Knock fundraiser hits 23 percent in first week

The first week of our crowdfunding fundraising campaign for Knock is complete and we’re at 23 percent of our goal of $6,000.00!

This campaign is to help fund the production of Knock and coincides with the release of our last project, Murder Creek.

A short update on Knock’s progress: We’ve started the process of casting our female lead, Sophie. We put out a casting call for video submissions on Friday and have already received over a dozen actresses interested in auditioning!

We’ll be going through their video auditions starting this week, and hope to have an actress cast by early April. Once we have our Sophie, we will introduce her to everyone.

As previously announced, this actress will join Akron native, actor Kevin Gay to round out our cast. Knock is a much smaller cast than Murder Creek’s full cast of 14, but the script is a bit more complicated. Mainly because we’ve decided to attempt to do the majority of the film in one take. It’s a lofty goal but I’m excited about the prospect of it.

If you’re interested in helping fund Knock, we’d love to have your support. We have several perks to offer you in exchange for your contribution, including signed copies of the DVD of Murder Creek. There are also some add-on perks available too.

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed and everybody who will. A huge thanks to everyone who has been sharing our posts on social media too! Those shares are invaluable as they help spread the word for us.

Murder Creek released on DVD

Murder Creek is now available on DVD!

I made the decision to release the Murder Creek DVD at the same time that we launched our crowdfunding campaign for our next project, a short film called Knock.

A sleep-deprived woman battles a ruthless visitor while suffering through a night of crippling insomnia.

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Many of the same crew members are returning from Murder Creek to help produce Knock. Our lead actor Kevin Gay is also returning, so it felt right to have these two events coincide.

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Along with the DVD, we've got some other great Murder Creek merchandise like our poster, as well as some exciting Knock items. There are also a couple of chances to join us on set during the shooting of Knock, and one chance to snag an exclusive night out with the filmmakers!

Get your copy of Murder Creek, learn more about Knock, watch our crowdfunding video pitch, and check out the other perks we are offering by following this link to our Indiegogo page: https://igg.me/at/knock-film

As always, thank you so much for your encouragement and support. It’s so greatly appreciated!

Murder Creek opening for the premiere of John Krasinski's A Quiet Place II

UPDATE: Tickets have already SOLD OUT!

Follow The Akron Chamber of Commerce and Murder Creek - A Short Film on Facebook for updates.

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Those of you who follow me on social media might remember my quest to get John Krasinski’s attention last summer while he was in Akron filming scenes for the sequel to his mega hit, A Quiet Place.

He filmed scenes for A Quiet Place II in many of the same local spots we shot Murder Creek, so I thought, hoped, maybe he would think that was as cool as I did and want to get together for coffee or something.

He did not. Apparently.

While I was unsuccessful in my attempts to meet him, I was able to hand his assistant a copy of Murder Creek with the request that it be given to John, and I considered that a win.

Yes, I am that annoying creative type who carries around copies of everything she’s ever created on the off chance she stumbles into an opportunity to hand one of them off to someone influential who might A) not immediately blow her off and B) possibly enjoy it.

From there, obviously, this person would realize what a creative genius I am and demand to help make my dreams a reality. In pour the millions, with which I’ll snag a Florida condo for my mom, and a brilliant ski chalet for my dad in Colorado, primo healthcare for the entire fam, and then take on my student loans.

This is actually how my brain works - strictly in triumphant, Lifetime/Hallmark Movie of the Week terms.

In my defense, this way of thinking has allowed me to give a screenplay to Gabriel Byrne and hand a copy of my book Down Went Alice directly to Al Pacino on the streets of New York City.

In not-my-defense, I remain millions-less and mom and dad still have to rent their respective condos so I guess neither man realized the power of my genius but I won’t hold it against them.

I’d never hold anything against either of these men. Because I love them.

(…I’m really starting to think I have a “type”...)

Now comes the exciting news from the Akron Chamber of Commerce that Murder Creek will be opening for Krasinksi’s A Quiet Place II on opening night of the Hollywood film at the Dipson Flix Stadium 10 in Depew on March 20th!

Both films feature scenes shot in Akron so the night will be a celebration of Akron and of filmmaking.

Tickets available at the Newstead Public Library and the Market on Main, both located in Akron. There is a limited ticket supply so if you’re interested in attending the premiere, get your tickets asap.

Thanks so much to the Akron Chamber of Commerce for making this happen!

I hope to see you all on March 20th!

Murder Creek DVD release date: everything you need to know

What a journey!

After wrapping production in September of 2018 and then enjoying the many accolades bestowed upon our little film and its filmmakers throughout the festival season in 2019, Murder Creek will finally be released on DVD on March 4, 2020.

With pre-production of our next film also beginning in March, we’ve decided to cross-promote the two films during the month of March.

We’re doing this through the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the new film that we are also launching on March 4. That film is a short film called Knock.

Admittedly, it feels a bit sneaky to release the DVD this way but it’s being done in the interest of full disclosure. Frankly, we need help with financing for Knock.

I’m not overly comfortable asking for help from our friends and family again after doing it just two years ago with Murder Creek, but having the DVD of Murder Creek to offer as a perk for Knock’s crowdfunding campaign seems like a pretty great win for everyone.

We’ll also be including the official poster for Murder Creek and other Murder Creek and Knock merchandise.

So, you want a Murder Creek DVD. What do you do?

First off, thank you!

Second, please:

• Click here to visit the pre-launch site for Knock’s Indiegogo campaign

• Once you’re there, add your email address to sign up as a Knock VIP. By doing this, you will be the first to know when the campaign goes live and have first dibs at the Murder Creek DVD on March 4th.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world to me!

Knock: A short film

From the team that brought you Murder Creek…

I’m super excited about this next project, a short film called Knock.

I wrote Knock around the same time I wrote Murder Creek. It’s a much simpler script than Murder Creek — it’s currently only eight pages and features only two characters and one location — but it wouldn’t be a project of mine if I didn’t immediately decide to make it more complicated than necessary.

Inspired by a scene from episode six of the Netflix show, The Haunting of Hill House, I’ve decided to shoot the whole film as one long take.

This means no cutaways and no resetting in between scenes because there is only one scene. With an eight page script, the scene/film will be about eight minutes long. That means for eight minutes, everybody - cast and crew - must be perfectly in sync or we start over from the beginning.

This is a lofty goal that will take a great deal of planning and even more rehearsal time, but I’m super excited about the prospect of pulling it off. It will make for a unique film experience not only for our cast and crew but also our audience.

We’re scheduled to shoot Knock in April 2020.

Director: Kristen Skeet

Producers: Sherry McCutcheon, Anita Harmon, Kristen Skeet

Director of Photography: Ty Cheman.

Sound Production Design: Adam Bloch

Script Supervisor: Molly Farber

Lead Actor: Kevin Gay

More cast and crew announcements coming soon!

Mike Flanagan walks us through the making of the critically acclaimed "Haunting of Hill House" Episode Six, titled "Two Storms," and why he decided to do long, unedited shots and cinematography.

"Murder Creek" premieres at the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival!

I had no idea what to expect as the director of a film chosen to screen at a film festival. I really had no idea what to expect of anything as director of a film. Murder Creek is my first film so every step along the way on this journey has been a surprise.

In fact, calling Murder Creek “my” film seems horribly wrong every time I say or speak it. I wrote the thing, and I directed it, but so many beautiful people put their time and talent into the making of this film. Keep reading for more on them!

I was nervous all day as we waited for showtime to roll around on opening night. Throughout the day, Greg Lamberson, festival co-founder, was posting updates on the ticket situation for our local shorts block, and as we moved progressively closer to being sold out, my nerves started getting awfully rowdy.

By 6:00, sale of tickets for our block was stopped to ensure the theater wasn't oversold and it was called an effective sell out.

By 7:30, it was announced that, due to so much interest in the film, they would hold an encore showing of Murder Creek before the final feature of the festival.

By 8:30, every seat was sold and it was a genuine sell out.

By 9:00, people were being turned (regretfully) away at the door.

Oh boy.

This was it. It was real. We made a movie and people were actually coming to see it. They were spending their money to come see it. They were spending their money to come see it at 9:15PM on a school night!

Yep. Oh boy.

By showtime, my nerves had become full-blown anxiety and my armpits were starting to sweat. Yay, anxiety!

But then I received a much-welcomed and adorable distraction when two (very tall) young men approached me and excitedly asked for my autograph. 

They explained they were from Rochester but had run cross-country tournaments along Murder Creek when they were in school and had been following the progress of the film on Facebook from our start, and how they were so excited to see the film. And you could see the excitement in them. They were genuinely giddy. I could have cried. Having been on the other side of the fangirl thing for so many years, experiencing it from this perspective was really special. Thanks so much, you two!

Once I was inside the packed theater, I couldn't decide if I wanted to stand or sit as the first film started, so I sat AND stood over and over again and probably drove the people around me nuts.

We were the fourth in the lineup up of nine short films in the block. Nine of the best short films in Western New York. Nine of the BEST. US.

I have absolutely no perspective on the film after editing it for so many months. I suspected we had something special but I honestly couldn't tell anymore. Of course, the first three films were really good and I started to feel intimidated. My blood pressure dropped and I was seeing those damn twinkly stars in my eyes. Will she pass out or will she not? Stay tuned!

My legs went numb next which made standing an interesting thing to do but I kept doing it anyway. My fingertips were tingling. The sweat that had started in my armpits was now pretty much everywhere only it had turned cold suddenly and so I started shivering. What an absolute mess.

As the third film ended, my rubber legs got me to the back of the theater to stand with Ty. I stood between him and the back wall figuring that if I passed out one of them would catch me before I smacked the ground.

Then Murder Creek started, and something incredible happened. It dawned on me that this thing I'd spent so many months nurturing, over a year really, had found life outside my computer screen. Our film was up on the big screen. A genuine big screen in a real movie theater, and every seat in the house was taken. Holy shit! 

The 17 minutes that is Murder Creek passed quickly and, as the end credits started rolling on our film and I heard the applause and cheers, my anxiety vanished. The twinkly stars went away. The feeling returned to my legs and fingertips and I no longer felt like I needed Ty and/or the wall to stay upright.

It goes without saying but I'm saying it anyway, thank you so, so much to everybody who came out for the premiere and/or came to see the encore showing. Frankly put, you showing up for us was validation of our hard work and it means everything.

The films in our block were incredible. Kudos to the filmmakers behind 500+ Ride of Lifetime, Eyes Like Mine, I Saw Red, Mindflip, Last Trip, Re-Rehab, Cravings, and Malign. It was an honor to be among you.

One of the most special moments to come out of the night was when it was pointed out to me that I was the only female director in our block of short films, and how strong an impact that had on one of the young girls in our cast, and also my own nieces. How cool is that?

Okay, now, I realize this isn’t the Academy Awards, but bear with me as I run through some thank yous here…

Anita Harmon, you kept me sane each and every time the stress started getting to me. You even shifted my car into “park” for me once when the exhaustion and cold meds combined to make me a driving dummy and I tried to turn my car off while it was still in “drive”. I couldn’t have asked for a better AD and co-producer. I hope you'll come back for the next one!

Sherry McCutcheon, who knew ours would turn into such an incredible friendship. From accidentally stalking Alan Rickman on the streets of NYC to making a film together. Your crafty services are unparalleled. Here’s to many more projects together!

Ty Cheman, your cinematography is why Murder Creek looks so beautiful on screen. How you managed to translate my stick figure storyboard into exactly what my mind was seeing for every single scene, I’ll never know. You’ve got an incredible eye for shots and can’t wait to collaborate with you again. Thank you. 

Adam Bloch, thank you for your infinite patience with us, particularly on that first day when I didn’t even know what “room tone” meant when you asked if you could grab some. As it turns out, that's pretty important. Heh. Thank you so much.

Heather Adamczak, thank you for taking time out of your horrendously busy schedule (how do you do it??) to be at our beck and call throughout filming. Everyone’s hair and makeup looks incredible on screen. As anyone who has seen the state of my hair on any given day can attest, I should never, ever be in charge of anything hair-related, except for finding the right person to do it for us. You were that person. I'm so grateful to you!

Laura Taylor, the one thing I know less about than hair is fashion. You worked your ass off as our Costume Designer and handled my pain in the ass nitpicking beautifully. You ran around making last minute wardrobe changes and fittings and purchases throughout the entire four days of shooting, and your hard work shows on screen. The flashback scenes in particular are so beautiful. I'm so grateful!

Molly Farber! What can I say? No, really. What can I say? I had no idea what talent and humor we were getting when you agreed to be our script supervisor. It felt like I've known you my whole life after our very first meeting and that's something pretty special. Thank you for your notes and typing them up for me!

David Caya, thank you for manning b camera on day one. I wish you would have been able to finish the filming out, but I’m grateful for the hard work you put in for us!

Alexis Abramo, thank you for stepping up to run b camera when Dave had to leave us, and for running lights simultaneously. You really helped us out in a pinch and I'm grateful!

To our cast: Rachael Klein, Kevin Gay, Gary Sundown, DonnaMarie Vaughn, Josh Dolph, Ted Winkle, Dorothy Gerhart, Nancy Eckerson, Mira Steuer, Ava Zellner, River Rowsell, Tedee Jonathan, Davida Tolbert, Maya Griffin. Thank you for showing up and lending your talents to this film. I couldn't have asked for a better, more talented cast for my first film. You brought this story from my brain to life so beautifully, and I'm so glad it found life on the big screen. Special thanks to Kristine Zellner and Ryan Rowsell, Ava’s and Ryan’s moms, who drove their daughters around from Akron to Orchard Park and back, and waited with them throughout shooting.

To our production assistants: Simon Sage, Sebastian Kumro, Blake Kumro, Peyton Palizay, and Katy Geiger. Your roles were more important than you might realize and your efforts did not go unnoticed. You all have wonderful futures ahead of you as filmmakers. I look forward to seeing what you guys do next!

To our extras: Molly Ohar, Brooke Ohar, Katie Mitten, Alexis Mitten, Paige Weisenheimer, Frank Pieber, Denise Reeb, Karlie Reeb, Taylor Salisbury, James Dolph, Mary Scarpello, Ashley Szczerbacki (who has since appeared in an HBO show with Sarah Jessica Parker!), Debra Hilton, Christopher Fortin,  Laura Taylor, Christopher Taylor, The Kumro Family (Darren, Fallon, Blake, Teagan, Willow, and Zane), Jill Mack, Tiffany Greiner, Abby Masternak, Myra Hegmann, Richard Hegmann, Theresa Asmus Roth, Maddison Kelly, Robin Toepher, Bill Smith. The park scenes, Candy Apple scene, and book signing scene would have been incredibly boring and senseless if you guys hadn't shown up for us. Not only did you show up, but you did an incredible job. I've received many compliments on how great the background looks in these scenes and that's all you guys. Thank you!

To our security team: Roger Skeet, Doug Skeet, Jim Cius, Tim Walker. You guys have protected me my whole life so it was no surprise you agreed to step up and protect us all and our trail during shooting. Thank you so much!

Mark Buell at Nickel City Arts, thank you for allowing us to shoot at your venue. It was absolutely perfect for what we needed. You’ve been so supportive from the first day we announced production. I’m thankful to have you as a friend.

Cheryl Johannes at Candy Apple Cafe, a movie set in Akron wouldn’t be complete without a scene in our very own Candy Apple Cafe. Your staff was so sweet and accommodating to us and provided us with everything we needed. Thank you so much!

To our fundraising contributors, without your generous support this film would not have happened. Thank you sincerely to: Debbie Skeet, Roger Skeet, Barron & Associates, P.C., Richard Hegmann, Akron Chamber of Commerce, Tracy Lendyok, Nancy O’Hara, James Pixley, Stephanie Masternak, Tom Vohwinkle, Mandy Denaux, Joshua Kohl Hegmann, Connie Hill, Sandra McHale, Cathy Colicchia, Anne Genovese, Lisa Hite, Fiona Hutchings, Ryan Rowsell, Sarah Klehn Harvey, Lorrie Lucht,  Betty Earhardt, Todd Miller, Katie Zaharkin, James Klein, Greg Bell, Raymond Harvey, Corine Hull, Katrina Bernard, Joe Bernard, Joe Bernard, Darlene Russell, Doug Skeet, Mary Jo Skeet, Donnette Cius, Jim Cius, Sheila Paolini, Hilary Elizabeth Black, Theresa Asmus Roth, Joni Caplan, Mara Edwards, Debra Schafer, Cindy Martinez, Brandon Davis, Lisa Davis.

To everybody who liked, commented on, and/or shared our social media posts. I tried to get to and comment on each one but I’m sure there were many that I missed. None of them went unnoticed and I thank you so much for your support.

Stephen Nichols, that Tucker McCall’s voice is one of our newscaster voiceovers in Murder Creek is something incredibly special and surreal to me. I wouldn’t know Sherry or Anita if it weren’t for you and so none of this would be happening. Thank you for lending us your voice and support without hesitation.

Tony Read, you created and offered me this incredible film score without me even asking for it, before I ever knew you were a musician, and you nailed it. The music sets the perfect mood for the film. How we met is a story in and of itself and just further solidifies for me that everything happens for a reason. Thank you so much for your friendship and music.

Neil Finn and Liam Finn, thank you for allowing us to use your beautiful song “Ghosts” in our film. It had to be this song. I had a very specific vibe in my mind for our last scene, and I had searched for months for the right song to help accomplish that. I was coming up empty time and again and becoming increasingly discouraged that my mental vibe would never make it to the screen. Then I heard “Ghosts” for the first time last summer. I knew straight away this was the song to close Murder Creek, and I’m so grateful to you both for letting me do that. Thank you. 

To my family: They made sure their smiling mugs were the first ones I saw leaving the theatre and walking into the lobby after our block finished up. They were there, right where they always are, supporting me no matter what the thing is I’ve decided to do this time. Abby Masternak, Niece: Thank you for being the corpse hand on our poster (heh), and for coming out to the park with me whenever I needed help during pre-production. You helped me out SO much and I'll always be grateful! Emma Masternak, Niece also: Thank you for agreeing to be our poor, perished Sara on poster and smartphone in the film. It worked out perfectly and of course you’re beautiful so bonus points for us! Budd, thanks for accompanying Emma! I know you were exhausted and I really appreciate you being there. Steph, I hope you’ll someday forgive me for killing off both your children for the sake of art. Thank you for always being there for me. Mom and dad, you guys allowed my imagination to flourish from the moment I was old enough to crawl out of their arms and out into the world to explore. Because of that, because of you, I am able to create. I'm so grateful you are my parents.

And finally, Greg Lamberson, you made my first film festival experience as a filmmaker something truly special. I will never forget it. Not only did you and Chris put together an incredible line-up of films for all of us to enjoy, but your acknowledgement and support of Murder Creek meant the world to us. Being given the Filmmaker to Watch Award was incredibly awesome. Also, your questions and comments to the filmmakers during the Q&A sessions were so thoughtful. We’re never really sure when we start creating something if anybody will ever care or even know about it, so to be given the chance to stand up and talk about our work a little bit was really appreciated. Even if it does give some of us the anxiety sweats.

"The Godfather" screening at Tribeca Film Festival

April 29, 2017

(You can read about Al Pacino walking into my life two hours before this event here.)

There’s something special about watching a movie you adore with six thousand other avid fans. My favorite mode of watching a flick is alone and pantsless on my couch with my cat and a snack of some sort, but inside Radio City Music Hall (pants on) with thousands of other people who are as passionate about the film as me is pretty great too. When it’s two of the greatest films ever made, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and the director and cast—who have all long since become legends of their craft, each of us in the crowd with our own favorites and reasons for being there—are also in the house, the excitement is profound. It was as if the excitement became its own entity, and when the lights went down, it was released, floating around the room and leaving us awash with exhilaration in its wake.

First came Paramount’s logo, and then cheers from the crowd when Francis Ford Coppola’s name appeared on screen. More cheers for Mario Puzo and his novel (on which The Godfather is based) when his named appeared, and then–and then–the haunting, single horn of The Godfather theme. When, from within the black, Bonasera tells Vito, “I believe in America,” I got choked up. That line struck me, reaching out to us from four and a half decades ago at this time in this country, or maybe it was just the excitement of the day catching up to me. Four seconds into the film, and I was already having irrational emotional reactions, and that is why I prefer to watch movies at home by myself.

Each character (and the actor portraying him or her) received a round of applause from the crowd as he or she appeared on screen for the first time, starting with Brando on through Sterling Hayden and Al Letteiri, who played McCluskey and Sollozzo, respectively, RIP. In a normal movie theatre setting, the clapping would have irked me. The actors aren’t here, guys, calm down. But this was obviously something special. Many of the actors were there, and this was The Godfather. Clap away, and I’ll join you. We clapped, we laughed at what might seem like inappropriate times, almost giddily. But this movie is so great, and it was such a unique setting, that it was impossible not to react to the iconic scenes that contributed to its greatness. And just about every scene in The Godfather is iconic.

I could go on and on and on about just about every moment in both films (“You broke my heart, Fredo. You broke my heart.” G’ah!), but I’ll spare you. As great as the films are, the behind the scenes stories from the director and cast are even better, so I’ll get right (ish) to that.

The Godfather is two hours and forty-five minutes long, and Part II is three hours and twenty minutes long, so with the first film starting around 1:30PM and including a generous intermission between it and Part II, it was well after 8:00PM by the time the panel discussion commenced. That’s a long time for six thousand strangers to be crammed in a room together, but there were no complaints, except maybe from my numb ass.

After the second film, a mock set popped up from beneath the stage, complete with a mantel, bookshelves, eight leather chairs, and a framed photo of Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone. Tribeca co-founder, Jane Rosenthal, came out to announce the cast and Coppola, and panel moderator, director, Taylor Hackford. Hackford, De Niro, Shire, DuVall, Coppola, Pacino, Keaton, and Caan made their way out as their names were called and everyone greeted each other with a hug. I got the feeling that they had been busy catching up with each other backstage, because it took them a few seconds to make it out after their names were called, and they seemed a little discombobulated. Like, oh, shit, that’s right, we’re here to do this thing, aren’t we? I had visions of them telling stories and jokes and teasing each other around a giant vat of spaghetti and basket of garlic bread, like the good Italian family they are, if only for the silver screen.

I paid special attention to Mr. Pacino’s introduction, because he’s the main reason I came to the reunion. He shuffled/bounded out on stage with a big smile on his face, waving to the crowd, half Michael Corleone, half mischievous child. It’s well known by now that Paramount hadn’t wanted Al Pacino to play the part of Michael Corleone. Taylor Hackford said that the head of Paramount at the time, Bob Evans, felt Al was “quote, too short” to play the part, and Al interjected, sitting in his chair like a little kid, fiddling with his microphone, “That’s sorta true…” and then shrugged, throwing a smile to those in the front rows. I love that self-depreciating style, particularly regarding his height, because it seems he really couldn’t care less about it. He’s so powerful an actor that it doesn’t matter that he’s short. He’s also fairly shy and slightly awkward, which I thought was adorable. It makes me wonder, had I had managed to speak more than two syllables to him out on the street, if I would have been the less awkward one for once in my life. He mentioned how it’s often hard for him to speak, especially in situations like that, and he told us, “you’ll get used to it.” He can say and do anything on camera with power and precision, when he’s playing a part, but when he’s just being Al Pacino he’s a bit awkward and has trouble putting things into words. I like that. I think he’s also got allergies, because he kept rubbing his eyes and blinking, and I recognize that on a cosmic level (or maybe he doesn’t have allergies and I’m just desperate to relate to Al Pacino on a human level).

Good god. I should have just called this, “Hey Guys, I Love Al Pacino!”

But seriously. He’s great.

In very Tom Hagen fashion, Mr. DuVall didn’t have much to say unless asked directly. He shared a story about the constant moonings that took place between him, James Caan and Marlon Brandon on set. “An extra said (about his ass), ‘Mr. Duvall, you are fine,” and then she turned to her friend and said, ‘but did you catch the balls on that Brando?’” James Caan has no use for a microphone, and seemed to forget at times that he was on stage in front of thousands of people. Not in an old man kind of way, but in a, I’m-just-here-with-my-friends-having-a-chat-so-screw-your-microphone kind of way. “I don’t do this,” he said at one point after forgetting about his mic again—his wise-guy accent as strong as it was when he played Sonny. And his voice is so deep and scratchy, he makes Pacino’s rough voice sound velvety. And an interesting (if you’re me) side note: of the entire cast, Mr. Caan is the only one who isn’t an Italian. But Coppola said he has long been an honorary one.

(I have a confession: The first James Caan film I saw was Elf. I know. I know! But it’s true. When I watched The Godfather for the first time back in February, and Sonny first appeared on screen, I squinted at my television and said to myself, “Is that Buddy’s dad?” Oh, god. I’m so sorry, Mr. Caan. It’s like when a someone, probably a millennial, speaks the blasphemous words, “I love that song “Landslide” by The Dixie Chicks.” Now, of course, I understand that one should never refer to James Caan as Buddy’s dad. James Caan is Sonny Corleone. Bada bing!)

Coppola said that Paramount wanted someone who looked like Robert Redford or Ryan O’Neal to play Michael, but he, Coppola, wanted someone who looked more like him, and that got a big laugh. Al nodded and said something like, well, yeah, we could be twins. Coppola clarified, saying he meant he had wanted someone who looked authentically Sicilian. And although there are blond and red-headed Sicilians, his vision of Michael was of a handsome young man with black hair (cheers from the crowd), and as he read the novel, particularly the part where Michael walks through Corleone with the shepherds, he saw only Al Pacino’s face. (Fun fact: Pacino’s grandparents emigrated to the United States from Corleone, Sicily.)

When Al told us that “me and Diane got loaded” after filming the wedding scene in Part I, because there were so many problems on set, and this was early on, when Paramount still wasn’t on board with Al playing Michael, and weren’t shy about telling everyone that, Diane shook her head and mouthed the word “no” to the crowd, but in a cheeky kind of way, kind of like, I did no such thing, but yeah, we totally did. Ms. Keaton looked phenomenal, by the way.

When he found out one week during filming that he was going to be fired as director on that Friday, Coppola said he fired basically everyone around him except his actors, figuring with everyone but him gone, there was no way Paramount could then fire him, and it worked. Coppola is a testament to what a great director can accomplish if he or she is willing to fight for his vision, and boy, did Coppola fight. Paramount fought him every, single step of the way while shooting and editing The Godfather. They didn’t want Brando or Pacino, but Coppola fought hard for them both and got them, and look what happened. Magic.

There was more. Much more. But I'm beat, and I'm annoying myself at this point. If you’ve read this far, I sincerely thank you, because I know I can be quite insufferable when I get going about these things. So, thanks.