“Love. Blood. Kryptonite.,” an HD feature shot last summer with a $40,000 budget will have its premiere this week at suburban theatres.
What’s different is that the movie was written by a 2007 graduate of Oak Park-River Forest high school, produced through his teacher’s production company and actor John Mahoney was the executive producer.
Screenwriter Matt Mitchener, 18 and Kristopher Rey-Talley, 19, an OPRF alum, were co-directors and the producer was OPRF communications teacher, John Condne of John Condne Films, Inc.
“Blood” is the story of a teenage boy who struggled to survive in a household with his six-year old sister and drug-addicted mother. He sells heroin to make his sister’s tuition payments, but this proves more dangerous than expected.
Cast and crew were comprised of professional actors, OPRF students and graduates. It was shot last summer for about five weeks in the western suburbs.
The budget was raised by Condne and the students; $30,000 from investors and $7,250 in donations mostly from OPRF parents.
“People who have viewed ?Blood’ believe that it came right from Hollywood and was done by industry professionals,” said Condre.
Mitchener first approached Condne in 2006 with the movie idea and asked if he could take an independent study course with Condre to write the entire screenplay. Realizing its potential, Condre offered to produce it through his company.
Alex Goode leads the cast that includes Allison Henry, Lucas Ellman, Rob Bou-Saab, Eric Watkins and Abi McKenzie. Sam Mausner was casting director.
Credits include: DP, Armando Ballesteros; associate producer, Horacio Zuniga; production manager, Nico Marquez; Geoff Shell composed the score and provided some music supervision and Avenue Edit did the mix.
Mitchner is one of 24 students admitted to New York University’s screenwriting program next fall. OPRF alum Rey-Talley is a first-year production student at NYC.
Condne is currently producing “Duplicity” with producing partners Robert Foreman James Vallo and Edward Asner.
He is the creator of ChicagoActors.com, where host Steven Saltz nabbed Alec Baldwin for a short interview just a few days before Baldwin’s scolding of his daughter was made public.
“Love. Blood. Kryptonite.” screening dates: May 21 – Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge, 7 p.m. May 22 ? Lake Street Theatre, Oak Park,, 6:45 p.m. May 24 ? Highland Park Theatre, Highland Park, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
