Hollywood Deep

Most screenings and Hollywood Premieres of movies are usually on weeknights. If your a Hollywood working man, like I am, you miss most of the free screenings. I missed seeing all the screenings of OCEANS 13 the last couple of weeks, and planned to pay to go see it this weekend. That didn’t work out either, I got real busy. So in the spirit, of getting a review up here for you, here is the Oceans 13 review that was printed last week in the Daily Variety click here.
Variety liked it, and a lot of what I’m hearing is just what I thought it would be. Cool, cool and more cool, a mega cast, flashy sets, and great direction. With the story returning to Las Vegas and the addition of Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino to the cast, the production values of this installment are first class, and certainly worth seeing. I’ve worked on 2 of Steven Soderbergh movies, and they were both favorites of mine, OUT OF SIGHT, and ERIN BROCKOVICH. Aside from being a great guy and a genius filmmaker, Steven knows what’s cool. At first glance someone might think he was some kind of film nerd, but he’s not. He’s been the cool behind George Clooney on many films.

Totally Risoli & Soderbergh celebrate wrapping Erin Brockovich

More about the crew…
Soderbergh is also very loyal to his production crew. Most have been with him on multiple films. His 1st Assistant Director Greg Jacobs (a Director in his own right- Criminal 2004), has been with him forever. Jacobs is also an Executive Producer on 13, along with long time Unit Production Manager Fred Brost. The Oceans movies always look sharp with Phil Messina’s Production Design and Steven’s own cinematography. All of his crew are first rate, and have an undying loyalty to him as well. Soderbergh will go to great lengths to make sure his crew is taken care of. From shooting reasonable workdays of sometimes 8 to 10 hours in my experience, to scheduling planned crew parties during production to keep up crew morale. Working on a Steven Soderbergh directed movie is a considered a very good gig in Hollywood.

Like I said, Greg Jacobs 1st AD and Fred Brost are great guys. They both have always treated me well, any time I’ve encountered them. They are also tops at their jobs. Messina’s production design is always solid, and his wife Kristen is the set decorator, they set the tone artistically as a backdrop to Soderbergh’s movies. Duane Manwiller camera operator, is one of the nicest and funniest guys I’ve ever been on location with, and a top notch operator. Al LaVerde is one of the best and most respected key grips, in the biz. Waldo Sanchez, a character of the game, has been George Clooney’s hairstylist and best friend for many years. He and George cause a lot of mischief together. Ken Levet, location manager, James Apted AC, John Carpenter transportation coordinator, Garet Reily Batchelor costume supervisor, Annie Wells script supervisor, Paul Ledford the sound mixer, ADs Basti Van Der Woude and Jodi Spilkoman, Robin LeChanu Production Supervisor, Rich King extras casting and Debbie Zane the casting director. All have been with Steven the longest. All great people to be around and an “A” list crew. I think Soderbergh’s got the right idea, keeping the core of his crew intact from film to film, it’s worked great for him.

Steven has told me that, The the Oceans movies may not be his favorite movies to make, he loves to do his indy, stylized films with a statement, like TRAFFIC and ERIN BROCKOVICH. He does have fun making Oceans movies however, and I think they are more challenging to him. Many of the crew have currently continued on with him, on his next film. Steven is set to direct, GUERRILLA, about Argentine revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara played by Benicio del Toro. This subject matter is more up Steven’s alley, he’s been wanting to make this movie for a long time.
Totally Hollywood… DEEP !

Technorati Tags: Hollywood Premieres, Hollywood, OCEANS 13, Oceans 13, Daily Variety, Variety, Las Vegas, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Steven Soderbergh, OUT OF SIGHT, ERIN BROCKOVICH, George Clooney, Greg Jacobs, Fred Brost, Phil Messina, Waldo Sanchez, Basti Van Der Woude, Jodi Spilkoman, Rich King extras casting, Debbie Zane, TRAFFIC, GUERRILLA, Argentine revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, Benicio del Toro