Watch Richard Grieco in Minutes to Midnight

If you're a fan of independent movies, you know the wheels turn slowly in that industry--so slowly that you may sometimes forget about a film you'd heard referenced or assume that it wasn't moving forward.

It's been more than five years since I first talked to writer Christopher Don about his film, Minutes to Midnight, and the role he reformulated specifically for Richard Grieco. (Here's a refresher, in case you've forgotten what this film is all about and why you want to see it.)

Since that time, the film has gone through some cast changes, a change in production companies, and more. But, it's finally here.

Here's the new trailer:

   

You can watch Minutes to Midnight TODAY on iTunes or Amazon, and a DVD version will follow in September. There's no reason to hold back: if you're eager to check out Don's New Year's Eve-based horror film, go ahead and rent it. Now. You can still buy the DVD when it becomes available.

Richard Grieco DVDs for Sale

I'm selling some hard-to-find Richard Grieco movies on DVD, starting with this e-bay listing for Rebel Run, Final Payback and Harold Robbins' Body Parts.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272842221391?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Here's a pic from Final Payback to remind you how much you want to see the movie:



More to come.

20th Century Fox Brings Booker Back

Unfortunately, that's all the information I have at the moment.

Richard tweeted this picture today, along with a note that 20th Century Fox had a Booker movie in the works and he would be reprising the role.

I'm sure this is big news to any Grieco fan, since most encountered him for the first time as Booker and (in my view, at least), he did some of his best work in that role.

Stand by--I'll be watching out for more information and harassing Richard for details in the coming days and will share whatever I can.

Minutes to Midnight Trailer

I've been unforgivably delinquent in bringing you this one, which has been out for nearly a year.

 

The delay is especially bad in view of the fact that I've talked to writer Christopher Don about this film multiple times, through a false start and then the actual shooting. Don even talked about how he'd long wanted to work with Richard Grieco and had tailored the role for Richard.

The trailer, with its bright, sunshiny opening scenes and a bunch of pretty young people arriving for a stay in the woods brought A Cabin in the Woods to mind, but Don set me straight on that in no time. Minutes to Midnight is no parody: Don is an old school horror fan and that's the kind of film he's going to bring you.

The cast has changed a bit since the first iteration, losing Kane Hodder and gaining William Baldwin. No worries, though: the hot wrestler is still with us. And, of course, the man you're all here to read about, playing the Sheriff.

A House is Not a Home Available on DVD

It's been nearly three years since we saw the trailer for Christopher Olen Ray's A House is Not a Home and the film made a splash at the Burbank International Film Festival.

Now, after a limited theatrical release, you can pick up the movie on DVD...pretty much anywhere, including Amazon and your local Walmart.

If you don't find it on the shelf in the store, consider asking them to order it for you; maybe they'll pick up an extra copy or two when they're putting in your order.

In case you've forgotten or you missed it the first time around, here's the trailer again. Or, you could just skip right over it and let the story be a surprise when you pick up your copy.

The Green Fairy at the Arena Cinema This Week

If you're in or near Hollywood and you've been looking for an opportunity to see Dan Frank's "docu-fantasy" about absinthe, narrated by Richard Grieco, your moment has arrived.

The Green Fairy is showing from Friday, September 9 through Thursday, September 15 at the Arena Cinema in Hollywood. The Arena's scheduling is a little unusual, so be sure to check the calendar: The Green Fairy shows at a different time each day during its week-long run.

It's been a long time since I wrote about this film, so here's the trailer in case you need a refresher:




It's going to be a busy season for Richard Grieco fans--Christopher Olen Ray's A House is Not a Home will be available on DVD and digital platforms later this month (more to come on that). It's been almost exactly three years since A House is Not a Home received the Best Horror Film designation at the Burbank International Film Festival, so it's about time the rest of us got to see it!

Minutes to Midnight Movie Poster

The official movie poster for Richard's upcoming movie, Minutes to Midnight, was unveiled today.

I'll have more information for you soon, but wanted to make sure you didn't miss this.

The Chemist with Richard Grieco

The Chemist premieres this weekend.

Here's a quick shot of Richard on set:

I don't have a lot of information about this film yet. The story revolves around a hit man who becomes a target. The main character is played by Olivier Gruner; it's not clear what role Richard plays, other than the character is named "Stone".  (I'm guessing that's going to be one of the killers for hire.)

Art Camacho directed, and The Chemist screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

For more information, check out this article, follow the film's Facebook page and stay tuned. I'll post more information as it's available.

Minutes to Midnight Wraps

On April 9, Minutes to Midnight screenwriter Christopher Don reached out to let me know that filming had wrapped on the film. I know I've been remiss in getting this news out to you, but I have a very good excuse--that very same day, my little town was hit by a tornado.

Having missed the "big reveal" moment, I thought today would be a good day to share the news, since it's Don's birthday. (I won't tell you how old he is because I don't want you to feel as old as I do.)

There have been some changes since I first talked to Don about Minutes to Midnight in 2013. But, we'll get to the details a little later. I know what you really want to hear about is Richard's role, and I think you're going to love what you hear.

Richard Grieco in Minutes to Midnight

Don told me that he was pretty confident this would be Richard's best role in 20 years. If that sounds ambitious coming from a guy who is just seeing his first feature film come to life, consider the history. First, as you may recall, Don is something of a Richard Grieco fan. In fact, I've heard a rumor (okay, I heard it from him) that in those pre-show-biz days when Don was parking cars on the graveyard shift, he'd watch 21 Jump Street on his laptop and think about working with Grieco one day.

M2M Screenwriter Christopher Don with Richard Grieco

He's also called Richard "the ultimate bad-ass" for his ability to both be tough and show an emotional side; in other words, he has a solid understanding of and appreciation for Richard's strengths as an actor. And, the role was beefed up and adapted to take advantage of those strengths after Richard came on board. I'm very interested to see where that takes us.

But, Richard isn't the only reason to watch out for this movie.

Other Reasons You May Want to See Minutes to Midnight

1. The production brings Richard back together with director Christopher Olen Ray, producer Gerald Webb and writer Victoria Dadi, who previously collaborated on A House is Not a Home--"Best Horror Feature" winner at the 2014 Burbank International Film Festival.

2. William Baldwin has joined the cast. The Baldwin boys have never been my type, but they can act. And, as an added bonus (in case you're one of the many who has trouble keeping them straight), this is the one I've recently heard referred to as "the Baldwin who's still pretty." He's the one who played Serena's dad on Gossip Girl.

3. John Hennigan is still in the cast. Okay, that's not new information, but have you seen this guy? If you're not a WWE fan, take a moment to Google him. I promise you're going to like it.

There's more, of course, but Minutes to Midnight is just days into post-production at this point and we'll have plenty of time to talk about it between now and the day we get to see the finished film. Stay tuned!

The Green Fairy Update

The Green Fairy is rolling right along, and you'll be able to see the trailer on February 1.  The film's official Facebook page suggests that we're going to love it (though they may not be entirely objective).

It certainly promises to be unique: docu-fantasy isn't a genre I've encountered before. The difficulty in classifying the film may be the reason that it's getting attention from sites like Horror Society, even though it isn't a horror film. Or, maybe it's just that intriguing.

(Okay, it may also be because Linda Blair is in the movie.)

Director Dan Frank originally said that he hoped to have the movie ready to go by Mardi Gras 2016, but it's currently showing a 2015 release date, so it may start making the rounds even sooner.

More to come as new information becomes available.

A Vow to Kill

A couple of years ago, when I was too sick to work and spending a lot of late night hours watching old Richard Grieco television shows and movies, A Vow to Kill was one of the films I went looking for. As you probably know, Richard has been in a lot of sci-fi/quasi-horror films, and that's not really my thing. He was even in a movie about giant spiders, which is definitely more than I could cope with.

But, he was also in a handful of television movies in which he played a very bad husband: one abusive, one rapist, one who pretended to kidnap his wife in order to extract ransom from her wealthy father.

A Vow to Kill is the ransom movie, but I couldn't find it. That wasn't a big surprise, given that it was a television movie from 1995. It was more of a surprise when I ran across it on Amazon recently. Clearly, it didn't just become available--especially since it only exists on VHS.

I liked it.

That's not much of a review, I know, but that's the upshot. If you were watching made for television movies in the mid-90s, you pretty much know what to expect. In terms of plot line and acting, it's just okay and fairly predictable--just like nearly all of the prime time movies from the 80s and 90s.

It's easy to see how Grieco's character is able to con, seduce and marry the rich man's daughter--these were his prime romantic lead days and this movie was a great vehicle for the soft voice and soulful looks that make a woman say, "Ah, what's a little ransom demand?"

If you're a Richard Grieco fan and haven't seen this movie (and you own a VHS player), it's worth adding to your collection--especially if you're the kind of fan who appreciates his eye and his smile at least as much as his acting. The main Amazon listing has a pretty discouraging price ($45), but look a little further--there are several used copies available for less than $10.

Mobsters on Blu-Ray

Just in case you don't feel like you're seeing Richard Grieco's youthful glory in crisp enough detail on DVD, or you don't have a machine on which to play that well-worn old VHS tape, you'll be able to buy Mobsters on Blu-Ray this spring.

"He has two girlfriends?"
Love this scene.

You can pre-order here, but don't expect the movie to arrive until early March.

If you want to get in the spirit while you wait, take 97 seconds to check out this clip of Richard, Christian Slater, Patrick Demsey and Costas Mandylor presenting at the 1991 Oscars in their full Mobsters regalia. (For those of you who haven't seen the movie, that means hand-made tuxes. Feel free to watch as often as you like.)

After Midnight Available on VOD October 28

It's been a year and a half since we first saw the trailer for After Midnight with Richard and Tawny Kitaen (who is looking fabulous at 50+). And, the records may have become a little confused when Richard also signed on for the entirely unrelated Minutes to Midnight. But, the long wait (It was a long wait, right? That wasn't just me?) is almost over.

Though the DVD won't be available from Phase 4 until February, 2015, you can watch After Midnight on iTunes in just a couple of weeks.

Or, you could watch the movie on iTunes on October 28 and then buy the DVD when it comes out in February. Not that I know anyone who's planning to do both.

Richard Grieco to Narrate The Green Fairy

The Green Fairy is shooting right now, and Richard will not only be narrating but is listed as an Executive Producer.

I'll be honest: I was a little skeptical when I first heard about this one. Last time (that we know of) that Richard teamed up Dan Frank, it was for Coachella Massacre. If that doesn't sound familiar to you, it's because the film has apparently been in pre-production for a couple of years.

But, The Green Fairy is moving forward. People are tweeting about their days on set. The film's official Facebook page has a few behind-the-scenes photos from shooting last week.

The movie is billed as a "fantasy documentary" and Frank says that he hopes to take the viewer on a "psychedelic trip" as he explores the history of absinthe from 1730 to 1915.

The movie is slated for release some time next year - details to follow as they become available.

UPDATE: After this post went up, Dan Frank contacted me to say that Coachelle Massacre had been temporarily sidelined due to the death of a key player in the production. Apologies to Mr. Frank and his team for the skepticism, and my condolences. Frank also offered some hope that we may yet see Coachella, so look for updates on that, as well.

Richard Grieco in 22 Jump Street?

This question has been on all of our minds for quite a while and...we still don't have an answer.

We do, however, have hope--at least, as much hope as we can gain from a tabloid story quoting an alleged (and presumably now unemployed) "insider". An online publication that would be called a "rag" if tabloids were still printed says that Richard has filmed a "secret cameo" for the upcoming 22 Jump Street film.

You kind of already had your hopes up when he cut his hair in the fall, didn't you? No? That was just me? Ah, well. You can get them up now. I wouldn't place any bets or anything--you saw how that went for fans of the roughly 30 stars who were leaked as the 50 Shades of Grey leads--but if you were on the fence about showing up for 22 Jump Street at midnight, you should probably go.

With or without Richard, it's bound to be entertaining.

Christopher Don Talks Richard Grieco's Minutes to Midnight Character

Last week, I talked with Minutes to Midnight writer/producer Christopher Don about Richard Grieco's role in the upcoming thriller.

In case you're just hearing about the film, here's the short description:

On the countdown to the New Year, seven friends and a mysterious backpacker form an alliance at a desolate mountain ski lodge where they are methodically hunted down by ruthless, sadistic masked men with an unknown agenda.

I had some questions about Richard's character, Sheriff Wyatt. The married, long-time Sheriff described in the original script didn't exactly bring Grieco springing to my mind. He's said many times that he accepts roles based on interest in the character AND he's repeatedly asserted over the past couple of years that he's pulling back form acting to focus on his artwork...so, what was he doing in this part?

Don cleared up all of those doubts for me in minutes. First, when I asked him what had brought Grieco to mind for this part, he said, "Richard is the ultimate badass. He knows how to be tough but also show an emotional side."

I'm no wrestling fan, but there's no
denying that this guy is pretty.

He went on to say that the character had evolved a bit since Richard had come on board: Wyatt is no longer married and is "not purely good." Ah, a character with personal demons that we'll uncover as the movie progresses--that sounds more like Richard. (I mean, let's be honest...you kind of thought he might turn out to be the killer, didn't you?)

Don also said that since Richard had signed on, they'd "beefed up the role big time." And--added bonus for Grieco fans--those personal demons he mentioned earlier play a role in the sequel.

Under other circumstances, I'd say talking sequels was a bit optimistic at this stage of the game. But with loaners from two mega-franchises already on board (Kane Hodder of Friday the 13th fame and John Morrison from the WWE), those ambitious plans may just be realistic.

As you may have guessed from the design above and the whole "New Year's Eve hiking" theme, filming requires snow. Don says they'll be shooting in late February or early March, regardless of the outcome of the IndieGoGo campaign in progress.

More to come as updates are available. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this one.

Sexual Predator

I've mentioned Sexual Predator in passing as I worked my way through a sampling of Richard Grieco's movies and wrote about some of them. I haven't said too much about this one for a couple of reasons. The first is that this movie involves a lot of sex between not-very-attractive people whom I'd have preferred not to see naked.

The second is that despite being mere millimeters from porn, this is, in my view, one of Richard's better movies. I'm not sure what that says about either of us.

Grieco is credited as an Executive Producer on this film, and his character is compelling. The plot includes a few twists, one of which actually took me quite by surprise. All in all, this one is worth watching (I watched it a second time to be sure), but not while the kids are around.

Here's the trailer:

 

Be a Part of Richard Grieco's Next Movie

Kane Hodder is in this movie,
too. I may know who the killer is.

Earlier this evening, I got a message from Minutes to Midnight writer/producer Christopher Don. He wanted me to let you know that the Minutes to Midnight team had launched an IndieGoGo campaign for the film. Obviously, we all want to see Richard in this film, which is reason enough to lend your support...but there's more.

Here are the top reasons I think you should pop over and make a donation to the campaign:

1. There's more to this movie than Richard Grieco. Though casting is still underway, they've already assembled an impressive team, including a horror icon and a hot wrestler. And, producer Steven Kaplan has promised to 'scare the piss out of you".

2. You will actually get to see this movie--and I don't just mean because you'll be helping ensure that it gets made. You know that not everything that makes it onto film ends up in the theater...or in our living rooms. Remember Cats Dancing on Jupiter? No? Too busy wondering if/when you're going to get to see A House is Not a Home? Well, it only takes a $10 donation to earn you a digital download of this movie--so, think of it as an insurance policy.

3. You've always wanted to be in a movie with Richard Grieco, right? Okay, it will cost you big bucks if you want to land the one actual role in the movie that's up for grabs, but you can see your name in the credits at a much more reasonable level. If you've never seen your name roll up the screen at the end of a movie, you should try it. It's kind of fun.

That's my pitch, but probably you should hear what the guys who are actually behind the film have to say:




After you've made your donation, don't forget to share the link on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you have friends and followers who might be interested in helping out.

A Walk on the Beach with Richard Grieco

Here's another flashback--from the 1991 Summer Movie Preview. Mobsters is the last film previewed (beginning at 5:26) and the host takes a walk on the beach with Richard to talk about Bugsy Seigel, his penchant for violence and his way with women.

Sin and Redemption

Quite by accident last night (no, I mean it this time), I discovered another of Richard's old movies available in full on YouTube--and it's one you probably haven't seen unless you happened to catch it on television back in 1994.

Richard Grieco in Sin & Redemption

Embedding is disabled for the video, so if you want to watch the movie you'll have to go to YouTube. I haven't watched it yet, but it's based on a fairly shocking true story in which a young waitress is raped by an unseen attacker. Her ultra-religious father doesn't believe her and insists that she put the baby up for adoption, but a good-looking young man from a wealthy family who frequents her place of employment sweeps in and offers to make an honest woman of her.

Probably, you can see where this is going, but I won't spell it out for you. You can watch it for free. I mean, Richard Grieco is in it--how wrong can you go?

If you want a little more information before diving in, here's a news story from when CBS aired the movie in the spring of 1994.