For our March cover and, indeed, our March issue, we thought it important to exhibit in every way that we are an important production Mecca. So we pulled together photos of productions in our region to do so and collected stories that also reflects a dynamic and robust industry.
You may recognize some of the movies on the cover. I want to thank everyone who helped us with this cover project. Photos were contributed by SAG-AFTRA actor and Founder of NE Talent & Crew Chuck Slavin, Executive Producer/Director David Giancola of Edgewood Studios (scenes from his film AXCELLERATOR), Tim Grafft, Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Film Office (State House scene from THE FORGER), and Lew Place of the Rhode Island Film Office.
Our cover design is by IMAGINE Design Editor Monique Walton.
On Sunday, March 3 at 2pm, Imagine Magazine will present a Live Reading performance of the upcoming Fort Point Media/H9 Films thriller Franconia Notch before a live audience at the 5-star Mandarin Oriental, Boston (Ballroom).
The script written by Casey Sherman (THE FINEST HOURS, PATRIOTS DAY) and John Stimpson (GHOST LIGHT, THE LEGEND OF LUCY KEYES) was inspired by Sherman’s 2009 #1 true crime best-seller Bad Blood: Freedom and Death in the White Mountains. Sherman, Stimpson and Dave Wedge will co-produce the film with production expected to begin in Massachusetts in late 2019 under their Fort Point Media & H9 Film banners. Many of New England’s most versatile actors have been selected by Slate Casting to read the primary roles in what is being described as a immersive experience for the audience.
About Bad Blood: Freedom & Death in the White Mountains:
In
the shadow of the fallen Old Man of the Mountain, on a lonely stretch
of mountain road, two men lay dead. A spasm of violence that took only a
few minutes to play out leaves a community divided and searching for
answers.
From
the author of newly released Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over
Tragedy, about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Bad Blood is the
riveting account of the long-standing feud between Franconia, New
Hampshire, police officer Bruce McKay, 48, and Liko Kenney, 24. In May
2007, Kenney shot and killed Officer McKay, following a dramatic chase
that began with a routine traffic stop. Kenney, cousin of ski legend
Bode Miller, was then shot and killed by a shadowy passerby.
Almost
immediately, the tragic incident revealed deep tensions within this
otherwise quiet community in the White Mountains with charges that
Kenney was a hell-raiser and mentally unstable and counter-charges that
Officer McKay was a rogue cop who dispensed justice as a way to settle
personal scores. Striving to get at the truth of the story, the author
uncovers a complicated mix of personalities and motivations. Local and
statewide interests clash while regional and national media― and even
YouTube viewers― supply ready stereotypes to fit their agendas. Amid
larger questions of the meaning of individual freedom we are,
ultimately, helpless witnesses to an inevitable clash of characters.
About Fort Point Media
Fort Point Media is owned by New York Times Bestselling Authors Casey Sherman & Dave Wedge. Casey Sherman is the author of ten books including two New York Times Bestsellers The Finest Hours & 12: The InsideStory of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption (co-authored by Dave Wedge). The Finest Hours
was adapted into a major motion picture for and distributed by Walt
Disney Studios Motion Pictures starring Chris Pine, Oscar winner Casey
Affleck and Ben Foster in 2016. Sherman and Wedge also wrote the 2015
acclaimed true crime novel Boston Strong, which inspired the 2016 CBS Films feature Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon and John Goodman.
PATRIOTS DAY
About H9 Films
H9 Films founder John Stimpson is one of the most prolific filmmakers working in the Boston area today. Stimpson’s interest in film and television began at Harvard where he was President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. He spent five years as a professional actor in Los Angeles before returning to the East Coast and refocusing his talent on the other side of the lens.
As a result, Stimpson approaches directing from an actor’s perspective, truly believing that motion pictures are the ultimate collaborative creative medium. His 15 years of experience as an editor inform, color, and streamline his shot choices and storytelling making his set as innovative and efficient as possible. For Stimpson the filmmaking process is about capturing the magic – on the page, within the performance and ultimately on the screen – that moves an audience. There is nothing more powerful than human emotion.
John is a member of the Mass Production Coalition and on the board of FILMA (Film it Locally in MA), actively promoting and lobbying for the Film and Television Industry in Massachusetts and Commonwealth’s Film Tax Incentive which has been vital to the recent surge of production activity.
The much-anticipated theatrical release for THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT is happening on February 8th. and at the same time, the film is being released to VOD services. Shot in western Massachusetts in and around Turner Falls, the home of director Robert Krzykowski, the film is a character study with some pulp genre elements in the vein of a Hal Ashby or Robert Altman. It also features incredible talent in all aspects of the production, including Executive Producer Douglas Trumbull, Music Composer Joe Kraemer and special effects guru Richard Yuricich.
Below are some photos from IMAGINE’s exclusive New England premiere screening which was held on November 15th, 2018 and featured appearances by director, Robert D. Krzykowski, Douglas Trumbull (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, BLADERUNNER), Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Yuricich (STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, BLADE RUNNER) and Composer Joe Kraemer (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION) as well as Silas Archer Gustav who plays the young Calvin Barr’s dog in the film.
Event Photographer Carolyn RossExecutive Producer, Academy Award winner and Imaginnaire Douglas Trumbull , Director Robert D. Kryzkowski, Composer Joe Kraemer and Carol Patton. Photo by Carolyn Ross — at Somerville Theatre.Jan Waldman, Carol Patton and Silas Archer Gustav, who appears in the film. Photo by Carolyn Ross — at Somerville Theatre.
tagExciting Night at the Saloon for IMAGINE Magazine and Critter Casting’s VIP Party before the screening of THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT held at the Somerville Theatre. An IMAGINE Photo.
Genre: Coming of Age Drama dealing with the loss of innocence
Jordan Tofalo as Tabitha Playing Pool Photo by Kevin Friel. This is the story of two brothers. Tragedy drove them apart. Now the Brennan brothers must patch things up and prove there is nothing more important than family. Can they overcome the past?
Can they learn to be brothers again?
It’s the summer of 1994. O.J. Simpson is chased in his white Bronco, the Beastie Boys have just released Ill Communication, and the Major League Baseball strike is looming.
For nineteen year-old Colin Brennan living in Silver Shores Cape Cod, summertime should be one of the best times of his young life. But the beautiful scenery is instead a constant reminder of what happened the previous year.
Colin is haunted by the memory of a tragic accident that took the lives of his two best friends.
Life is spiraling out of control for Colin, a former lifeguard once headed to college on a swimming scholarship, but now works as a shoe salesman. He started drinking so he could remember his friends – now he drinks to forget them.
Colin’s 23-year-old brother Dermot wants to help his little brother, but he can’t even help himself. He’s dealing with his own loss – a breakup with the girl he thought was “the one.”
After spending the winter in Ireland writing for a newspaper and trying to forget Francesca, Dermot returns to “The Shores” to work at the Island Ferry parking lot. He talks a lot about becoming a writer, but will he ever write?
The Brennan brothers were raised by loving parents who stressed the motto “Love one another and stick together”. But they are quickly drifting apart.
Nicole Michelle.
Where are these brothers going?
With mixed tapes representing the soundtrack of the Brennan brothers’ lives, and humor used to mask their problems, THE RUNNING WAVES is a story about unresolved grief, substance abuse, break-ups, young love, baseball, movies, brotherly relationships, and the thorny road to redemption.
Ted (T.M.) Murphy told Imagine Magazine, “In 2008, My brother Seton approached me after not having a drink for four years and said, ‘I want to write a book that will help people especially men. I don’t want it to be preachy or toned down. It has to be authentic in how men can be. How we mask what is really going on with humor and booze. I want it to be a story that doesn’t focus on a tragedy but what happens after a tragedy to the people left behind’.”
”Well, I could relate to all of that considering I had lost one of my friends in a car accident and did all of those things Seton had just described…. I suggested adding another kind of loss into the mix, the loss of a relationship. Breaking up with that first love can also be difficult and as young men we are told to just move on. I wanted to explore that as well. Of course, that could be because I grew up on John Hughes movies.
“Anyway, we wrote the book and it was released in 2010. It really spoke to people and we were constantly told that we should make it into a movie. We thought that was funny because we first began writing it as a screenplay before going the book route. Now here we are, in association with Good Natural Dog Productions, planning to film in our hometown of Falmouth, Cape Cod in the spring of 2019.
Casey Sherman, bestselling author of “The Finest Hours” and “Boston Strong,” both made into major motion pictures, had this to say about the book:
“Finally – a novel that captures the tone and tenor of the place where I grew up. The Running Waves shows us what lies beneath the beautiful imagery of Cape Cod where villagers are often torn between their own aspirations and a stubborn loyalty to the place they call home. The Murphy Brothers have found a big fan in me.” (Read about Casey’s new project with John Stimpson in this issue on page 10).
THE RUNNING WAVE Co-writer T.M. Murphy and Boston Comedian Lenny Clarke who will play Molloy. Lenny said, “Man, this really is great!’ It was funny. It was sad. It was real.” Boston comedian, Lenny Clarke, has signed to play the part of Molloy, the parking lot attendant at the Island Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. “Man, this really is great! It was funny. It was sad. It was real. I called Teddy up and after we talked about the Patriots win that happened the night before I said, ‘I’m in!’“
“Lenny is New England and for us to get him on board is honestly a dream come true.” Seton Murphy said.
“He’s not just a legendary comedian. He’s an unbelievable actor and we’ve been fans of his since his days on Rescue Me and he’s going to be in our movie. Wow!” Ted Murphy added.
Jordan Tofalo came in to read for a part and when she was done Seton turned to me and said, ‘she’d be perfect for the part of Tabitha (a girl with a promising future but gets in with the wrong crowd) in THE RUNNING WAVES….”
Lenny Clarke Caricature.“I am so thrilled to be a part of THE RUNNING WAVES! It’s beautifully written by the Murphy Brothers, takes place in the 90’s, and touches upon extremely relevant topics in our current society…” said Jordan said after doing a photo shoot for her character Tabitha.
“Things definitely happen for a reason,” Ted Murphy continued, “Jordan had just worked with Dennis Serpone on SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY and suggested we talk to him about coming on board as an Executive Producer. We hit it off with Dennis immediately, and not only did he join the team but he suggested talking with his nephew Brian Serpone who with Billy Dufresne manages Nicole Michelle whose career is taking off as a singer. Two of her songs will be on the BERNIE THE DOLPHIN soundtrack.
“1994 was all about mixed tapes that captured the moment you were feeling so we plan to have a diverse soundtrack with established as well as up-and-coming acts. Nicole is currently blowing up on the scene. She’s dropping an album soon with Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees producing it so it was natural to ask her to contribute to our soundtrack. We set up a meeting and we all hit it off. But something else happened she reminded Seton and me so much of Natalie, the young love interest in our movie, that we asked Nicole to read for it.”
“I’m honored to be part of telling such a touching story like THE RUNNING WAVES,” Nicole said backstage during a rehearsal for an upcoming tour.
Other actors attached are Patty O’Neil (STONGER) as Mrs. Sweeney. “I loved the role of Mrs. Sweeney the moment I read it…. Plus, supporting a wonderful local story and the talents of the writers is a dominant drive for any actor.”
Alexa Serowik has been cast as Francesca, the girl who broke Dermot’s heart; she says “I am excited to be cast as Francesca because there is a lot more to her than may appear at face value. Francesca is a bit of a bad girl but with a soul and seems to me wise beyond her years.
Nate Richman (STRONGER) will play the Tommy Keating Role. When he met writer T.M. Murphy they found out that they had more in common than they thought.
“I am thrilled to be part of The Running Waves production,” Nate Richman said, “I grew up reading T.M. Murphy’s kids’ books the Belltown Mystery Series, so I have been a fan of his for a long time. Ted and Seton do an excellent job telling an incredible story. The Running Waves is the type of book that you’ll be crying on page 100 and cracking up by page 102….”
THE RUNNING WAVES is seeking additional funding, some key casting, executive producers, collaborating production companies and distribution. This passionate group is shooting in Massachusetts, entitles the production to a 25% transferable tax credit.
For more information please visit RunningWavesMovie.com or contact T.M. Murphy at tmmurphywriter@gmail.com.
John Stimpson and his H9 Films has joined forces with Casey Sherman and his Fort Point Media, a film and television production company he founded with partner Dave Wedge. Their script Franconia Notch is loosely based on Sherman’s book Bad Blood that chronicles the real-life murders of Liko Kenney and Bruce McKay in Franconia, New Hampshire in 2007.
Set in the shadow of the fallen Old Man of the Mountain, two men lay dead on a lonely stretch of mountain road, while a third man remains standing with a smoking pistol. It was a spasm of violence that took only a few minutes to play out but left a community divided and searching for answers.
Franconia Notch is the riveting account of Cassidy Barnes, a reporter who must risk her life and face the demons of her past to expose the startling truth of the longstanding feud between Lt. Bruce Caughlin and a rebellious teen, Arlo Manning.
As officers rush to the scene, one of their own is mortally wounded, shot seven times and gruesomely lodged under the front wheels of a car. The driver of the car is dead with two gunshot wounds to the head and neck. And a third man, a shirtless ex-Marine, holds the passenger of the car at gunpoint.
When the press originally reported it, Arlo Manning was portrayed as a wild kid who shot Lt. Bruce Caughlin in cold blood during a routine traffic stop in Franconia and then tried to run him over. Lloyd Thurman, who witnessed Caughlin’s murder and subsequently shot and killed Arlo, was a hailed a hero. And Caughlin was a loving father and a model law enforcement officer who was tragically killed in the line of duty. But that was far from the truth….
Returning to her hometown and her childhood demons to unravel the case is Boston based investigative reporter Cassidy Barnes who exposes the underbelly of the real Franconia, where right is wrong, good is evil, and the truth is hardly black and white. With the help of Everett Brown, a first responder the night of the shootings, and Arlo Manning’s former girlfriend Jennifer Ward, Cassidy digs into the pasts of the three principals in this explosion of violence and uncovers a long running feud between Arlo – a troubled teen with a famous cousin, Olympic ski racer Keifer Gale – and an overzealous police officer, Bruce Caughlin, who ran rough-shod over the young people of Franconia. She also discovers a violent, drug induced and delusional “good Samaritan” in Lloyd Thurman, with a dubious military record.
Meanwhile, Cassidy comes face to face with the horrors of her own childhood that are inexorably tied to this place – Franconia Notch. Cassidy turns the story that was originally presented to the public on its head and exposes the real corruption and deception that was manufactured for political gain. In doing so, she allows the process of healing to truly begin for the people of Franconia.
Casey Shermon
Casey Sherman is an award winning journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author of ten books including “The Finest Hours” (now a major motion picture for Walt Disney Studios starring Chris Pine and Oscar winner Casey Affleck), “Boston Strong” (adapted into CBS Films’ acclaimed movie PATRIOTS DAY starring Mark Wahlberg), “Animal” (soon to be a major motion picture for 20th Century FOX) “The Ice Bucket Challenge” (soon to be a major motion picture for Netflix), “Bad Blood,” “Search for the Strangler,” “Black Irish,” “Black Dragon” and his blockbuster 2018 novels “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption” and “Above & Beyond: JFK and the Cold War’s Most Dangerous Spy Mission.”
John Stimpson
John Stimpson is a Massachusetts-based writer/director who is responsible for over a dozen feature films that have been sold and seen all over the world. Best known for THE LEGEND OF LUCY KEYES, A CHRISTMAS KISS, THE WRONG CAR and his latest comedy, GHOST LIGHT, which recently was recently awarded Best Narrative Feature at the prestigious Austin Film Festival, Casey and John are excited about their
collaboration look forward to bringing Franconia Notch to the big screen. “In a time when brutal policing tactics by rogue cops have led to tragedies across America, it’s a story that needs to be told,” said Sherman. “The place, The North country of New Hampshire, is really a character in this story… as rugged and colorful as the people who call it home,” says Stimpson.
The team is currently seeking funding and/or production partners.
Stimpson can be reached at: john@h9films.com and Sherman is at pcaseysherman@gmail.com.
Frequent IMAGINE contributor Hartley Pleshaw recently interviewed THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT’s director Robert D. Krzykowski and the film’s composer Joe Kraemer about their ties to the New England area and how their film came to be.
Over the nearly hour-long conversation originally broadcast on WCAP Radio 980, they discuss the mood of the film which director Krzykowski says is more Robert Altman than Troma Entertainment (though not without some pulp elements). The title drove the concept of the film towards its eventual plot and the story of that journey is fascinating to hear.
There’s a special guest call-in from our publisher, Carol Patton who gives an impromptu promo for the screening and VIP pre-screening party. There’s also a concise history of the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit!
Kraemer and Krzykowski bonded over their shared love of orchestral soundtracks from the 80s and 70s and Joe provides some great insight into the film composer’s creative process. Joe discusses how the soundtrack for THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT came into being through many artistic paths.
Robert Krzykowski then goes on to tell the story of how the film’s epic production team (John Sayles, Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich to name a few) coalesced around their love of Robert’s cult comic strip Elsie Hooper. It’s a fascinating story in and of itself how some of the best independent filmmakers of today brought their talents together to create a story of true American grit with pulp fiction elements.
Definitely a fun and fascinating listen! And don’t forget to get your tickets for the screening happening on November 15th!
We have an extraordinary cover for this issue. You will also see that it relates to our back page and our cover story. Hartley Pleshaw interviewed both the star and director of THE MAN WHO SHOT HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT.
We’re excited about this film because IMAGINE will present a special East Coast Premiere at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square on November 15th and much of the crew will be special guests.
The screening will be at 8 pm. Those tickets are $15 each and will include a lively Q& A afterwards with the Director Robert D. Kryzkowski, Academy Award winning “Imaginnaire” Executive Producer Douglas Trumbull (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, BLADE RUNNER, A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF A THIRD KIND), Composer Joe Kraemer (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION) and special effects guru Richard Yuricich.
There will be a preliminary VIP Reception at 6:30 with the cast and crew members that are available for the evening. We will be taking photographs and our co-hosts Jan and Mikhaila Waldman will be with us along with their canine actor Silas Archer Gustav for photo taking and such. Silas plays the role of the young (played by Aidan Turner) Calvin Barr’s dog. The cost is $75 for the reception and the opportunity to meet the aforementioned stellar filmmakers.
THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT has sold out at every venue it’s been screened including Montreal, London, Strasbourg, and Barcelona. And we hope to fill the Somerville Theatre to the brim.
Buy your tickets now on our info page because this will sell out here.
John Stimpson and his H9 Films has joined forces with Casey Sherman and his Fort Point Media, a film and television production company he founded with partner Dave Wedge. Their script Franconia Notch is loosely based on Sherman’s book 
