News

Vin Diesel and his One Race Films production company is going to develop a new TV show called Raising Blind which was just acquired by FX. The new potential series is "set in the world of underground gambling."

The pilot for the series will be written by Ben Younger and Jay Longino, which is based on a story by Josh Marchette, Longino and Younger. One of the best parts about this project is that they got Rounders director John Dahl set up to direct the pilot.

There's a lot of potential here for a great series.  Underground gambling has always fascinated me, and I can see how the concept of it could be pretty awesome. 

This is will be the first small-screen producing credit for Diesel, who is also producing Fast Five, and the next Fast and Furious film, as well as the next installment of the Pitch Black series.

Exclusive: FX has acquired Raising Blind, and the network will develop a potential series set in the world of underground gambling. The pilot will be written by Ben Younger and Jay Longino, based on a story by Josh Marchette, Longino and Younger. John Dahl, who tackled illicit gambling in Rounders, will direct the pilot. Vin Diesel and his One Race Films is the production company behind this and exec David Ortiz put the pieces together. Diesel and Younger first teamed on the feature Boiler Room. Younger, Dahl, Longino and Marchette will be the executive producers. Diesel and Younger are repped by CAA and Brillstein, Dahl by UTA and Longino by Roar and Wme. This is the first small-screen producing credit for Diesel, a producer on Fast Five and the next installment of The Fast And The Furious films and the next installment of the Pitch Black series.

Exclusive: FX has acquired Raising Blind, and the network will develop a potential series set in the world of underground gambling. The pilot will be written by Ben Younger and Jay Longino, based on a story by Josh Marchette, Longino and Younger. John Dahl, who tackled illicit gambling in Rounders, will direct the pilot. Vin Diesel and his One Race Films is the production company behind this and exec David Ortiz put the pieces together. Diesel and Younger first teamed on the feature Boiler Room. Younger, Dahl, Longino and Marchette will be the executive producers. Diesel and Younger are repped by CAA and Brillstein, Dahl by UTA and Longino by Roar and Wme. This is the first small-screen producing credit for Diesel, a producer on Fast Five and the next installment of The Fast And The Furious films and the next installment of the Pitch Black series.

Crass, cheap and commercially blotto, "Tequila Body Shots" is notable for resurrecting and trying to exploit almost every unflattering cliche of Mexico -- from gastronomical eruptions to corrupt police -- while its lily-white protagonists encounter magical healers, seductive wenches and vengeful, macho ghosts.

The feature debut of commercial director Tony Shyu -- who also wrote the screenplay -- "Tequila" has a timely aspect in that one of the leads is an insufferably geeky "Star Wars" fan who at one point says to his object of desire, "You have so much more Force". Nonetheless, only a trickle of ticket-buyers will imbibe this watered-down margarita of a comedy.

Three brainless caballeros, Johnny (Joey Lawrence), Paul (Nathan Anderson) and Al (Josh Marchette) are booze- and babe-hungry dudes with little experience in women or strong drink. Hanging out at a bar, they try to dodge bespectacled Ted Robert Patrick Benedict), one of those forever optimistic losers who makes the cooler character nervous because he boldly if unsuccessfully pursues the ladies.

They meet Tamlyn (Dru Mouser), Angela (Jennifer Lyons) and Linda (Senta Moses), who are planning to attend the same Halloween party in Mexico our heroes are headed for. In the film's weak horror-movie subplot, Tamlyn has weird visions and an old boyfriend with a short temper, both of which figure later in the story.

Out for a stroll in Mexico, two of the three guys are suffering from eating fish tacos when they meet Doc (Henry Darrow), who prescribes specially concocted tequila drinks. Unafflicted Johnny is given another kind of brew that will help him in his love life. As a result he can hear the thoughts of people around him, and becomes aware that something evil is after Tamlyn.

Stephanie Arellano lends a little, much-needed sexiness as a friendly waitress who turns out to be involved somehow with the "return of Hector," a legendary hothead (Rene L. Moreno) who killed his wife and rises from the grave every Day of the Dead to repeat his crime of passion.

Among the principals, Mouser makes the strongest impression -- but that's not saying much for a film that haphazardly builds to its dubious payoff, a tequila-dribbling-from-their-lips kiss between her character and Lawrence's.

TEQUILA BODY SHOTS

Heartland Releasing

Himalaya Entertainment

Writer-director: Tony Shyu

Producers: Tony Shyu, Jong Shyu

Director of photography: Lawrence Schweich

Production designer: Peter Kanter

Editor: Pam Raymer

Costume designer: Elaine Montalvo

Music: Shayne Fair, Larry Herbstritt

Color/stereo

Cast:

Johnny: Joey Lawrence

Tamlyn: Dru Mouser

Paul: Nathan Anderson

Ted: Robert Patrick Benedict

Al: Josh Marchette

Angela: Jennifer Lyons

Linda: Senta Moses

Running time -- 97 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

Like "Monument Ave.", also presented at the Montreal World Film Festival, John Shea's "Southie" is a drama set in the insular world of the Irish Boston underground. It explores familiar terrain in an effective if underwhelming manner and serves as a showcase for Donnie Wahlberg's budding thespian skills and Shea's well-textured direction.

Wahlberg plays Danny Quinn, who has returned to his Irish Catholic neighborhood of South Boston after a three-year absence. Now reformed and determined to avoid returning to a cycle of alcohol and crime, Danny soon finds that every time he tries to get out, they keep pulling him back in.

His family is a mess: His widowed mother (Anne Meara) is ill with a heart condition and increasingly distraught about her children; sister Kathy (Rose McGowan) is a self-destructive alcoholic; and brothers Davey (Robert Wahlberg) and Jimmy (Steve Koslowski) are in debt to the mob. His ex-girlfriend, Marianne (Amanda Peet), is bitter about his desertion and doesn't want anything to do with him, and his old nemesis, Joey Ward (James Cummings, who also co-scripted), is gunning for revenge.

Danny's old friends Whitey (Will Arnett) and Will (Josh Marchette) enlist him to help bankroll an after-hours gambling club, which he reluctantly agrees to after his opportunity for a legit construction job is scuttled by a brawl that breaks out between his brother and the son of the local union boss at a wedding reception. Unfortunately, Joey is another silent partner, and hell eventually breaks loose in a series of violent and tragic confrontations.

The film suffers from an overwrought narrative, with one melodramatic event after another. Not helping matters is Shea's tendency to indulge his actors, allowing them scenery-chewing histrionics that only accentuates the material's excesses.

Still, there's much raw talent on display, with Donnie Wahlberg matching brother Mark in terms of macho appeal and unforced naturalism and promising talents McGowan and Cummings providing equally vivid performances. Shea has a small role as Danny's cop cousin and underplays nicely. Lawrence Tierney, playing the local mob boss (who else?), provides his usual potent, noirish presence.

The film is most effective in its depiction of the insular world that the characters inhabit, with generous dashes of local color evocatively captured by Allen Baker's cinematography. The well-chosen soundtrack, featuring world and Celtic music as well as rap, adds greatly to the overall ambience.

SOUTHIE

Prophecy Pictures

Director: John Shea

Screenplay: John Shea, James Cummings, David McLaughlin

Producers: Hugh Wilson, Bill McCutchen, James Cummings, Michael Butler

Executive producers: Donnie Wahlberg, Carder Stout, Ron Habakus

Director of photography: Allen Baker

Editor: Tracy Granger

Music: Wayne Sharpe

Color/stereo

Cast:

Danny: Donnie Wahlberg

Kathy: Rose McGowan

Joey: James Cummings

Mrs. Quinn: Anne Meara

Colie: Lawrence Tierney

Davey: Robert Wahlberg

Jimmy: Steve Koslowski

Marianne: Amanda Peet

Whitey: Will Arnett

Will: Josh Marchette

Peter: John Shea

Running time -- 92 minutes

No MPAA rating...