I never met Michael Jackson, but it seems like I was always just a few degrees away from him. In 2001, I ran a foundation for Quincy Jones, the producer of Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Quincy shared endless stories about Michael and his genius. His affection for him was palpable. Anthony Marinelli, the producer of my 2005 album, "Thank You, Shirle-e May," programmed the synthesizers on "Thriller." We used the same Moog that he used on "Billie Jean." When I was growing up in L.A. in the late '70s and early '80s, Michael Jackson's was the first face on TV that looked like mine. At Flippers Roller Rink, I rose my fist in solidarity when "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was blasted on the P.A. system. It was 1979, and I was at my sixth grade...
- 6/26/2009
- by Shawn Amos
- Huffington Post
Self-Medicated
LAS VEGAS -- Newcomer Monty Lapica makes an assured debut on both sides of the camera in "Self-Medicated", a lightly fictionalized account of his drug-abusing high school years and attempted rehabilitation at a controversial treatment center.
There's a palpable element of honesty in Lapica's writing and lead performance that gives this indie production, which received its world premiere at the recent CineVegas Film Festival, the edge over other troubled teen dramas.
A natural for festivals, the picture establishes Lapica as one to watch -- either as a filmmaker or, for that matter, an actor.
Having never come to terms with the death of his father, Lapica's alter ego Drew Eriksen lapses from honor roll student to party animal on the fast-track to self-destruction.
No longer able to handle the Las Vegas teenager's violent outbursts and increasingly unpredictable behavior, Drew's mother (effectively played by Diane Venora), herself in denial about her addiction to prescription drugs, takes drastic measures and has him snatched right out of his bed in the middle of the night by attendants from a lock-down treatment facility.
But the questionable, if not downright abusive, reform tactics fail to have the desired effect on Drew, who stages a bold escape from the de facto prison and, after a few false starts, finds his way on his own path to rehab.
Although the good-looking Lapica is right on the edge of being able to pass himself off as a teenager, there's a real sense of authority and a raw, unmannered intensity in his performance that sets the requisite tone for the entire production.
While one is curious to see if the feature novice will be able to demonstrate that same level of assurance with a project that isn't autobiographical, "Self-Medicated" is just what the doctor ordered in terms of an impressive calling card, with Lapica receiving sturdy technical back-up from cinematographer Denis Maloney and a reflective piano-driven score by Anthony Marinelli.
There's a palpable element of honesty in Lapica's writing and lead performance that gives this indie production, which received its world premiere at the recent CineVegas Film Festival, the edge over other troubled teen dramas.
A natural for festivals, the picture establishes Lapica as one to watch -- either as a filmmaker or, for that matter, an actor.
Having never come to terms with the death of his father, Lapica's alter ego Drew Eriksen lapses from honor roll student to party animal on the fast-track to self-destruction.
No longer able to handle the Las Vegas teenager's violent outbursts and increasingly unpredictable behavior, Drew's mother (effectively played by Diane Venora), herself in denial about her addiction to prescription drugs, takes drastic measures and has him snatched right out of his bed in the middle of the night by attendants from a lock-down treatment facility.
But the questionable, if not downright abusive, reform tactics fail to have the desired effect on Drew, who stages a bold escape from the de facto prison and, after a few false starts, finds his way on his own path to rehab.
Although the good-looking Lapica is right on the edge of being able to pass himself off as a teenager, there's a real sense of authority and a raw, unmannered intensity in his performance that sets the requisite tone for the entire production.
While one is curious to see if the feature novice will be able to demonstrate that same level of assurance with a project that isn't autobiographical, "Self-Medicated" is just what the doctor ordered in terms of an impressive calling card, with Lapica receiving sturdy technical back-up from cinematographer Denis Maloney and a reflective piano-driven score by Anthony Marinelli.
- 7/14/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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