Second City actors star in new video thriller from Sorelosers Productions

Richard T. Celenza Jr. grew up in a family of gamblers. As a young man he ran small-time card games and worked as a bookie “before the Internet took over the industry,” he said.

“Being involved in gambling makes you build up confidence in yourself, makes you willing to take chances that would be too overwhelming for others, which you need to do to succeed in film,” said Celenza, who is wrapping post on his second feature. “Being a bookie is all about keeping control, balancing things out, keeping trust going both ways, which is a lot like being on a shoot.”

Celenza based his first film, the self-financed Hi-8 guerilla action thriller “Sorelosers,” on his life in the gambling world. “I put on paper a fictitious story mixed in with a lot of real stories, and shot it with authentic bookies that I knew.” “Sorelosers” played the 2001 San Francisco Independent and Hollywood Underground film festivals.

Celenza’s Sorelosers Productions is in the final stages of postproduction on its second film, the under- $1 million DV psychological thriller “Insanity.”

“This time around I did things legally, which takes a lot of the pressure off,” said Celenza. “I learned that if you have the right team behind you, anything can be accomplished.”

Writer/director/producer Celenza shot “Insanity” over a 14-month period ending a year ago. The film, starring attorney Guy Petruzzelli and Second City mainstays Noah Gregoropolous and Abby Sher, follows a cop investigating the conspiracy behind the murder of his own father, a leading criminal pathologist.

“I’m not going after the festival market,” said Celenza, who is sending out screening copies to key industry figures before finalizing the picture. “I’d like to sell the film more than anything. I have a few distributors who are interested, but I’m looking for somebody affiliated with one of the major studios.”

Executive producer was Celenza’s cousin, real estate investor and commercial painting contractor, who supplied the bulk of the budget.

Charlie Celenza, another cousin, is editing at Broadview Media, where he is senior editor. FilmLook of Los Angeles will online.

Richard Celenza is in development on the TV pilot “Buon Appetito,” a comedy set in a Little Italy restaurant. “My first two movies are thrillers, but I think my niche will be comedy,” Celenza said.

See www.insanitythemovie.com.
? by Ed M. Koziarski, edk@homesickblues.com

? by Ed M. Koziarski, edk@homesickblues.com