapped for eternity.  Chapman directed from a script he co-wrote with producer Jeff Miller.  Inoperable will open December 1st in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Cleveland and Minneapolis for weeklong runs.

A young woman wakes up in a seemingly evacuated hospital with a hurricane approaching. She realizes the storm has awakened malevolent forces, trapping her in a time loop. She must escape the hospital before the storm passes or she will be trapped in its halls forever.

Coco - New UK Trailer

Disney•Pixar’s COCO becomes the highest-grossing film of all time in Mexico after only 19 days at the box office. COCO set the international box office record in Mexico’s local currency after taking 827M pesos ($43.1M)* with audiences taking this new Pixar adventure to their hearts making it a true phenomenon. The results follow extensive research by the filmmakers into Mexican culture and it’s people so that they could immerse the audience in the culture that would anchor their story. They approached their research from many directions—enlisting consultants and experts, studying Mexican art, film and music, and traveling throughout Mexico to experience the traditions, meet the people and see first-hand where their characters would live.

COCO features two distinct worlds: the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. Aspiring musician Miguel and his family hail from Santa Cecilia, a charming town with a bustling central plaza where residents congregate. The look and feel of Santa Cecilia is inspired by villages visited by the filmmakers during research trips—but those trips did so much more. “The story of ‘Coco’ is inspired by Mexico’s people, cultures and traditions,” says director Lee Unkrich. “The people of Mexico made us think about our own families, our own histories and how that makes us who we are today. We are grateful for the opportunities afforded to us, and we can honestly say we are different people as a result of our experiences.”

Synopsis:
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

The Cutlass - Poster and Trailer

A young tourist is abducted by a dangerous sociopath in the jungle of Trinidad in the award-winning action-thriller The Cutlass, on VOD this December from Wild Eye Releasing.

A young tourist is abducted from her family into the jungles of Trinidad by a dangerous, armed sociopath. While the authorities and her family attempt to find her with no success, she is forced to mentally and physically outmaneuver her captor in an effort to stay alive and escape to safety.

Lisa-Bel Hirschman, Arnold Goindhan and screen veteran Kirk Baltz (Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers) star in a Darisha J. Beresford film.

Inspired by true events, The Cutlass is “a rewarding experience worthy of multiple viewings” (RedMangoReviews) available on digital across the US on 12/12.

Interview with Tahlia Morgan

Tahlia Morgan gives a bravura performance in the new film Sightings. In this exclusive interview, we speak to the versatile thesp about her career journey, working with husband Dallas (the film’s director) and why sci-fi is still as strong a genre as ever.


Tell us a little about your background as an actor?

I moved to Los Angeles back in 2005 after landing my first role which got me my SAG card. I have been working at my craft ever since.


What appealed to you about the part here?

The role of Hannah was written for me after Dallas and I basically did this role in a short film a few years back. So I already had experience working as her.


Being a genre movie, is it hard not to go too ‘over the top’ at times?

Yes you have to be careful to not become a caricature of what this person you are playing would be. They are real people who are experiencing real events.


Do you find a much more enjoyable, less stressful mood working on certain genres?

Not really, You can have a stressful role in any genre. It just depends on the character I am playing and the scenes for the day we are shooting. The day we shot my emotional crying scene was a lot more demanding on my mood than some of the other shoot days.


Who do you think will dig the movie the most?

I think this film and the fun sci-fi, thriller, and drama genres will appeal to a lot of different types of movie goers. It definitely will fit the paranormal believers!


And what’s coming up?

Since filming Dallas and I have had two babies, a daughter first and most recently a son. So for now I am busy playing mom while we release Sightings and work on our next project together!

6 Questions with Demetrius Stear

Demetrius Stear reunites with director Jared Cohn (Buddy Hutchins, Evil Nanny, The Domicile) on Halloween Pussy Trap Kill Kill!


Tell us a little about your background as an actor?

 My first acting gig was General Hospital. I've worked primarily in the Indie/Horror film arena. My ideal film type would be LA crime drama.

What appealed to you about the part here? 

I really liked the cat/mouse aspect of the film, also the intensity of the scenes caught my eye.

Being a genre movie, is it hard not to go too ‘over the top’ at times?

 I don't think so, I believe it's better to give too much than not enough.

Do you find a much more enjoyable, less stressful mood working on certain genres? 

I like genre films because I grew up on them. I've always had an appreciation for it since I was kid.

Who do you think will dig the movie the most? 

I think the underground indie horror fans are going to really enjoy it, as well soundtrack junkies. The soundtrack is dope!

And what’s coming up? 

At the moment, I'm developing a graphic novel by the legendary Chuck Dixon called G.O.M.E.R.S