Something got a hold of me and I decided to convert some of the old films I acted in back in my NYC days into DVDs. I made these in the late 80s and they look a bit dusty. They were mostly shot on 16 m and shown at student film festivals. They were the final projects by top film students at NYC, Columbia and SVA. Some of the writing and film technique is better than others but they all have one thing in common: I am a lot younger than I am now. It is fun to see how the world views of the youth from my generation compare with those of today.

Certainly, one of my favorites, Captain Arrow’s Revenge is a sardonic look at society’s obsession with stuff and how we identify with it. Unfortunately, this absurd world view is even more in play than in 1989. The director (Joe Kuhr) and I kicked around for years after the making of this film. He went on to become a writer for Disney. Captain Arrow’s Revenge was featured on “Short Stories,” an A&E series in the 1990s.

Gotta Sing is a play on the Godfather/gangster genre films, so prevalent in the decade before. The hitman turned opera singer scenario is a very sweet idea and I think this film gets good marks for presenting this moral conflict. I guess my character was loosely based on the Pacino/Michael Corleone character from The Godfather, but I took a lighter turn, because that’s what the given circumstances of the universe of this screenplay called for.

The Roomate is a dark, almost noir, little gem. The director/writer had some romantic ideas about what it is to be true to one’s self.  But it was a fun vehicle for me to explore my cooler, loner self.  You’ll be happy to note, this was the only time in my life a smoked and only did so because of my dedication to the craft of acting. I based the character on several people in my life. One of whom was my step-brother Dave Insley, who somehow turned smoking into a wonderful dance. Enjoy

I don’t have as large a role in The Travel Agent but I did enjoy playing a big, sloppy, obnoxious character. The story and the acting by the two leads, are very touching. Enjoy.