Film Feature

Abel Ferrara by John Vincent Vargas Nothing is ever certain when it comes to raising money for an independent film. As long as one is on top of ones game it does not matter what drama (no pun intended) comes ones way, because one will walk away smiling and leaving the haters hating one even more. These are not the exact same words I once heard Abel Ferrara say, but they are the words that best describe him, and should motivate us all.

FMFB: When was this movie released?
(note: This film had a one week run at the Village Cinema in NYC 2003)

Abel: We showed it at the Cannes Film Festival.

FMFB: Who was the distributor?

Abel: Canal Plus, the French company

FMFB: What was the budget on said production?

Abel: Enough (laughing).

FMFB: How did you come up with this story?

Abel: I was looking for something that was like kind of a balance to King Of
New York.

FMFB: Cool. That's one of my favorites!
Although, I have to ask, in the movie The Funeral,
what was up with that scene in the bordello, where the character played by
Vincent Gallo is making out with this old lady on his lap?

Abel: (With a deep laugh) I guess she was one of the babes in the movie.
Ha-ha!

FMFB: I get it, your being a wise-ass referring to the title of our webzine,
okay, fair enough. That scene had me laughing hysterically, though! I was
like, “Yo, this mofo is sick!” Meaning you, of course, since you directed it.

Abel: That was not my idea, that was Vincent Gallo.
He's a fucking psycho. I would never do a scene like that!

FMFB: Of all your films, which one can do you call
your favorite?

Abel: My favorite is whatever I'm going to do next.
I mean whatever... you know what I mean. What do you think about Drea
DeMateo?

FMFB: Oh man... Drea is the ultimate hottie.
Wow, just the thought of her makes my knees weak.
(We both laugh)

Abel: Yeah, she's a real good actress.
You should put her in your webmag. What is it called again?
FilmMusicFashion&Babes or is it Booty? (He laughs)
I like that.

FMFB: (I laugh) No Abel, it's called FMFB which stands for
FilmMusicFashion&Babes or Beauty, whatever... you know what I mean? (We both laugh)

Some club girl I remember from the Limelight days comes in with beers. We
open the beers. They both disappear to the other room for a
few minutes and return.

Abel: We are going over to the Chelsea Hotel.

FMFB: Cool I’ll give you a ride.

FMFB: I remember you once saying something about one always having to be on
top of one's game.

Abel: Well, the bottom line is you gotta make the film. You could get all
hung up on selling the film, raising the money for the film, hyping the film.
Some of these people forget that in the end, I mean, what are you making?
If you don't have the passion for the piece, I mean, why even bother? It
[filmmaking] is an art form. Unfortunately, a lot of cats, in a lot of cases can't
get money to make the films they wanna make, and some people get money and
they don't have a film to make. No matter what, you always have to be on top of
your game.

FMFB: What are your most recent projects?

Abel: We did Mary Magdalene, a film called GoGo Tales, we are doing a prequel
to King Of New York, some other stuff.

Cut to:

Interior: The car on way to Chelsea Hotel.

Abel: So you are the founder of this FMFB thing right? I mean, not to be
prying into your private life, but after you asking me all these fucking
questions... you know? How do you do it? Is it the same as raising money for a film and
finding investors and all?

FMFB:Yeah, I would say it is very similar. I guess it's all about being on
top one's game.

Cut to:

Interior: Abel's new digs.

My photographer, an assistant and I arrive at Abel's new “pad” and the
doorman is not being cooperative. He is saying that no one is in the room number I
gave to ring up. He has tried three times and there is no answer. I decide to
call Abel and leave a message. A few minutes later Abel calls back and
apologizes. Homeboy was still sleeping. He was under the impression that we were
going to get there at 1:00 PM, not 12 PM. I make my way over to the elevator where
I encounter a spooky and freaky looking woman straight out of a David Lynch
movie. Some things never change when it comes to Abel’s surroundings. I also
realized that the doorman, a Spanish speaking man gave me the wrong apartment number.

It just so happens that the letter ‘I’ phonetically sounds like ‘E’ in Spanish, and he was
talking in Spanglish so things got mixed up. Good thing I remembered the correct
apartment number when Abel initially gave it to me. At this point, Abel wants
the photographers to set up in the lobby of the building so the shoot can take place there.
After I played errand boy and heading out to get Abel breakfast, he is wide awake and the
photographers are allowed up.

It's been some time since I last saw Abel, and a few things have changed,
some have not. Abel grabs his guitar, kicks back on the sofa, and starts playing
the blues

FMFB: How long have you been playing guitar Abel?

Abel: Since I was a kid.

FMFB: You been rocking out for a while then?

FMFB: If I could only play guitar. I checked out your FMFB thing. It seems
like its more music.

FMFB: It is fairly balanced, but it is very music driven.
Let's get back to discussing the cinematic dimension.
Is there an actual shoot date for The Last Crew [Prequel
to King Of New York] as of yet?

Abel: ASAP. We're raising the money

FMFB: So in King Of New York Frank White takes over the
Colombian's turf before he gets killed. In The Last Crew,
how does he end up going to jail?

Abel: In The Last Crew, what he is going to jail for is (he pauses) You know,
it goes back 1977, 1978 the heyday of Studio 54. He goes to jail for
laundering money.

At this point he starts picking on his guitar and starts singing “The Hova”
song, we both laugh.

FMFB: Abel the blues hip-hop man.

Abel: That's right.

He starts singing something else.

“Once upon a time in the ghetto, we be doing nothing, but a killing, next
time I'm gonna be chilling.”

FMFB: Who is going to be cast in The Last Crew?

Abel: A few names. They play kids from Carnarsie, and you know, they're just
doing their thing and they get involved with Studio 54.

FMFB: So that's the beginning of Frank White?

Abel: Yeah you know, he's just a kid from Brooklyn, stealing cars. Then he
gets involved in the Studio 54 fast life, and starts meeting all the Sheiks and
the fucking politicians.
Him and his crew, they start rising and they are selling drugs, you know
making deals. No longer just punks.

FMFB: What's the time span?

Abel: It all takes place in about a year. Everything is really fast. We are
actually using documentary footage of Studio
54. I mean, I don't want to get actors to play Richard
Burton or Andy Warhol. The film opens with him (Frank White) dancing with
Richard Burton. We're going the whole
Forest Gump route. I mean, there is so much footage
of these guys. I also don't want to make a film that
you have had to watch King Of New York in order to
understand it. I want to make this film stand on its own.
Also, if we do the triptych, you know, when he's in jail.

FMFB: Cool.
Did you ever hang out at Studio 54?

Abel: You know, I'm happy to say that I don't
think I ever went there. The closest was me puking up against the back of
taxi. I mean, there's a million people trying to get in, and they are going to
let in a guy that just threw up against a taxi?

FMFB: Are you using actual footage of Steve Rubell?

Abel: Well, we gotta make deals with the estate.

FMFB: Who is writing the script?

Abel: We are not discussing the writers. A lot of this writing is real deal
type shit. You know what I saying?

FMFB: In other words, people that actually lived it?
Why did you decide to use old footage with actual present day actors and
where do you get your ideas from?

Abel: Like I said we are going the Forrest Gump route, and I get my ideas
from watching a lot of bad movies, that's were I get most of my ideas. What did
Kubric say? You learn more from a bad movie. What do you learn from a good
movie? You see a good movie, and it's something you are not going
to be able to do again.

FMFB: You are one of my favorite filmmakers but there are people who dismiss
your films entirely. I think you make great films others think you do not.
What do you say to the haters

Abel: I make both. I make the best of both. For Gods sake, it's not easy
making a piece of shit (We both laugh). I mean, King Of New York took five years
to write. People think we did that in an-hour-an-a-half. And then once that
happened nobody wanted to see that film for the first three years. It was a
disaster. And then after a while, people are asking me, “When are you going to make
another film like King Of New York?” Well, I never knew anybody liked it.
What do I say to these people? I say to them "Why don't you make a fucking film
then?" Either way, you gotta be on top of your game but in the end as long as you
are able to get the loot to make the film
then you are OK!

Some people have said the one time King Of New York has been in filmmaking
exile. In my opinion, I think The Last Crew is Abel's most ambitious project yet. I am sure he'll
be able to get his vision on the big screen as only he knows how. Like he said,
"Unfortunately, a lot of cats, in a lot of cases can't get money to make the
films they wanna make, and some people get money and they don't have a film to
make." It is unfortunate but it is the nature of the beast when it comes to
filmmaking. With Abel Ferrara nothing is certain other than the fact that he
will continue making his films.