Posts Tagged ‘paul j. alessi’

Paul J. Alessi, a New York native, spent most of his youth playing competitive ice hockey and fighting as an amateur boxer. Paul made time to participate in his community as a volunteer firefighter and a coach for youth sports. His work experience has been diverse, to say the least, from driving a zamboni, to patrolling as a security guard, to working construction…

www.pauljalessi.com

LOS ANGELES PREMIERE

of

KNUCKLE DRAGGERS

special screening

August 12, 7:30pm
Laemmle’s Sunset 5
800 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046

Buy Tickets Now! Click here

Partners in Crime Films is proud to announce the Los Angeles premiere for a special feature film screening in association with the HollyShorts Film Festival at the Laemmle Sunset 5, August 12th at 7:30pm.

Knuckle Draggers is taking the festival circuit by storm with only three festivals under its belt it has already claimed 5 Awards.

o    Two “Rising Star” awards at the Delray Beach Film Festival “Outstanding Feature by a New Filmmaker/ Producer”- Paul J. Alessi and “Best Close-up” in a feature film- Serah D’Laine
o    ReelHeART Film Fest in Toronto Knuckle Draggers grabs “Best Editing” – Alex Ranarivelo, “Best Feature Film” – 2nd place Alex Ranarivelo and “Best Actor” – Paul J. Alessi.

Come meet some of the cast Ross McCall, Paul J. Alessi, Amie Barsky, Danielle Nicolet, Justin Baldoni, Serah D’Laine, Jennifer Alden and Omar Gooding along with the Director Alex Ranarivelo.

“It’s fun, clever, witty and well-acted.” – RamasScreen.com

“All in all a telling slice-of-life, well worth-watching” – CultFilmz.com

“The movies pacing is excellent, it moves from scene to scene seamlessly” – CraveOnline.com

“A relationship roller coaster ride with funny highs and dramatic lows.” – MovieVine.com

Thanks for all your support,
Paul J. Alessi
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1568493/
http://www.pauljalessi.com

I don’t know how Paul J. Alessi does it.  Somehow, he manages to juggle acting, producing, playing sports and donating some time to charity events.  I recently had the pleasure of reviewing one of his films called Knuckle Draggers, and it was a given that after having seen such an amazingly well crafted film, that I’d jump at the chance to interview Paul about it as well as about some of the other great things he’s got going on in his career.

An Interview with Paul J. Alessi – By Duane L. Martin

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DLM: Ok, let’s start this off by having you introduce yourself to everyone.  Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

PJA: My name is Paul J. Alessi and I am originally from N.Y. I’ve always been a blue-collar worker; I’ve had many jobs from driving trucks to meowing lawns to security guard. Since I was young I have been into and played sports most particularly ice hockey. I played at a competitive level for many years and to this day I play when I can.  I am passionate about ice hockey, boxing and movies.

DLM: You actually got “discovered” while working a construction job.  What happened with that and had you had any interest in acting or modeling prior to that experience?

PJA: Although I was always intrigued by movies and television I never thought it was something really tangible. I was working in construction for a clothing company in Manhattan I was asked if I wouldn’t mind standing in for one of the models that didn’t show up. At first I said no but when they mentioned the pay I quickly changed my mind.

DLM: You ended up moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time, and ended up working with F. Gary Gray on TLC’s “Waterfalls” in 1995 playing an AIDS victim.  How did you deal with taking on such a heavy role so early in your career?  Was it intimidating at all?  How did you prepare for it?

PJA: Yes I had the good fortune to work with F. Gary Gray on the award winning TLC music video, Waterfalls. It was an eye opening and amazing experience especially since it was my first time on a set. I didn’t realize what a big deal and opportunity it was therefore I didn’t “prepare”. After Gray realized that I wasn’t joking when he said “camera left” and I looked at him like he had twelve heads, he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. He was very patient and understanding, I look forward to the possibility of working with him in the future.

DLM: Back in 2005 you decided to get into producing.  What led you to that decision and how hard was it making that transition, adding behind the scenes producing duties to your front of camera acting roles.

PJA: It started out as putting together small things for my acting reel, then the projects started getting bigger and bigger. Overall the process of producing seemed like a natural move, there were a lot of things I had to learn on the producing side and still keep on learning to this day. I really enjoy the creative process as well as having control over the “quality” of the projects.

DLM: Moving on to the film Knuckle Draggers now, tell us how you were first introduced to the film and how it all came together.

PJA: After doing several projects together Alex and I decided it was time to do a feature film. We spoke about some ideas and story lines and Alex went to work writing. When it was finished he told me to read it with the role of Kyle in mind. When I finished reading the first draft I thought it had a lot of potential and we started working on the script together. When we felt it was complete we began putting a team together and looking for financing.

DLM: You’ve worked with Knuckle Draggers director Alex Ranarivelo in a lot of films now.  Tell us how you first came into contact with this talented director and what it’s been like working with him over the past several years.

PJA: I first met Alex through a good friend of mine, Andrew Walkinshaw. He introduced Alex and I when he heard we were both looking to do a short film. Since Alex wanted to direct and I wanted to produce and act it was a good match for both of us.

DLM: In Knuckle Draggers you play a guy who has basically analyzed the relationships between men and women and broke it down to its most basic elements, relating modern day relationships to those that existed back in the caveman days.  How did you end up in that role?  Was it written with you in mind, or did you read the script and say, “Oh yeah, I totally want to play that guy!” What really appealed to you the most about it?

PJA: Actually yes, Alex wrote the role with me in mind but if Ed Norton wanted to play the role I would have gladly stepped aside. Alex will tell you that Kyle is a combination of a few people in his life. The thing that made Kyle appealing to me is his honesty; even though at times he can be abrasive he’s just being Kyle. He is not afraid to say what he thinks.

DLM: You worked with an absolutely fabulous cast in Knuckle Draggers.  It can be really hard to assemble a good cast, but to assemble one that was as close to perfect as you guys achieved with Knuckle Draggers is quite an accomplishment.  Tell us about the casting process and about some of the great people you worked with in the film.

PJA: Wow you hit the nail right on the head! Thanks for the compliment. The casting process was not easy because we all had to agree and who plays who. We were fortunate to have a lot of talented actors read for Knuckle Draggers and so it was more about placing the right actor in the right role. Finding the right “Ethan” was probably the most challenging; he had to look like me and his accent had to be similar to mine so we could pass for brothers. He also had to be the “opposite” of Kyle in many ways or it wouldn’t work. When Ross McCall came in to read we new it was the right move. Before he was even finished we new he was the perfect Ethan.

DLM: What were some of the high points of the production for you, and did you have any nightmare days where nothing seemed to go right?

PJA: Some of the high points of this indie film were getting all the shots we needed in a 12-hour day. When you are on a tight schedule with a tight budget every minute counts. I didn’t think we had any true “nightmares”, I mean you can plan everything to a tee but that doesn’t mean it will run like a well oiled machine. Especially when it comes to location shots, unfortunately we have no control over the weather. One instance was the scene at Mateo’s mansion and the wedding scene. When we scouted that location we new we wanted to get a nice clear wide shot of the city skyline. Well the night we were shooting it was completely over cast and foggy. We even tried to go back and get a pick up shot but like I said we can’t control the weather.

DLM: The other film that’s in post right now is Au Pair, Kansas.  You play an investigator in that one.  What’s the film about and what’s your character’s involvement with the story.

PJA: This film is another romantic comedy about a widowed mother (Traci Lords) with two boys who hire an Au Pair from Norway to be the male role model in the family. I co-produced this film and play an investor that is hired to follow the Au Pair.

DLM: You’ve been involved with award winning films, and you’ve recently won some awards for your acting.  Tell us what films you’ve been in that have won awards and what awards you’ve won personally for your work in them.

PJA: Morphin(e) was a great project and I received a “Best Actor” award at the International Film Festival for Ya’ll North Texas. A Guy Named Murphy and Ten ‘til Noon won several awards during it’s festival run. Knuckle Draggers has taken home five awards in our first three festivals. We got “Best Close-Up” and I was honored with “Outstanding Feature by a new Filmmaker” at the DelRey Beach Fest. Knuckle Draggers also won Best Editing and second Best Feature and I received Best Actor at the ReelheART International Film Fest in Canada.

DLM: So what’s next for you?  Do you have any new films that are in the planning stages right now that you can tell us about?

PJA: There are several things in development right now and one feature film is slated to start pre-production in the fall.  I’ll keep you posted as they get closer.

DLM: Just to end this on a personal note, you’ve been involved with a lot of charities.  Tell us about some of the things you’ve done to help these various charities and how our readers can get involved and help out as well.

PJA: I have been involved with many charity events over the years but one that I help out with every year is Maryvale Angels. This is an organization under the umbrella of the Maryvale Orphanage, a halfway house for girls ages 6-18 in East Los Angeles. Every Christmas we raise money so that the 86 girls living at Maryvale have a celebration during the holidays. We organize a fun night out with a “casino night” fundraiser and with those donations we are able to throw an amazing holiday for them! Thanks to all of the donations we are able to get each girl the three specific items they write down on their wish list.  If you would like to donate or get involved with Maryvale please visit www.maryvaleangels.com

DLM: Is there anything else you’d like to mention before we wrap this up?

PJA: Just want to thank everyone for their support! Also Knuckle Draggers will have it’s LA premiere at the Laemmle Sunset 5 August 12th, 2009 at 7:30. We are a special feature screening at the HollyShorts Film Festival. A lot of our cast will be attending and tickets are on sale now. For more information check out my website at www.pauljalessi.com.
*   *   *

Photo Credits:

Photo #1: Actor/Producer Paul J. Alessi attends Li Cari fashion show at the Cabana Club, Hollywood, CA.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Ng Copyright 2008 Aperture Photography

Photo #2: Paul J. Alessi, Ross McCall and Danielle Nicolet at the Newport Beach Film Fest- 2009-Knuckle Draggers Premiere
Photo Credit: Byron Purvis/AdMedia

Photo #3: Paul J. Alessi Newport Beach Film Fest- 2009-Knuckle Draggers Premiere
Photo Credit: Byron Purvis/AdMedia

Knuckle Draggers is taking the festival circuit by storm with only three festivals under its belt it has already claimed 5 Awards. Taking home two “Rising Star” awards – at the Delray Beach Film Festival “Outstanding Feature by a New Filmmaker/ Producer” & “Best Close-up” in a feature film, and from the ReelHeART Film Fest in Toronto Knuckle Draggers grabs “Best Editing” – Alex Ranarivelo, “Best Feature Film” – 2nd place Alex Ranarivelo and “Best Actor” – Paul J. Alessi. Partners in Crime Films is proud to announce the Los Angeles premiere for a special feature film screening in association with the HollyShorts Film Festival at the Laemmle Sunset 5, August 12th at 7:30pm. Buy tickets now

“Comes at us with an undertone that makes it relatable and compelling” – Screen Rant

“It’s fun, clever, witty and well-acted” – Ramas Screen

“All in all a telling slice-of-life, well worth-watching” – Cult Movies

“The movies pacing is excellent, it moves from scene to scene seamlessly” – Crave Online

“A relationship roller coaster ride with funny highs and dramatic lows.” – Movie Vine

Written and directed by Alex Ranarivelo, produced by Paul J. Alessi, and co-produced by Amie Barsky and Baptiste DeRivel. Knuckle Draggers takes a humorous but very real look at the state of modern male/female relationships. Knuckle Draggers is the relationship movie from a male perspective.

The story follows Ethan, an all around nice guy who gets dumped because he wasn’t able to provide his fiancée with the plush, stable life her friends were living. Desperate to get her back, he seeks help from his older brother Kyle, a tough talking sexist who seems to have a way with the ladies. Kyle gives Ethan a crash course on women and dating much to the disgust of some of Ethan’s female friends. Just when it seems Kyle’s misogynistic theories are about to prove themselves true, things take an unexpected turn and force Ethan, Kyle and their friends to reassess their views on relationships.

In the spirit of movies like Swingers and Brothers McMullen, Knuckle Draggers gives us a unique point of view, a timely message, and a lot of heart. Not another indie film about friends hanging out, Knuckle Draggers provokes questions about what modern couples want versus what they need, and how their needs may not have evolved much from those of our caveman ancestors.

Scottish actor Ross McCall heads a dynamic ensemble cast in the lead role of ‘Ethan’. His credits include the HBO miniseries ‘Band of Brothers’ and most recently ‘Crash’, the Starz TV series. Paul J. Alessi, plays ‘Kyle’, Ethan’s sexist outspoken brother. His credits include the Ten ‘til Noon and the TV series Desire. Omar Gooding plays Ethan’s best friend ‘Russell’. Omar’s credits include ‘Baby Boy’, the HBO series ‘Deadwood’ and he’s just joined the cast of the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer TV series ‘Miami Trauma’. Amie Barsky plays ‘Patricia’, Ethan’s strong-minded female best friend. The film also includes Danielle Nicolet ‘The Starter Wife’, Justin Baldoni ‘Heroes’, Serah D’Laine ‘General Hospital’ and Jennifer Alden ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’.

Knuckle Draggers features a musical score by Austin Wintory, whose credits include the multiple award-winning Captain Abu Raed. A dynamic soundtrack accompanies the score, including tracks by J Mello & Dave Navarro, Tyler Hilton, Marching Band, and Jennifer Love-Hewitt & Sophie B. Hawkins.

The Los Angeles Premiere takes place Wednesday, August 12th at 7:30pm., at the Laemmle Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, 90046, 323-848-3500

For all inquiries please contact Paul J. Alessi at Paul@partnersincrimefilms.com.

See the trailer at www.KnuckleDraggersTheMovie.com

Knuckle Draggers is a humorous but very real look at the state of modern male-female relationships. Written and directed by Alex Ranarivelo, produced by Paul J. Alessi, and co-produced by Amie Barsky and Baptiste DeRivel, the film is a relationship movie from a male perspective. The story follows Ethan, an all around nice guy who gets dumped because he wasn’t able to provide his fiancée with the plush, stable life her friends were living. Desperate to get her back, he seeks help from his older brother Kyle, a tough talking sexist who seems to have a way with the ladies. Kyle gives Ethan a crash course on women and dating much to the disgust of some of Ethan’s female friends. Just when it seems Kyle’s misogynistic theories are about to prove themselves true, things take an unexpected turn and force Ethan, Kyle, and their friends to reassess their views on relationships.
Knuckle Draggers will have its Canadian premiere at the ReelHeART International Film Festival (which runs in Toronto from June 22-26) on Saturday, June 27 at 7:15 p.m. after a sold-out World Premiere in Newport Beach California, and two “Rising Star” awards: Outstanding Feature by a New Filmmaker/ Producer & Best Close-Up in a feature film at the DelRay Beach Film Festival.
Knuckle Draggers is a film about friends, provokes questions about what modern couples want versus what they need, and how their needs may not have evolved much from those of our caveman ancestors.
Scottish actor Ross McCall heads a dynamic ensemble cast in the lead role of Ethan. His credits include the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and most recently Crash, the Starz TV series.
Omar Gooding plays Ethan’s best friend Russell. Gooding’s credits include Baby Boy, the HBO series Deadwood, and he’s just joined the cast of the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer TV series Miami Trauma.
Amie Barsky plays Patricia, Ethan’s strong-minded female best friend.
Paul J. Alessi, plays Kyle, Ethan’s sexist, outspoken brother. His credits include the Ten til Noon and the TV series Desire.

While the Hollywood producer was born in the U.S., Alessi has Italian roots – his grandparents were originally from Sicily (specifically from Linguaglossa, which is in the province of Catania), but eventually emigrated to the U.S. in search of a new life.

Alex Ranarivelo (the director) is your associate in the film company Partners in Crime Films. Why did the two of you decide to make a comedy?
“I tend to make the “bad boy” projects and I wanted to do a film that was more mainstream that could touch a wider audience. I felt Knuckle Draggers had a strong script with many extremely relatable story lines. Ranarivelo and I have made shorts films, commercials and music videos, and we wanted to tackle a feature film together.”

I have read that it was sheer fate that you began your career as an actor. Is this true?
“I guess you could say that it was fate. While I was living in New York I was working on a construction site finishing up a job for a clothing line. One of the models didn’t show up for an event, so they asked me if I would take his place. At first I was not interested but after they told me how much they would pay I jumped on board and I haven’t looked back.”

You have been in 11 movies where you have played parts like a psychopath, a rapist, a serial killer, and a marine in Iraq. Which one of these “bad boy” roles do you most identify with?
“Wow, I’d have to say that when I am breaking down a character I always find something to identify with in each role, but honestly as a “bad boy” role I identify the best with a “gangster.”

Your movie Knuckle Draggers will be presented at Toronto’s ReelHeART Film Festival. What are your expectations?
“We are very honoured and excited to be chosen as the closing night film. I expect to have a great time and that Knuckle Draggers will be well received. If by some chance we win an award I will do my very bad interpretation of an Irish jig!”.

Knuckle Draggers will be presented as the official closing night film at ReelHeART International Film Festival on Saturday June 27 at 7:15 p.m. at Innis Town Hall, Innis College, 2 Sussex Street, University of Toronto campus (1 block south of St. George subway station).

Knuckle Draggers takes a daring look at how relationships work from the POV of a “real man”.

The story starts out following Ethan (played by Band of Brothers‘ Ross McCall).  Ethan can be way too polite for his own good and lacks the defining edge that helps him stand out, whether it be at work or in the dating scene.

Ethan gets dumped by his fiancee in a brash way and his brother Kyle steps up to help him not only get through the ordeal, but to help Ethan “man up” and recognize what it’s all about in the world of dating.  It’s a rather touching process to see Kyle care enough about his brother to tackle this daunting case of helping Ethan grow.

Kyle, played by Paul J. Alessi, echoes the approach of the infamous Tom Leykis in regards to what makes a relationship with a woman work. To the chivalrous, it’s frightening, while the “dogs” of the male gender will tell ya they told you so.

In the story, Kyle is brave enough to spout his beliefs in mixed company and tends to catch flak from the opposite gender for his sexist observations on how women choose men with money.  I cringed as he spouted his rhetoric.

Ethan, meanwhile, while desperate to get back together with his ex, encounters a revelation about her that makes what Kyle has been saying seem perfectly sensible, if you can believe that.  I think it’s a revelation that many men may have experienced at one time or another.

During the course of the movie, Kyle’s outspoken views sink into the minds of the rest of the group.  This has an interesting effect on the interaction between some members of the small knit group and things change for everyone in one way or another.  Some of the cast include Omar Gooding (Deadwood, and Jerry Bruckheimer’s new show Miami Trauma), Justin Baldoni (Heroes) and Danielle Nicolet (The Starter Wife).

Actress and co-producer of Knuckle Draggers, Amie Barsky, plays Patricia, a good friend of Ethan’s.  Patricia has her own surprising journey along the way to Ethan’s enlightenment.

There are times in the movie where I thought the filmmakers were starting to drag on with a particular scene, but each scene culminates with the message it is supposed to deliver and moves on with the next one, almost on queue.

I found Knuckle Draggers compelling.  It doesn’t surprise me that it will be the closing-night film at the ReelHeART International Film Festival in June, or that Knuckle Draggers won two ‘Rising Star’ awards at the Delray Beach Film Festival, one of them being “Outstanding Feature by a New Filmmaker/Producer”.  It also had a sold-out World Premiere at the 2009 10th annual Newport Beach Film Festival.

If you look closely, you might recognize some of the cast.  Alessi, who plays Kyle, is also the film’s producer.

The film opens and closes on what looks like the very same scene.  It started to confuse me, but eventually the irony of the end twist will make perfect sense. Everything in this film comes together just like it’s supposed to…  I think.  I won’t say anymore.  You’ll have to try to catch the film to trace the path of each character’s personal journey alongside Ethan as he tries to figure out his love life.

Knuckle Draggers is written and directed by Alex Ranarivelo, produced by Paul J. Alessi, and co-produced by Amie Barsky, Baptiste DeRivel, and Lamese Williams.

This movie is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy this sort of fare, or know someone who might, this is a fun flick.  It delivers a great message that’s a little bit different than expected and I found it had a rather satisfying ending.

Screen Rant Exclusive:

Knuckle Draggers hasn’t seen a full release yet, but is shopping for a distributor as we speak.  Paul J. Alessi (with his producer’s hat on) told me that the film is being received very well and has a few really good offers on the table that could even result in a limited theatrical release and a worldwide DVD release. He’s also indicated that there is some interest being shown towards a possible TV series based on the film.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, the film has an exclusive engagement at the HollyShorts Film Festival Special Feature screening at Laemmle Sunset 5 on August 12th 2009.  You’ve heard it here first.

Knuckle Draggers will be the closing night ceremony film at the ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF) in June 2009.

Main A, 7:15 PM ReelHeART Main “A” Program – Innis Town Hall, Innis College, – 2 Sussex Street, U of T Campus, Toronto, M5S 1J5 – (1 block south of St. George Subway)

Click Here to buy tickets

Come meet some of the cast Ross McCall, Paul J. Alessi, Serah D’Laine, Amie Barsky and the Director Alex Ranarivelo.

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Delray Beach, FL, <(May 24, 2009)>On Sunday, May 24^th, the Delray Beach Film Festival wrapped up its 6-day festival, screening more than 200 films from around the world.

We are pleased to announce the following awards and honors.  Please check our website for monthly screenings and come see the best of the DBFF.

• The Stella Artois Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert Davi.
• The Stella Artois Rising Star Award to Alexander Nevsky.
• The Stella Artois Rising Star Award to a new filmmaker to
  Paul J. Alessi, producer/actor “Knuckle Draggers”.
• Stella Artois Award for the Best Film by a New Filmmaker to Bajir Cannon, Director of The Distance between the Apple and the Tree.
• The Chloe Lifetime Achievement Award for Support of Independent Filmmaking to Giancarlo Esposito.
• The Frownies Award for Best Close-Up in a Motion Picture to Serah D’Laine, (Knuckle Draggers).
• Winners of the Script Writing Contest Sponsored by Final Draft -This year we have two winners:   Margaret Nussbaum and Jim Steech for M.I.L.F. and Shari Umansky for Son of M.I.L.F., a Madoff Tragedy.
• Script-to-Reel Short Winner, Sponsored by Perfect Vodka and Sony, to  Dan Pico for Heaven Above You.
  

• Best Feature Film Audience Award to Falling For Grace, Directed by Fay Ann Lee.
• Best Documentary Audience Award to Faded Glory, Directed By Rick Cohen.
• Director’s Choice for Best Documentary, War Against the Weak, by Pete Deemas.
• Special Award for a documentary that raises awareness of  contemporary issues, The Spitting Game, Directed by Denice Ann Evans.
• Best Short, How My Father Killed Dracula, Directed by Sky Soleil.
• Award for Best Experimental Short, The Green, Green Heart, Directed by Steven Lesser.
• Best Animation Short, Token Hunchback, Directed by Tim Reckart.
• Best Animation Feature, The Magistical, Directed by John Cernak.
• Audience Award Best Foreign Film , Hachipusheet (The Beetle) Directed by Yishar Orian.
• Best Foreign Film, Children’s Orchestra (Orquestra Dos Meninos), Directed by Paulo Thiago De Oliveira.
• Director’s Choice for Best Foreign Film, Lokas, Directed by Gonzalo Justiniano.
• Best Environmental/Green Award, Free River Park, Directed by Tara Nurin.
• Kodak Award  for the Best Student Shorts, Fades with Age, Directed Aaron I. Naar and Seth Roger Cuddeback.
• The Sara Fuller Award for Best Young Filmmaker  and Best Student Short to Florida  MIU Filmmaker, Xander Rey Soteras, for Ditched.
• Best Documentary by a Florida  filmmaker, Cracker – The Last Cowboys of Florida, Directed by Victor Milt.
• Music Video Award to F**K the FED!, Directed by Neal Fox.
• Award for Best Xtreme Sports Film to That’s It That’s All, Directed by Curt Morgan and Travis Rice.
• Best Feature Film by a Florida Filmmaker Film Contest?  V. Alex Marquez

Knuckle Draggers wins two “Rising Star “awards at the Delray Beach Film Festival.

Serah D’Laine takes the “Frownie” for Best Close Up in a Motion Picture and Paul J. Alessi takes the “Stella Artois” for Outstanding Feature by a New Filmmaker/Producer.

http://www.pauljalessi.com

http://www.knuckledraggersmovie.com