Posts Tagged ‘Maine’

Trouble up in Maine today for Emmy award-winning actress and long-time Christian Children’s Fund spokesperson, Sally Struthers. The 65-year old, best known for her work as Gloria Stavic in the 1970s sitcom, “All In the Family.” Struthers was arrested early Wednesday after being pulled over on U.S. Route 1 in the town of Ogunquit. She was charged with criminal operating under the influence and posted $160 bail. She is currently starring in 9 to 5: The Musical, as Roz Klein at the Ogunquit Playhouse.

Struthers has been a regular at the Ogunquit Playhouse since the early 2000s. Earlier this year, she performed in Always, Patsy Cline, as Louise Segar. She is scheduled for a court appearance on December 14, where a $500 fine and 90 day suspension could be the likely outcome of her misdeed, due to her this being her first offense. The arrest occurred at around 12:30 a.m. early Thursday morning.

Struthers’ publicist, Pamela Sharp said Thursday that Struthers is dedicated to her performance in the show and is feeling fine and loves the playhouse and her yearly time in the town. She also denies the charges against her.

The Maine-made horror film, The Wrong House, made by first time director Shawn French, will be distributed nationally this Tuesday June 7.

Inspired by a burglary that happened to French, and his wife, producer and actress, Sue Stevens, The Wrong House is a horror film about a group of kids who rob an isolated home and pay for their mistake.  French sees his motivation as a way for him and his wife to cope with the frustration surrounding the break-in.  French has said, “For Sue and I, this was a way to get over the break-in and make something positive out of it.”  To blur the lines and make the story realistic, French and Stevens even played the killers themselves and filmed it in their own home.

Receiving several national horror awards at film festival screenings across the country, The Wrong House, received a DVD distribution deal with Elite Entertainment and Slingshot.  Arriving this Tuesday, the DVD will include behind-the-scenes footage and commentary from French, Stevens and FX artist Eric Anderson of The Shoggoth Assembly.

You can buy The Wrong House on its official website or through Amazon.com.  To learn more about the film and cast and crew, be sure to check out its website.

The latest bachelorette to search for true love on the hit ABC show is Maine’s own Ashley Hebert.  The dental student grew up in Madawaska, Maine, the northernmost town in New England.

A graduate of the University of Maine, Hebert now studies dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania.  Hebert is a passionate dancer and was Maine’s 2002 Junior Miss.

Hebert appeared on the last season of “The Bachelor” and took Brad Womack to Madawaska to meet her family.  Womack eventually dumped Hebert for southern belle, Emily.  But, now Hebert is trying her luck at love with 25 new bachelors.  Unfortunately, the three bachelors hailing from New England are already out of the running.

You can catch this true New Englander on her quest for love Monday nights on ABC and catch her interview on the Jimmy Kimmel Show here:

Born and raised in Maine, Bill McLean never considered shooting his film, Scooter McGruder, anywhere else.  Even the bright lights of Hollywood were easy for the actor and filmmaker to ignore.  ”I just love living out here more,” says McLean.  ”It’s prettier, it’s more friendly and there are so may places you can film.”

Scooter McGruder, the first film of McLean’s company, Freight Train Films, claimed the Best Feature Film People’s Choice Award at the Lewiston Auburn Film Festival in Maine earlier this month and is slated for a public red carpet debut at Portland’s Nickelodeon Theatre on May 12.  Fresh off the success of his farce comedy, McLean is ready to start shooting more films, right here in New England.

With three new scripts ready to film, McLean plans to begin production on either Red Shirt, a horror film or The Cloning, a science fiction film, as early as this summer.  Scooter McGruder, starring, written by and produced by McLean, was the 20-year acting veteran’s very first attempt at screenwriting.

“There just doesn’t seem to be many parts for men between 30 and 50, and I’m in that age bracket,” says McLean.  ”So I decided to write a script with people in my age range, just to start.”

Three years after beginning to write his first film, McLean has now completed seven scripts and intends on using his films to bring jobs to New England.  Scooter McGruder had 43 speaking roles, which caused many scheduling conflicts, but created great jobs for local actors.

“The economy sucks right now,” says McLean.  ”So anyway I can get someone a job, I’m doing my part.”

McLean is sure to offer encouraging words to any aspiring actor or filmmaker looking to make their way in New England.  ”There’s no reason to go anywhere else,” McLean assures New Englanders.  ”There’s always something going on.  It doesn’t matter if it is big or small.”

The authority on Maine’s film industry, according to McLean, is John Seymore of The Maine Studios.  Seymore is a crucial part of McLean’s production and is working hard to get films made in New England.  ”If you are looking for auditions or if you want to submit a script, he is the man to talk to,” says McLean.

McLean encourages any New Englander interested in film to check the Freight Train films website for opportunities on his upcoming films.  He wants to continue to show the region that great films can be made right here.

“Just give me five years,” says McLean.  ”I fully plan on blowing this market wide open.”

Is Grease still the one that you want?  If so, start working on your hand jive, because the National Tour of Grease is in Boston for a five-day run.

The show will run from April 27- May 1 at the Citi Performing Arts Center’s Wang Theatre.  The Kathleen Marshall, Tony nominated revival opened on Broadway in August, 2007 and ran for 554 performances.  Tickets for the Boston shows start at just $28.

The original cast of the 1978 film won’t be onstage this time, but they had some interesting New England connections.  The original Danny Zuko, John Travolta owns a house in Maine and the original Rizzo, Stockard Channing lived in Connecticut and started her career with the Theatre Company of Boston.

For your blast back to the 50′s past, you can purchase tickets online today.

David E. Kelley, the New England native behind such Boston-based shows as “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Legal” and “Boston Public” is back with the new NBC legal comedy-drama, “Harry’s Law.” The show, which premiered in January, stars Kathy Bates as the quick-witted title character who leaves her ho-hum career as a patent lawyer to open a criminal defense lawfirm in a rundown, Cincinnati shoe store.

Although “Harry’s Law” is not set in New England, the cast features Massachusetts native Nate Corddry as young attorney, Adam Branch. Corddry, is from Weymouth and was recently featured in the Improper Bostonian.

“Harry’s Law” creator, writer and executive producer, Kelley can boast deep New England roots. He was born in Waterville, Maine, grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts and his father is legendary Boston University hockey coach, Jack Kelley. He is known for setting many of his shows in Boston.

Kelley recently revealed that he promised himself after “Boston Legal” he would never do another legal show, but was anxious to write a topical show that touched upon the country’s economic recession.

“I felt the economic times had changed so dramatically that I’d like to get a voice in these more desperate times.  That gave rise to the idea of touching on disparity of wealth in this country.”

Next, Kelley is penning and producing NBC’s “Wonder Woman” reboot.  Production has already started on the show starring “Friday Night Light’s” Adrianne Palicki as the superhero and Elizabeth Hurley as villain, Veronica Cale.

Maine’s Project AWARE, an independent non-profit organization that supports young people to raise awareness about issues that affect them, is announcing their new project – A Shoestring for Mackenzie, which will premiere in Fall 2011!

In January 2010, through their Advanced Summer Film Institute 2009, Project AWARE asked for idea submissions for a movie to be shot during the following year. Ema Jane Hutchins, a Sophomore at Sanford High School, and a crew member of Project AWARE films responded with a powerful story; A Shoestring for Mackenzie is a short, moving message about the healthy passions of youth, chronicling the life of a 17-year-old girl who had experienced challenging times and now lives the life she wants.

In Spring 2010, Hutchins was able to bring her story to life with the help of Project AWARE, Gum Spirits, and other teens from the area, Ruby DayBranch, Gus Minnott, and Emma DayBranch, in a 20-page screenplay, which was shot over one week in August. Characters and cast were selected from experienced youth from around the state. Now in post production, A Shoestring for Mackenzie is expected to premiere in the Fall of 2011 and be available on DVD as a resource for schools and communities who wish to inspire and educate youth about following their dreams and passions; a trailer for the film can be seen below.

Project AWARE, parents and other youth will work on raising the funds needed to complete the movie. If you want to help in any way to bring this amazing youth project to the finish line please e-mail Project AWARE at [email protected] or call at 207-282-5598. Also, be sure to keep tabs on the production and become a fan on their Facebook page.

Currently being shot in Waterville, Maine is a spooky supernatural thriller The Eighteenth Hour, the first feature film outing for independent production company Catharsis films.  The team of Writer and Director, Damian Veilleux, and Director of Photography, Mike Cole, offers a diverse background in the field, including television production, documentaries, still photography and design.

The cast for The Eighteenth Hour is full of local color — there are 27 speaking roles and hundreds of extras appearing in the movie — and all actors are volunteers from the area. The filming process has, admittedly, “been a much more daunting process than we originally anticipated,” says Director Veilleux. The biggest challenge, he admits, has been having to take on numerous responsibilities within the movie all at once. “Mike and I are finding ourselves not only in the role of Director and Creative director, but we’re also producing the film ourselves. The actual filming aspect seems almost trivial compared to everything else that goes on behind the scenes.”

The crew has been shooting every weekend since August, typically putting in 16-hour days. “We don’t get much sleep on weekends,” says Veilleux. As a result, however, the film is a real labor of love. “We have no big names behind us, just a group of people who want to make a movie and, moreover, want to tell a compelling story.”

In a press release for the film, Veilleux spoke about the complexity of the plot of The Eighteenth Hour: “At its heart the film is a psychological thriller and a coming of age story at the same time. Dominic, a troubled teenager, has unknowingly manifested evils from his imagination and must face them to save our world from ruin.”

The Eighteenth Hour crew would love for all of you Hollywood East fans to check out their Facebook page, where they promise to keep you updated on their progress with behind the scenes photos and a new trailer to be released. Veilleux says viewer participation in the production of The Eighteenth Hour is vital to the success of the film, “We’ve almost relinquished ownership of this movie…to the fans.”  The film will be submitted to the Maine International Film Festival in the summer of 2011, as well as other film festivals worldwide. After that, keep an eye out for it in theaters near you.

Check out an unofficial trailer for the film:

Over 125 students from Sanford High School in Maine were involved in the making of their own professional, high quality movie. The film, April’s Heart, will premiere October 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Curtis Lake Christian Church in Sanford.

April’s Heart, created by the Sanford High School Film Club and other students with the help of Project AWARE and Gum Spirits Productions, provides an intimate look at the challenges, hopes and dreams of teens.  Sanford youth not only created the story and script but were also directly involved in the filming, acting, and producing of the movie; they hope to empower young people and encourage safer schools and healthier teens.

Watch the trailer for the movie here:

Don’t miss your opportunity to view this poignant film. Please arrive at 6:30 p.m. as the doors open to hear music created and performed by the students.

Project AWARE was created in 2003 as a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about issues troubling youth, including prescription drug abuse, bullying, harassment, child abuse and teen pregnancy. The organization sponsors presentations by young people and teenagers that target the issues in the form of skits, songs and dance. Project AWARE gives presentations to schools and organizes empowerment workshops to spread their message, in addition to creating movies. Their mission is ultimately to “empower young people to lead.” Visit their website here.