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.

Richard Grieco 21 Jump Street Interview

I can't tell when this Australian interview is from; it was just posted last month and it's obviously fairly recent, but the haircut and shades are reminiscent of a look we saw on Richard a couple of years ago. I'd like to read into the fact that he's being interviewed about 21 Jump Street, but all signs point to this interview having taken place around the time of the 21 Jump Street movie premiere in the spring of 2012.

 

1991 Academy Awards

Just a little blast from the past to brighten up your day.

In 1991, during the filming of Mobsters, Richard Grieco and his cast mates, Patrick Dempsey, Christian Slater and Costas Mandylor presented an award--all spiffed up in their handmade tuxedos.  It's short, but they look good.

 

Film News Interview with Richard Grieco

This interview from the UK website Film News overlaps quite a bit with the Art Catalogue by the Sea piece I posted yesterday, but there are a few additions. And, in addition to the bonus questions, it's always nice to see word spreading in a variety of venues.

Of course, every new foray into the public eye brings out the good and the bad: though Richard is getting a lot of great coverage for his artwork and those in the industry seem to have only good things to say, the celebrity gossip crowd isn't always so kind. Example: yesterday's Warm Glow piece, "Richard Grieco Would Like to Sell You a Bottle He Painted for $1800."

Seems to me before anyone gets too amused, they might want to take a peek at the "Sold" page on Grieco's website...even I was surprised by how many times I had to click that "Show More" button to get them all to display.

Richard Grieco Interview in Art Catalogue by the Sea

You may recall that shortly after Richard's gallery opening in September, Gallerie Sparta shared a photo from an "art magazine shoot." Print magazines have a long lead time, so it wasn't until this week that the interview surfaced. It's well worth the wait.

Art Catalogue by the Sea's multi-page spread on Richard Grieco includes an in-depth interview, several photos of Richard with and creating his artwork and images of many of his paintings.

While fans will have heard much of the background before, Richard talks at length about what art means to him. And, perhaps most interesting to me, he shares the story of how his Soul Bottles came into being and how his process with them differs from the way he paints on canvas.

The piece is well worth a read whether you're a fan from the television days or an art enthusiast--and, if you discovered Richard during his 21 Jump Street days, you'll probably like his new look. Added bonus: the publication is filled with gorgeous artwork from others, as well.

Was Booker a Mistake?

Hollywood.com has included Booker on a list of spin-offs that shouldn't have been. Though I agree with several of the selections, I can't get on board with this one (and that has nothing to do with the whole "just an excuse for Richard Grieco to get naked" thing).

Unlike some shows that made the list (Joey, for example), the writer doesn't actually criticize Booker. Rather, the argument seems to be that it would have made more sense to keep Dennis Booker where he was, as added "edge and man candy" on 21 Jump Street.

Yep, I've totally posted this before...in my very first post.
You know you wanted to see it again.

While I'm sure none of us are going to argue with that characterization, I think that 21 Jump Street ran its course, and I don't think I agree with the writer's suggestion that Grieco's continued presence could have kept the show aloft after Johnny Depp's departure.

What do you think? Did Fox make a mistake spinning Dennis Booker off into his own series? If so, was it an "ugh, that show really sucked" kind of mistake or more of a "wow, 21 Jump Street was so much more awesome before you pulled that character out of it" kind of mistake? Would the original series have lasted longer with Richard to hold our attention?

Minutes to Midnight Update

Last month, we learned that Richard Grieco had been cast as the Sheriff in the upcoming thriller / horror flick Minutes to Midnight. At that point, we knew that Kane Hodder and WWE's John Hennigan would also appear in the film, that the story centered on a series of murders in a ski lodge on New Year's Eve and that Friday the 13th franchise composer Harry Manfredini had signed on for the score.

This week, joblo.com told us that Bill Mosely and John Kapelos had also joined the cast.

More interestingly, the update also included new plot details, including the fact that one of the villains is a painter who uses human blood in his work, to capture the souls of his victims. Though it's a fairly unusual niche, this won't be the first time Grieco has portrayed a character investigating a murderous artist. In The Apostate, Richard stars as a priest drawn in to the investigation of a serial killer when his younger brother becomes a victim.

That role, as you may know, turned out to be life-altering for Grieco. It was co-star Dennis Hopper (the murderous artist) who persuaded Richard to go public with his real-life artwork, now emerging as the cornerstone of his creative and professional life.