Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Present
Milestone Film
PO Box 128 Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Email: milefilms@aol.com Website: www.milestonefilms.com
Songs
Why Not Me
Lyrics by JERRY PATCH
Music by DENNIS McCARTHY
Vocals by RUTH WILLIAMSON (Opening Credits)
Vocals by TODD MURRAY (Closing Credits)
Spinning Wheel
Written by DAVID CLAYTON THOMAS
Used by Permission of EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC, INC.
Synopsis
A fallen pop diva battles her vicious husband, vengeful children and a hornet s
nest of secrets in the hilarious comic melodrama Die Mommie Die!, directed by Mark
Rucker, and written by and starring the Tony nominated theater veteran Charles Busch.
Die Mommie Die! wittily evokes classic Hollywood genres, notably the women s
pictures of the 1940-60s and the glossy suspense melodramas of the 1960s. In a
performance that won him the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 2003 Sundance Film
Festival, Charles Busch creates a heroine in the grand tradition of Hollywood s
formidable females: a woman who is tough yet tender, ruthless yet seductive, extremely
warped yet oddly sympathetic.
Songstress Angela Arden (Charles Busch), beloved by millions as America s
Nightingale, appears to have it all. Although her music is no longer the fashion in
1967, the glamorous redhead still stirs excitement among those old enough to
remember. Now semi-retired, Angela and her husband, veteran producer Sol P.
Sussman (Philip Baker Hall) reside in an elegant Los Angeles mansion, where they
have raised two lovely children, Edith (Natasha Lyonne) and Lance (Stark Sands).
Angela maintains friendships with Tinseltown royalty while tending to her rose garden
and the blossoms that bear her name.
But appearances can be deceiving, and all is not well in the house of Sussman.
Edith Sussman, spoiled and petulant, only has eyes for her father and makes no secret
of her contempt for Angela. Lance, beautiful but somewhat dim, shows more promise
as a sexual plaything than as a college student. The family s maid, Bootsie Carp
(Frances Conroy) is a devoted servant, but a wretched cook. And Angela herself is
deep into an affair with Tony Parker (Jason Priestley), a handsome former television
star now eking out a living as a tennis pro and, if the rumors are true, a gigolo. When
Sol discovers his wife s infidelity, he is determined to not only punish Angela for the
affair but to hold her prisoner in their loveless marriage. But Angela Arden is not a
woman to be held prisoner, even if it means murder
Sundance Film Series presents Die Mommie Die! directed by Mark Rucker,
written by Charles Busch, based on his stage play. Produced by Dante Di Loreto,
Anthony Edwards and Bill Kenwright. The co-producer is Frank Pavich and the
executive producer is Lonny Dubrofsky. The director of photography is Kelly Evans, the
production designer is Joseph B. Tintfass, and the editor is Philip Harrison. The
costumes were designed by Thomas G. Marquez, and Charles Busch s costumes were
designed by Michael Bottari & Ronald Case. The composer is Dennis McCarthy. The
casting is by Jeff Greenberg, C.S.A. and Collin Daniel. Die Mommie Die! Stars Charles
Busch, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Priestley, Frances Conroy, Philip Baker Hall, Stark
Sands, Victor Raider-Wexler, and Nora Dunn.
Die Mommie Die! brings together two award-winning theater talents director
Mark Rucker and writer/actor Charles Busch for a film that is steeped in a love of
movies and lavish old-Hollywood style. Die Mommie Die! borrows from a range of
movies, from the Bette Davis classic Now Voyager through Joan Crawford s final
vehicle, Trog - with stops along the way at Imitation of Life, Sunset Boulevard, Hush
Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Trip, and many more. But the filmmakers love of a good
tale is equal to their love of Hollywood, and Die Mommie Die! is built on a solid
foundation of ingenious storytelling, clever dialogue, and vivid characters. Celebrating
Hollywood star vehicles at their most silken, Die Mommie Die! goes beyond simple
pastiche to stand on its own as marvelously crafted entertainment.
Throughout his theatrical career, writer and performer Charles Busch has
created a host of memorable female characters inspired by the actresses of
Hollywood s golden age. His plays, including the long-running Off-Broadway hit
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, The Lady in Question, Psycho Beach Party and Red
Scare on Sunset, draw from numerous movie genres, from silent melodramas and
patriotic World War II thrillers to horror movies and Cold War expos s.
Busch s cinematic education began in childhood, with the old movies that ran on
afternoon, late night and weekend television. People ask me, Do you do research?
I ve been doing that research since I was seven! Busch laughs. I ve sort of made a
lifelong study of Hollywood films and star acting. By the time I was 12, I had basically
absorbed the entire filmography of Ida Lupino.
Director Mark Rucker first encountered Charles Busch s plays in the late 80s and
early 90s, while he was a graduate student at the Yale School of Drama. I became an
instant fan. I ve always been a big film buff and Charles plays are very influenced by
Hollywood films, he notes. Back in California in 1992, Rucker attended a screening of
Now Voyager. I thought, I d love to make movie like this with Charles Busch.
Seven years later, Rucker got his chance when a new Charles Busch play, Die!
Mommy! Die! opened in July 1999 for a limited engagement at the Coast Playhouse in
Los Angeles. By this time, Rucker was an Associate Artist at South Coast Repertory
Theater and had won the 1998 Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for his production of
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Shakespeare s Taming of the Shrew. He had begun to think about making his first film
and went to see Die! Mommy! Die! with producer Dante Di Loreto of Aviator Films. As
it happened, Di Loreto and his producing partner, Anthony Edwards, had been
discussing other potential projects with Busch. Rucker remembers, At the end of the
play, Dante asked, What about this? And I said, Yeah!
Busch had written Die! Mommy! Die! while he was in L.A. filming the adaptation
of his comedy Psycho Beach Party. Says Busch, While we were doing the play, it
occurred to me that it could be made into an independent film fairly easily, because it
was a domestic thriller that all took place in one house. So I quickly wrote a
screenplay. He mentioned the screenplay when he met with Di Loreto and Edwards,
who, of course, were not only interested but already had a director in mind. As Busch
sums it up, Two forces coming together it was serendipitous.
The story is loosely based on the Greek tragedy The Oresteia, specifically the
murder of Agamemnon by his adulterous wife Clytemnestra. Explains Busch,
Sometimes it helps me come up with a plotline if I think of a classical piece. I thought
about Clytemnestra and somehow the story -- a woman kills her husband and has a
young lover and her children hate her made me think of a 60s melodrama. There
were these romantic suspense movies that Ross Hunter produced in the early and mid60s. Midnight Lace, with Doris Day; there was a movie called Where Love Has Gone
with Susan Hayward; Portrait in Black with Lana Turner. These aren t the greatest
movies ever made, but they re certainly entertaining.
What makes Busch s work unique, in Rucker s opinion, is the affection underlying
the comic evocations of Hollywood genres. Charles is so clever at recreating all the
wonderful gestures that make up Hollywood acting, and making them his own, the
director remarks. But he doesn t do it just to send it up. He comes definitely from a
place of love, and that fact shows in the work.
Die Mommie Die! echoes the Hunter template in combining melodrama and
mystery, packing plenty of genuine narrative surprises along with comedy.
Producer
Anthony Edwards notes that he was impressed not only by the script s humor, but its
accessibility. One of my favorite qualities of the script is the fact that it works for people
who don t know about Charles Busch, don t know about the different movie genres. It
just works as a thriller.
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That was the intent, affirms Rucker. While the film is undeniably a comedy, we
also wanted the viewer to engage with the suspense/mystery aspects and ultimately
become involved with the story and characters on a few levels.
The central character, of course, is the fallen diva, Angela Arden, portrayed by
Busch. Angela s career began in vaudeville, where she soared in a sister act with her
twin Barbara. But the twins were mismatched when it came to talent. The act broke up,
with Angela conquering the Hit Parade, television and films while Barbara descended
into petty theft, prison and a premature death.
Busch approached his role seriously, realizing that the requirements for screen
acting were different from the stage. This is the first time I ve ever actually starred in a
movie, and I wanted to give a real performance, he emphasizes. Since I m on camera
99% of the movie, a broad, campy performance could quickly wear out its welcome. At
the same time, I m in drag and I m doing a rather stylized piece. It was a real challenge
to walk this tightrope and act in the style of an old movie actress, yet really act for the
cinema. Because it s necessary that the audience identifies with my character, and
understands Angela s rather complex psychology.
Angela recalls the indomitable heroines played by, and personified by, stars such
as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, and Susan Hayward. Like her cinematic
forebears, Angela does things that break the rules of polite society, to put it mildly. It s
very interesting, because when you think about it, you re not supposed to like a woman
like Angela, Rucker reflects. But you find them compelling no matter what they re
doing. I think ultimately you do feel for Angela. Once you understand the whole story.
Portraying Angela s adversaries and allies is a first-rate ensemble that includes
Natasha Lyonne as determined daddy s girl Edith Sussman; Jason Priestley as her
young lover, the failed actor Tony Parker; Philip Baker Hall as Angela s dyspeptic
husband, Sol Sussman; Frances Conroy as the pious family maid, Bootsie Carp; and
Stark Sands as perennially confused Lance Sussman. Notes producer Dante Di Loreto,
People responded to the script as soon as they read it. We were very lucky that both
Jason and Natasha became attached to the project very early on and showed great
enthusiasm for the project.
Adds Rucker, What s fascinating about Natasha and Stark is that they don t
necessarily know the movie references at all, but they still responded to the genre.
They appreciated that style, and the uniqueness and cleverness of the dialogue.
Edwards praises the ensemble for giving performances that are faithful to the
mannerisms of the era without straying into self-consciousness or parody. For
example, Natasha Lyonne s commitment to the period was huge. I was so impressed
with the way she captured, in her energy and tone, that 60s actress.
As Tony Parker, Jason Priestley tweaks his past on the television hit Beverly
Hills 90210. Rucker had admired Priestley s performance as a sweet, none-too-bright
TV heartthrob in the independent film Love and Death on Long Island. I loved the way
that Jason was willing in that movie, and in our movie too, to play on his history as a TV
star, says the director. Jason captured this wonderful, slightly wooden quality of this
actor/FBI agent. He was so game to do anything.
Like Rucker and Busch, actors Philip Baker Hall and Frances Conroy are
distinguished theater veterans. Busch was inspired by how fully they inhabited their
characters. Frances Conroy and Philip Baker Hall have such emotional weight to
them, and they brought such complexity to their roles. As an actor, it really helped me to
work with them, he remarks.
In calibrating the tone of the film, Rucker sought to maintain a fine balance,
allowing the comedy to animate the narrative without overwhelming it. The challenge
was to understand where the humor lived, but not to push it, he says. I like to think
that a lot of the movie doesn t require the laughter to keep you involved in it. But it s
nice when it s there!
Di Loreto notes that Rucker s stage experience lent itself to the smart humor and
cheeky innuendo of Die Mommie Die!
which was critical. Mark, Kelly and Philip developed a strong vocabulary about the
different types of film styles.
Rucker and his collaborators screened many films from the late 50s through the
1960s, the heyday of Hunter, Douglas Sirk, and the Technicolor melodramas. We
watched those older Hollywood styles bleed into the mid and late-60s, when they re a
little bit too old-fashioned, comments Rucker. This movie is set in 1967, and it was
made with a sense of an earlier Hollywood that s almost on its last legs. Other films
and genres came into play as well, including Italian horror movies and, The Graduate
and the LSD chestnut The Trip. Suspense sequences evoke the shadows-and-light
aesthetic of film noir and black-and-white movies like Mildred Pierce.
Die Mommie Die! shot in 18 days in June 2002. Standing in for the Sussman
mansion was a home in L.A. s stately Hancock Park neighborhood, which came
complete with gleaming staircase, swimming pool, terrace, and rose garden.
The diligence that went into preparing the film paid off in details both small and
large. Rear-screen projections are absurdly obvious and are the genuine 1960s
article from the Warner Bros. vaults. As Angela Arden, Busch is seen in the kind of
pillow-y soft focus that was de rigueur for aging actresses determined to hold onto their
glamour. Says Rucker, We filmed Charles with a lot of filter, like the great movie stars
would have had. At one point, I said, Kelly, do too much. Let s see what it looks like
with way too much filter on. And to be honest, we never found that too much. It was
okay if the camera was on Philip Baker Hall and you saw his wrinkles, and then you cut
to Charles and it was a little bit fuzzy. That s part of the fun.
Also intrinsic to the fun are Joseph Tintfass sets, which are the essence of 60s
Hollywood class. To help assemble the 40-plus outfits required for Busch s character,
the filmmakers turned to the veteran stage costumers Michael Bottari and Ronald Case,
who have worked with Busch for many years. Says Busch, They re two very talented
designers. Their costumes really help me create the character. This was their first
movie, and so rather than just send the costumes, they decided they would just drive all
the clothes to L.A. from New York in their car.
Bottari & Case designed new costumes for Busch and also were able to re-use
outfits they d create for Busch s stage productions. But they also had to get creative,
and their varied theatrical experience turned out to be invaluable as they culled from
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their large collection of costumes. At one point I m wearing Donna McKechnie s dress
from State Fair, Busch laughs. When Angela fantasizes that she s Clytemnestra, the
dress was from Camelot and the necklace was from Joseph and the Technicolor
Dreamcoat.
Designer Thomas Marquez created new designs and scoured vintage sources in
outfitting the film s other characters. Lyonne is very much the 60s sexbomb-in-training
with her minidresses and flower-power earrings. Says Rucker, Tommy and his team
did an amazing job; there s an incredible array of outfits.
Original music for the film was written by veteran composer Dennis McCarthy,
who collaborated with lyricist Jerry Patch on Angela s jaunty, extremely apt, theme
song, Why Not Me? Rucker had worked with McCarthy, and was thrilled that
McCarthy not only caught the Hit Parade jauntiness of the era, but also managed to
create a big orchestra sound with very limited resources. Recalls Rucker, We knew
that we needed something that sounded like a big Hollywood score. Dennis read the
script and said, I m just going to call in every favor I ve ever needed, and we ll do it.
We ll just do it. I don t know anybody else that would have been able to do what he did
for us.
Looking back on the production, Busch is still somewhat in awe. There were a
couple of moments where I couldn t believe that this was happening to me. Particularly
when we were shooting the very end of the movie and I was standing behind the double
doors waiting to come out. Here I was, in this incredible costume, and all these extras
out there, the police cars and the boom and the crane. I thought, I can t believe that
because I had some crazy notion in my head, that it s all come to this!
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which debuted at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. He was also seen in the VH1
original movie Warning: Parental Advisory.
A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Priestley has appeared in numerous Canadian
productions, including The Fourth Angel, with Jeremy Irons and Forest Whitaker; Cover
Story; Darkness Falling; Fancy Dancing; and the television special The True Meaning
of Christmas Specials, written and directed by Dave Foley. Priestley s other film credits
include the thriller Eye of the Beholder; Richard Kwietniowski s critically acclaimed
comedy Love and Death on Long Island, opposite John Hurt; the dark comedy
Coldblooded; the Western Tombstone; and Calendar Girl.
In 2001, Priestley joined ABC Sports Indy Racing League broadcast team. He made
his debut on March 18, covering the late-afternoon Penzoil Copper World Indy 200 live
from Phoenix International Raceway, and went on to deliver commentary on the
Indianapolis 500 Race on May 27, 2001.
Priestley made an indelible mark with his portrayal of Brandon Walsh on Fox
Television s hit series Beverly Hills 90210. He earned two Golden Globe nominations
during the eight seasons he starred on the program. He made his directorial debut on
the show in 1993 and produced and directed numerous episodes. His theater credits
include the London production of Warren Leight s Tony Award-winning play Side Man,
directed by Michael Mayer.
Priestley made his feature directorial debut in 1999 with the critically acclaimed
documentary Barenaked in America about the Canadian rock band The Barenaked
Ladies. The film, which Priestley produced, premiered at the 1999 Toronto Film
Festival, screened at the Slamdance Film Festival and had a successful U.S. theatrical
run in fall 2000. For television, Priestley directed an episode of the critically acclaimed
comedy Grosse Point (in which he also appeared), as well as the Fox Television
telefilm Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, in which he also played a supporting role.
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Hall is also known to television audiences for recurring roles on David E. Kelley s The
Practice and Chris Carter s Millennium. He has guest starred on such series as
Seinfield, 3 rd Rock from the Sun, and Chicago Hope. He was also seen in the NBC
miniseries Witness to the Mob, produced by Robert De Niro.
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directed this family film, which won numerous accolades, including three Emmy Awards,
the WGA Award, the Humanitas Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal. Additional
nominations included the DGA Award for director Arkin and an ACE award for editor
Paul Dixon.
In addition to their projects for NBC and Showtime, Di Loreto and partner Anthony
Edwards are producing films for HBO, F/X, TNT and CBS. Upcoming feature projects
including Aftermath, directed by James Le Gros from an original screenplay by Tom
Rayfiel; My Dead Boyfriend from Billy Morrisette, directed by Edwards; and True Til
Death, from director Frank Pavich.
Di Loreto was a Master s Fellow at The American Film Institute and a graduate of the
University of California at Santa Barbara.
Anthony Edwards (Producer)
Anthony Edwards is probably best known as Dr. Mark Greene on the hit series ER, a
role that has earned him four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
Series. Edwards has won six Screen Actor s Guild Awards for Outstanding
Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Best Ensemble Cast and a Golden
Globe Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Edwards has starred in more than twenty features, including Top Gun, Jackpot, Playing
by Heart, The Client, The Sure Thing, Gotcha!, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and
Revenge of the Nerds. He was most recently seen in the Polish brothers Northfork.
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Edwards is the youngest of five children.
He developed his love of acting via exposure to live theater and by the age of 16 had
appeared in dozens of musicals and plays.
Edwards is active in several philanthropic organizations, including Project Angel Food
and the Los Angeles Youth Network, a shelter for homeless youth in Hollywood. He is
also a board member of Cure Autism Now (CAN).
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Bottari & Case have designed clothes for numerous actors, among them Carol
Lawrence, Lucie Arnaz, Lorna Luft, Deborah Gibson, Andrea McArdle, Donna
McKechnie, Betty Buckley, Susan Egan, Janis Paige, Margaret Whiting, Nanette
Fabray, Shani Wallis, Van Johnson, John Raitt, and Laurence Luckinbill. They created
the puppets for Disney s workshop of Carnival! and designed the last three national
tours of Fiddler on the Roof with Theodore Bikel. They are currently teaching set and
costume design for American Ballet Theatre s educational program.
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York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle,
and Washington DC.
With more than 14 years experience in art-house film distribution, Milestone has earned an
unparalleled reputation for releasing classic cinema masterpieces, new foreign films,
groundbreaking documentaries and American independent features. Thanks to the company s
rediscovery, restoration and release of such important films as Mikhail Kalatozov s awardwinning I am Cuba, Pier Paolo Pasolini s Mamma Roma, and Alfred Hitchcock s Bon Voyage
and Aventure Malgache, the company now occupies an honored position as one of the most
influential independent distributors in the industry. In 1999, the L.A. Weekly chose Milestone as
Indie Distributor of the Year.
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Amy Heller and Dennis Doros started Milestone in 1990 to bring out the best films of yesterday
and today. The company has released such remarkable new films as Manoel de Oliveira s I m
Going Home, Bae Yong-kyun s Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?, Hirokazu Koreeda s Maborosi, and Takeshi Kitano s Fireworks (Hana-Bi).
Milestone s re-releases have included restored versions of Luchino Visconti s Rocco and His
Brothers, F.W. Murnau s Tabu, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack s Grass and
Chang, Henri-Georges Clouzot s The Mystery of Picasso, and Marcel Ophuls s The Sorrow
and the Pity. Milestone is also working with the Mary Pickford Foundation on a long-term
project to preserve, re-score and release the best films of the legendary silent screen star. In
recent years, Milestone has re-released beautifully restored versions of Frank Hurley s South:
Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition, Kevin Brownlow s It Happened Here and
Winstanley, Lotte Reiniger s animation masterpiece, The Adventures of Prince Achmed,
Michael Powell s The Edge of the World (a Martin Scorsese presentation), Jane Campion s
Two Friends, Gillo Pontecorvo s The Wide Blue Road (a Jonathan Demme and Dustin
Hoffman presentation), Conrad Rooks Siddhartha and Rolando Klein s Chac. Milestone s
newest classic film, E.A. Dupont s Piccadilly starring the bewitching Anna May Wong in one
of her finest roles played at the 2003 New York Film Festival and is opening theatrically
nationwide in 2004.
For 2004, Milestone will also be releasing The Big Animal, Jerzy Stuhr s wonderful film parable
(based on a story by Krzysztof Kieslowski) Tareque and Catherine Masud s The Clay Bird.
Milestone has fruitful collaborations with some of the world s major archives, including the
British Film Institute, UCLA Film & Television Archive, George Eastman House, Museum of
Modern Art, Library of Congress, Nederlands Filmmuseum and the Norsk Filminstitut. In 2000
Milestone s 10th Anniversary Retrospective was shown in venues nationwide and Milestone
donated revenues from these screenings to four major archives in the United States and
England to help restore films that might otherwise be lost.
In 2003, Milestone released an important series of great silent restorations including the horror
classic The Phantom of the Opera; an early neorealist adaptation of Emile Zola s La Terre; and
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an historical epic of Polish independence, The Chess Player. Other video highlights for the
year included Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton s The Cook & Other Treasures, and
three incredible animation releases: Cut-Up: The Films of Grant Munro; Norman McLaren: The
Collector s Edition; and Winsor McCay: The Master Edition.
In 1995 Milestone received a Special Archival Award from the National Society of Film Critics
for its restoration and release of I am Cuba. Eight of the company s films Charles Burnett s
Killer of Sheep (to be released in 2004), F.W. Murnau s Tabu, Edward S. Curtis s In the Land
of the War Canoes, Mary Pickford s Poor Little Rich Girl, Lon Chaney s The Phantom of the
Opera, Clara Bow s It, Winsor McCay s Gertie the Dinosaur, and Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B.
Schoedsack and Marguerite Harrison s Grass are listed on the Library of Congress s
National Film Registry. On January 2, 2004, the National Society of Film Critics awarded
Milestone Film & Video their prestigious Film Heritage award for its theatrical and DVD
presentations of Michael Powells The Edge of the World, E.A. Duponts Piccadilly, Andr
Antoines La Terre, Rupert Julian s Phantom of the Opera, and Mad Love: The Films of Evgeni
Bauer.
Cindi Rowell, director of acquisitions, has been with Milestone since 1999. In 2003 Nadja
Tennstedt joined the company as director of international sales.
Since its birth the Milestone Film & Video Co. has steadily become the industry s foremost
boutique distributor of classic and art films and probably the only distributor in America
whose name is actually a guarantee of some quality.
William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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