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For her research on "Blue Bloods," Vanessa Ray didn't have to go much farther than her own mother.

The actress who plays Eddie Janko, the new partner of NYPD officer Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), on the Friday CBS police drama didn't realize how helpful her mom's devotion to the show would be until she landed the role.

"When I got the job, she sat me down and gave me the lowdown," Ray muses to Zap2it. "She told me who all the characters were and that Jamie had a girlfriend in the beginning, but that didn't work out. 'And he had a partner, but oh, the partner died. And Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and his wife (Amy Carlson) just love each other, and it's so beautiful ... .' She was just going on and on and on."

Fiction will merge with real life soon, since Ray plans to bring her parents to...

Ed Burns, whose debut film The Brothers McMullen premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, was announced today as a jury member for next month’s Sundance in Park City, Utah. Burns joins documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, executive Tom Rothman and 16 others named to five juries that will award prizes at independent film’s most high-profile showcase.

Short Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Jan. 22, with feature film awards announced at a separate ceremony on Jan. 26. The festival runs this year from Jan. 17-27.

Click below for the entire Sundance jury list:

U.S. Documentary Jury

Liz Garbus is a prolific documentary filmmaker.

'Do me a favor? Next time you and Polite Guy are together - get the pigs in a blanket to go!' The latest film from Tribeca triple-threat Edward Burns, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, is now on VOD and digital platforms, so why not double your viewing pleasure with Doggy Bags, the writer/director's funny short from this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Made in partnership with American Express and based on cardholder Susan Brennan's idea from the company's My Movie Pitch contest, Doggy Bags is a delightfully layered comedy featuring Burns's signature style and a few familiar faces. Justin (Matt Bush, Nice Guy Johnny) and Hannah (Daniella Pineda, Newlyweds) are newly dating and decide to meet at one of New Jersey's delicious brunch places. Justin is smitten, but there is just one thing he can't figure out: the petite Hannah orders enough food for 3 people whenever they go out for a meal together,...

Since no major studio is doing so themselves, the prolific Edward Burns has taken it upon himself to create one of, if not the only, Christmas-themed film this holiday season. Coming off last year’s Newlyweds (and Nice Guy Johnny the previous year), The Fitzgerald Family Christmas sees the writer/director in a familiar low-budget independent drama arena, but this time [...]...

Matt Bush talks about playing an unconventional valedictorian in High School, debuting on Blu-ray and DVD September 4

Matt Bush is an actor who has always chosen diverse roles to appear in. Following guest-starring stints on shows like Veronica Mars and Scrubs, he landed roles in movies such as Adventureland, Halloween II, Nice Guy Johnny, Margaret and this year's Piranha 3Dd. He can next be seen in High School, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD September 4. I recently had the chance to speak with the actor about the indie comedy, where he portrays a high school valedictorian who tries to ruin his school's new mandatory drug test, since he just tried marijuana for the first time ever. Take a look at what he had to say.

I have to imagine this was quite a read when you first picked up this script. Can you talk about your initial reactions to this crazy story?...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 17, 2012

Price: DVD $27.98, Blu-ray $39.99

Studio: Lionsgate

Jennifer Westfeldt and Adam Scott take their friendship to a new level in Friends with Kids.

Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) and Adam Scott (Piranha) star in the comedy Friends with Kids, which looks at a close-knit circle of friends whose lives change once they have children.

Westfeldt and Scott are the last two singles in the aforementioned group and as they observe the effect that kids have had on their friends’ relationships, they begin to wonder if there’s a better way to make it work. When the to decide to have a child together while continuing to date other people, their unconventional “experiment” leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, yes, love.

Written and directed by Westfeldt, Friends with Kids‘ rousing ensemble of also includes Kristen Wiig (Paul), Jon Hamm (TV’s...

What would a Tribeca Film Festival be without Ed Burns? The writer/director/actor has long been associated with the downtown Manhattan festival (his films Newlyweds and Nice Guy Johnny both premiered there) and this year is no exception. As the culmination of the 2011 American Express My Movie Pitch contest, Burns wrote, produced, and directed a short film, Doggy Bags (which can be seen here) based on a winning story entry from Susan Brennan.

On Wednesday, Doggy Bags screened before an enthusiastic crowd at the Soho House, followed by a Q&A with Burns and Brennan, who told the filmmaker...

Matt Dentler is leaving Cinetic Rights Management's FilmBuff to join iTunes, where he'll oversee partnerships with independent film partners. As head of programming at FilmBuff, Dentler managed the VOD releases of titles like the Polish Bros. title "For Lovers Only" and Ed Burns' "Nice Guy Johnny," both of which were also success stories for the iTunes platform. Dentler is a graduate of Ut Austin's film program; he began working for SXSW in 2000 (his freshman year) as an intern; eventually, he became the head of the festival. He joined FilmBuff in 2008. Currently based in New York, Dentler will relocate to Los Angeles this month.  ...

When former NYPD officer-turned-prison escapee Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington, Avatar & Clash of the Titans) enters the famed Roosevelt Hotel on 45th & Madison in New York City, heads to one of the highest floor and steps out onto the ledge, he threatens more than just his own well-being. A whole city is about to seize up, including some very nervous people with some very big secrets.

Ex-cop Cassidy .s heart-stopping decision to stand on the ledge of a high-rise building creates not only a media firestorm, but a delicate situation for hard-living New York Police Department negotiator Lydia Spencer (Elizabeth Banks, The Next Three Days & Zack and Miri Make a Porno), who tries to talk him down while dealing with a departmental rival (Edward Burns, Nice Guy Johnny & 27 Dresses) who believes she has a conflict of interest. But the longer Lydia spends trying to get to the root of Cassidy.s predicament,...

Edward Burns is no stranger to the world of indie film. He launched his career with the $25,000 The Brothers McMullen at the Sundance Film Festival back in 1995, during the dark, pre-digital days of 16mm cameras and now-foreign concepts like optical houses and film prints. In 2010, after seven larger-budget features as a writer-director, Burns returned to the low-budget arena with Nice Guy Johnny. He bypassed traditional distribution methods by releasing the film himself, first with a short festival tour and then with a simultaneous day-and-date rollout on VOD, DVD and Pay-Per-View. Now Burns is taking this new model even further with Newlyweds, which he produced for a staggering $9,000 sum.

Credit William Rexer Caitlin Fitzgerald and Edward Burns in “Newlyweds” distributed by Tribeca Film.

Several years ago, I had just completed a screenplay which I planned to direct, so I headed out to La for a series of meetings with a number of financiers, hoping to get the funding needed to get the film off the ground.

As I went, hat in hand, practically begging these guys to finance my movie, I was becoming increasingly frustrated as the terms of...

In 1991 two films changed the landscape of indie cinema by making the frugality of the budget a selling point. Where are the microbudget film directors now?

Hollywood has always operated on the principle that more is more: each time the most expensive film ever made arrives in cinemas, budgetary extravagance becomes a major selling point. But 20 years ago, the Us independent sector stumbled upon its own marketing equivalent: the microbudget. Suddenly it became apparent that a film's financial shortcomings could be exploited to its advantage.

In 1991, two films changed the landscape of indie cinema and the way in which it was sold. Richard Linklater's Slacker, which drops in on around 100 misfits and eccentrics during 24 hours in Austin, Texas, and Matty Rich's Straight Out of Brooklyn, a tale of young no-hopers in New York's housing projects, marked the start of a phenomenon – frugality as a marketing hook

Neither were the...

Tribeca Film recently announced it has acquired Us and Canadian distribution rights to the comedic relationship drama Newlyweds. This comedic relationship drama from Tribeca alum Edward Burns (Nice Guy Johnny, The Brothers McMullen) had its world premiere as the Closing Night selection at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. Burns' most recent indie flick, which was shot in 12 days in the New York City's Tribeca neighborhood, will be receiving a wide release across multiple platforms in late 2011. Newlyweds, Burns' 10th writer/director credit, is a record of modern marriage complete with crackling humor. The film tracks a newly wedded couple whose honeymoon period is upended by the arrival of the husband's wild-child baby sister and the crumbling marriage of the wife's meddlesome sister. Burns, always a truly independent and innovative voice in the film world, is known for interacting with a wide audience through each stage of the ...

Year: 2011

Directors: Kevin Smith

Writers: Kevin Smith

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: agentorange

Rating: 9 out of 10

"In a lot of ways, Red State delivers on a promise I made with my first film, Clerks; a film I made more than 20 years ago." -- Kevin Smith, Edmonton Q&A

You might wonder what Kevin Smith's ferocious new horror film Red State could possibly share with Clerks, the breakout slacker indie that landed him on the ground floor of Hollywood back in the early 90s. According to the director, the films are like spiritual partners: They may not look or sound anything alike, but they ignited the same can-do indie attitude and passion that got him into filmmaking in the first place - a passion that Smith admits has been sorely lacking for the latter part of his career as a filmmaker. And while his legion of Edmonton-Oilers-hockey-jersey-wearing fans would doubtlessly argue different,...

Kyle Smith's breakout debut, Turkey Bowl, is a comedy set in L.A., focusing on a group of longtime friends about to turn 30. Now available as part of the Tribeca Film slate of sports films currently available on VOD, Turkey Bowl is the kind of easygoing, entertaining film that makes for a great night with buddies, so invite some people over and fire up your VOD platform of choice. Turkey Bowl centers on a group of friends in La - their adopted city - as they gather for their annual touch football game, the prize of which is, what else, a turkey. Throughout the game, which is shown in real time, the friends bicker and tease, and undercurrents of jealousy and unrequited love are revealed through game play, banter and subtle interactions. The movie stars Smith's real-life friends, including Kerry Bishe (Nice Guy Johnny, Scrubs), Jon Schmidt, ...

Last week, writer/director/actor Edward Burns' latest film the indie romantic comedy Nice Guy Johnny arrived on DVD via Mpi Media. The film stars Matt Bush (Adventureland, One Last Thing) as Johnny Rizzo, who's about to end his low-paying dream job as a local radio sportscaster in Oakland for a dull career as a cardboard warehouse manager in New York at the request of his demanding fiancée played by Anna Wood. While in New York, he's dragged to Long Island by his bed-hopping Uncle Terry (Burns), where he meets a pretty tennis instructor played by Kerry Bishé, who forces Johnny reconsider where he's going with his life. Burns made his debut 16 years ago with The Brothers McMullen and has since written and directed a dozen...

Writer/director/actor/producer Edward Burns discusses his latest project Nice Guy Johnny, and his unique indie model for making movies.

The term "auteur" gets thrown around a lot in filmdom, but few truly fit the definition of the term like Edward Burns. After working a day job at Entertainment Tonight in the early 1990s, Edward Burns scraped together $25,000 for his first feature, The Brothers Mcmullen, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. This launched his career as a filmmaker, and a burgeoning acting career (in other directors' movies) followed with roles in Saving Private Ryan, 15 Minutes, Life or Something Like It, and the criminally unnoticed con man drama Confidence. Despite his success as an actor, Edward Burns is still a filmmaker at heart, with nine films under his belt as a director. He decided to go back to his barebones budget roots with his latest drama, Nice Guy Johnny,...

DVD Playhouse June 2011

By

Allen Gardner

Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion) Robert Aldrich’s 1955 reinvention of the film noir detective story is one of cinema’s great genre mash-ups: part hardboiled noir; part cold war paranoid thriller; and part science- fiction. Ralph Meeker plays Mickey Spillane’s fascist detective Mike Hammer as a narcissistic simian thug, a sadist who would rather smash a suspect’s fingers than make love to the bevvy of beautiful dames that cross his path. In fact, the only time you see a smile cross Meeker’s sneering mug is when he’s doling out pain, with a vengeance. When a terrified young woman (Cloris Leachman, film debut) literally crossed Hammer’s path one night, and later turns up dead, he vows to get to the bottom of her brutal demise. One of the most influential films ever made, and perhaps the most-cited film by the architects...

The Tribeca Film Festival will close its 10th edition with the world premiere of Edward Burns’ “Newlyweds.” The film will premiere Saturday, April 30, at Bmcc Tpac.

“Newlyweds” is the 10th film written and directed by Burns and the sixth to premiere at Tff. Burns, who wrote, directed and stars in the film, has had a strong connection with Tff since its founding. “Ash Wednesday” world premiered as part of the inaugural Tff lineup in 2002, and “Looking for Kitty,” “Purple Violets” and “Nice Guy Johnny” have also been festival premieres over subsequent years.

The film, shot almost exclusively in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood, is a chronicle of modern marriage, pointing out an essential truth: When you get married, you’re not just getting a husband or wife—you’re getting the family, the friends, and even the exes. The cast includes Burns, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Max Baker, Marsha Dietlein Bennett and Kerry Bishé.

The Tribeca Film Festival will close its 10th edition with the world premiere of Edward Burns’ “Newlyweds.” The film will premiere Saturday, April 30, at Bmcc Tpac.

“Newlyweds” is the 10th film written and directed by Burns and the sixth to premiere at Tff. Burns, who wrote, directed and stars in the film, has had a strong connection with Tff since its founding. “Ash Wednesday” world premiered as part of the inaugural Tff lineup in 2002, and “Looking for Kitty,” “Purple Violets” and “Nice Guy Johnny” have also been festival premieres over subsequent years.

The film, shot almost exclusively in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood, is a chronicle of modern marriage, pointing out an essential truth: When you get married, you’re not just getting a husband or wife—you’re getting the family, the friends, and even the exes. The cast includes Burns, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Max Baker, Marsha Dietlein Bennett and Kerry Bishé.

The Tribeca Film Festival has announced that it will close its 2011 edition, the festival's tenth, with the world premiere of the tenth film from writer/director Edward Burns, "Newlyweds." The synopsis from Tribeca's press release:

"The film, shot almost exclusively in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood, is a chronicle of modern marriage, pointing out an essential truth: When you get married, you're not just getting a husband or wife--you're getting the family, the friends, and even the exes. With crackling humor and sharp insights into contemporary relationships, Burns tracks a newly wedded couple whose honeymoon period is upended by the arrival of the husband's wild-child baby sister and the crumbling marriage of the wife's meddlesome sister. The cast includes Burns, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Max Baker, Marsha Dietlein Bennett and Kerry Bishé."

Burns may not have strayed far from his core subject matter over the years -- young New Yorkers in and...

The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, announced today it will close its 10th edition with the world premiere of Edward Burns' Newlyweds. The film will premiere Saturday, April 30, at Bmcc Tpac.

Newlyweds is the tenth film written and directed by Edward Burns and the sixth to premiere at Tff. Burns, who wrote, directed and stars in Newlyweds, has had a strong connection with Tff since its founding. Ash Wednesday world premiered as part of the inaugural Tff lineup in 2002, and Looking for Kitty, Purple Violets and Nice Guy Johnny have also been Festival premieres over subsequent years.

The film, shot almost exclusively in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood, is a chronicle of modern marriage, pointing out an essential truth: When you get married, you're not just getting a husband or wife-you're getting the family, the friends, and even the exes. With crackling humor and sharp insights into contemporary relationships,...

Summit Entertainment reports they have picked up Us distribution rights to director Rob Cohen's, upcoming "I, Alex Cross" feature, based on author James Patterson's best-selling novels, following forensic psychologist 'Alex Cross'.

Actor Tyler Perry ("Diary Of A Mad Black Woman") will play Cross, with Ed Burns ("Nice Guy Johnny") as his partner 'Tommy Kane'.

"...'Alex Cross' is an African-American detective and psychologist living and working in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. He works in the homicide division of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (Mpd), but eventually becomes a Senior Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After his stint with the FBI, Alex returns to private psychology practice, but continues to consult for the Mpd and the FBI as needed, ultimately rejoining the Mpd as a special consultant to the Major Case Squad. Dr. Cross as a lonely individual, yet he...

While procrastinating working yesterday, I was following Ed Burns’ Twitter stream, in which he detailed the no-budget nature of his latest film, Newlyweds. With a shooting budget of $9,000, Burns worked with a three-person crew, shot on the Canon 5D (which he owns), had the actors wear their own clothes and do their own hair and make up, and worked without lights (except an occasional china ball) and sound mixer (the actors wore lavs). Tweeted Burns, “Sound is important but don’t let it slow you down. The Italian Neo-realists didn’t and they made some pretty great films…. No disrespect to soundmen and women, but on these shooting schedules (12 days) you can’t be precious. When I have a budget, I have respect.”

He also revealed the budgets of all his films: “Budgets for past movies: The Groomsmen 3 Million, Purple Violets 4 Million, She’s the One 3 Million, Sidewalks of NY 1 Million,...

Matthew Fox has signed on to play the villain in I, Alex Cross, the reboot of the James Patterson franchise character with Tyler Perry starring and Rob Cohen helming the project.

Edward Burns has also signed on to play Tommy Kane, Cross’s partner.

You may have overlooked that Tyler Perry, a couple of months ago, took over a lead role in I, Alex Cross for Idris Elba — the crime busting psychologist Dr. Alex Cross. Opposite his virtuous Lost character Jack Shepard, Fox will be making over his image as the ‘childlike trust’ nice guy, taking the role of Michael Sullivan a.k.a the Butcher of Sligo, a brutal assassin who kills for kicks and money. After Cross messed up one of his assignments, the Butcher kills Cross’ wife and after that it’s game between the two. Sullivan is one of the best known villains in the Patterson’s novel series.

New York - With the FCC and Justice Department in their final stages of their regulatory reviews of Comcast's proposed acquisition of 51 percent in NBC Universal, Ed Burns has spoken out in favor of the deal, while Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon has joined those raising concerns.

While critics have warned that independent programmers could be hurt by concentrating content and distribution power in Comcast’s hands, filmmaker and actor Burns (She's the One) suggested the deal would be good news for his fellow filmmakers.

“It will be good for independent filmmakers, because it will drive new distribution opportunities for our work,” Burns said in a letter to the FCC this week. "I've seen in Comcast a real commitment to independent film," he added, citing his experience during the process to get his new movie Nice Guy Johnny onto the largest U.S. cable operator's on-demand lineup.

The film reached...

I've always been a bit of a purist, maintaining that in a theater is still the best place to see a film. I even opt to support the independently run theaters as much as possible rather than fork my money over to the AMCs of the world, something my girlfriend makes fun of me for.

Yet last night we were feeling lazy and went the Video On Demand route and split a paltry $6.99 on All Good Things. This isn't a review, but I'd highly recommend it -- even at full price.

But then I opened up the winter schedule from the art house theater down the street to find All Good Things will be opening there on Christmas Day (odd placement for a moody murder mystery if you ask me) and thought to myself, "What's the point?" Unless, of course, you're one of those people who don't have cable. Yes,...

DVD Playhouse—November 2010

By Allen Gardner

Paths Of Glory (Criterion) Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 antiwar classic put him on the map as a major filmmaker. Kirk Douglas stars in a true story about a French officer in Ww I who locks horns with the military’s top brass after his men are court-martialed for failing to carry out an obvious suicide mission. A perfect film, across the board, with fine support from George Macready as one of the most despicable martinet’s ever captured on film, Ralph Meeker, and Adolphe Menjou, all oily charm as a conniving General. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins; Excerpt from 1966 audio interview with Kubrick; 1979 interview with Douglas; New interviews with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, and producer James B. Harris; French television documentary on real-life case which inspired the film; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

Winter’S Bone (Lionsgate) After her deadbeat father disappears,...

This is a contest for Ed Burns fans only. So if that includes you, you’re in for a great bit of luck because this prize pack is stacked. In support of the DVD release of Nice Guy Johnny, written and directed by Ed Burns, we’ve got a few items signed by the talented Burns, a copy of the movie, and a copy of the soundtrack. What more could you ask for? I hope nothing, because that is the extent of the prize pack. Click on in to take a look at the trailer, read about the film, and read once again how awesome this prize pack is, then just make us laugh or feel an awkward sensation in our loins to take it all home with you. Nice Guy Johnny available on iTunes, DVD, VOD and more on October 26th! Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook...

Edward Burns, a veritable staple in the American independent film landscape, has staked his claim as one of the Big Apple's quintessential auteurs by penning, directing and starring in ten New York bound films. With his latest effort "Nice Guy Johnny," Burns finds himself reaching back into his past, while at the same time hurtling towards the future. Made for a paltry $25,000, "Johnny" marks the lowest budget Burns's worked ...

Nice Guy Johnny available on iTunes, DVD, VOD and more on October 26th! Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/niceguyjohnnymovie Pre-Order the Move on iTunes at http://bit.ly/NiceGuyiTunes Sure, she can be a little overbearing sometimes, but baby-faced Johnny Rizzo loves his fiancée Claire, and he made her a promise: by the time he's 25-years-old, he'll trade his current dream job as a local sports talk radio host (even if it is the 2 a.m. slot) for something that'll pay bigger bucks. And Johnny's nothing, if not a man of his word. Now he's flying to New York to interview for some snoozeville job that Claire's well-to-do father set up. Enter Uncle Terry, who lives in New York, a rascally womanizer bent on turning a day in the Hamptons into a final fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny's not interested, of course,...

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.

"Alien Anthology"

Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Released by Fox Home Entertainment

While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...

Chicago – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 3 prize packs up for grabs to the new film “Nice Guy Johnny” from writer and director Edward Burns! “Nice Guy Johnny” stars Edward Burns, Max Baker, Kerry Bishé, Matt Bush, Brian Delate, Marsha Dietlein, Harper Dill, Michele Harris, Jay Patterson, Callie Thorne and Anna Wood.

Each prize pack inludes:

Signed “Nice Guy Johnny” poster by Edward Burns

Signed “Nice Guy Johnny” screenplay by Edward Burns DVD of “Nice Guy Johnny” Soundtrack from “Nice Guy Johnny”

To win your free “Nice Guy Johnny” prize pack courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Nice Guy Johnny” from writer and director Edward Burns.

Image credit: Marlboro Road Gang Productions...

Edward Burns revisits his indie roots - with a modern twist - in his latest project, Nice Guy Johnny.

The 42-year-old actor-filmmaker leaped onto the scene in 1995 with the Sundance Film Festival darling The Brothers McMullen. Fresh out of college, Burns said he used anything he could for free: He filmed in his parents' home and used editing facilities at "Entertainment Tonight," where he was working as a production assistant.

Fifteen years later, the star of Saving Private Ryan and 27 Dresses has gone back to basics with another small-budget project.

"I decided we wanted to capture a little bit of that renegade sprit that we had on Brothers McMullen," says Burns. "So we set some parameters on this film. We wouldn't spend more than $25,000, we'd only work with a three-man crew, we wanted to hire all unknowns, and there would be no hair, no makeup, wear your own clothes, shot in my parents' house again.

New York – Edward Burns revisits his indie roots — with a modern twist — in his latest project, "Nice Guy Johnny."The 42-year-old actor-filmmaker leaped onto the scene in 1995 with the Sundance Film Festival darling "The Brothers McMullen." Fresh out of college, Burns said he used anything he could for free: He filmed in his parents' home and used editing facilities at "Entertainment Tonight," where he was working as a production assistant.Fifteen years later, the star of "Saving Private Ryan" and "27 Dresses" has gone back to basics with another small-budget project."I decided we wanted to capture a little bit of that renegade sprit that we had on 'Brothers McMullen,'" says Burns. "So we set some parameters on this film. We wouldn't spend more than $25,000, we'd only work with a three-man crew, we wanted to hire all unknowns, and there would be no hair, no makeup, wear your own clothes,...

Although the holiday season means time off work for most other industries in the U.S., it means it's awards season for the film business, which in turn necessitates plenty of tributes and accolades to be presented on the East and West Coasts at your local repertory theater in advance of the Oscars where movie stars can be seen and Q & As are conducted. Yet in New York and Los Angeles, there will be a wealth of other options as neighborhood theaters flood their screens with contemporary cinema from other parts of the world, classic movies in their full bigscreen glory, and certain-to-be-fun nods to the holidays, whether it's Halloween or Christmas. If you live in one of these areas or see fit to travel, these are the events worth the trouble over the next few months.

by Stephen Saito

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From coast to coast,...

While it could be the weather or the crowds that might dissuade people from heading to the theaters this holiday season, a handful of distributors are providing plenty of reasons to stay in with plenty of films available at just the touch of a button. IFC and Magnolia continue to bring the arthouse to your house with hot festival favorites such as Lena Dunham's comedy "Tiny Furniture" and the Kerry Washington-Anthony Mackie drama "Night Catches Us" arriving on demand at the same time they hit theaters, while companies like FilmBuff and Gravitas are debuting new films from Edward Burns ("Nice Guy Johnny") and Melissa Leo ("One Night") on an array of platforms to choose from. A complete guide to what's not at your local multiplex is below.

by Stephen Saito

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You don't even need to leave your couch to catch some of the latest releases,...

Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Video

Ed Burns' latest movie 'Nice Guy Johnny' seems to have brought the filmmaker full circle. His 1995 directorial debut, 'The Brothers McMullen,' set the standard for scrappy "Let's put on a show in the barn, kids!" moviemaking; and yet 'Nice Guy Johnny,' which premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, cost roughly the same amount: $25,000. (Thank you, digital video!)

But instead of fighting for distribution this time around, the veteran filmmaker is avoiding the big screen altogether, choosing to open the movie simultaneously on iTunes, DVD and on Comcast VOD -- all on October 26th.

Moviefone sat down with Ed Burns during Advertising Week 2010 to discuss his views on the future of hands-on filmmaking, his disdain for family movies and whether or not we'll see an Ed Burns 3-D feature hit the local IMAX.

[Bonus: Download a free track from the 'Nice Guy Johnny' soundtrack by Pt Walkley.

I’ve been a fan of Ed Burns for a long time, and I’ve got a special giveaway for you to help celebrate the October 26th release of his latest, Nice Guy Johnny. It’s an interesting spin, and the sort of story that feels like Burns going back toward things that worked a while ago. There seems to be a lot of focus on the conversations that delivered so well for Burns with some of his earliest efforts, and as strange as it may seem, the film’s opening gambit feels like just the sort of thing he can turn into something.

Sure, she can be a little overbearing sometimes, but baby-faced Johnny Rizzo loves his fiancée Claire, and he made her a promise: by the time he’s 25-years-old, he’ll trade his current dream job as a local sports talk radio host (even if it is the 2 a.

Sneak Peek the comedy feature "Nice Guy Johnny", from Marlboro Road Gang Productions, written, directed and produced by Edward Burns. Aaron Lubin and William Rexer also produce with co-producers Benjamin Cheah, Mike Harrop and Nicolas Newbold.

Burns co-stars in the film as 'Uncle Terry', alongside Matt Bush as 'Johnny Rizzo', Kerry Bishe as 'Brooke', Max Baker as 'Max', Anna Wood as 'Claire', Brian Delate as 'Frank', Marsha Dietlein as 'Nicole' and Jay Patterson as 'Dr. Meadows'.

"...Sure, she can be a little overbearing sometimes, but baby-faced 'Johnny Rizzo' loves his fiancée 'Claire and he made her a promise: by the time he's 25-years-old, he'll trade his current dream job as a local sports talk radio host (even if it is the 2 a.m. slot) for something that'll pay bigger bucks. And Johnny's nothing, if not a man of his word.

"Now he's flying to New York to interview for some...

This weekend the city of Fort Lauderdale will once again open its doors to Hollywood and the world of international cinema during its premiere movie-going event: The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The festival, which is celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary this year, starts this Friday, October 22 with the Southeast premiere of actor-director Edward Burns’ (“The Brothers McMullen”) ninth feature, the comedy “Nice Guy Johnny,” and will conclude on November 11 with the Florida premiere of director George Hickenlooper’s (“Hearts of...

Ed Burns' Nice Guy Johnny occupied a truly unique role at this year's Tribeca Film Festival - as the opening night film of the Tribeca Film Festival Virtual, it was made available to viewers all over the world, in addition to its New York City screenings. And when choosing a distribution path for this charming romantic comedy about a young man (Matt Bush) at a crossroads, choosing between a job he loves in talk radio and the pursuit of money - including, of course, the comely free spirit (Kerry Bische) and irascible uncle (Burns) that complicate things - Burns has decided to pursue a different path. On October 26th, Nice Guy Johnny will be available via Comcast's On Demand Indie Film Club, the same day it's available through iTunes and DVD. But if you check out the film via Comcast, you'll get extra treats: an exclusive interview and live online chat with Burns,...

Ed Burns at Ciff 2010 -- photo by Nick Allen

With his swift navigation of the low budget indie-film waters, Edward Burns has become a great inspiration for Diy filmmakers. Now in the age of Instant Netflix, Burns is taking his control over his films even further: he is going to start distributing his low budget films himself, and without an eye on a theatrical release. His new film, Nice Guy Johnny, which is budgeted around $25,000, will be released to iTunes, Netflix, Playstation 3, etc. starting October 26th. The appearance of the film at this year’s Chicago International Film Festival would mark one of the only times the movie would play in an actual theater.

Click Here for complete coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff 2010)

When I talked to Burns on the Red Carpet at the Chicago premiere of his new film, Nice Guy Johnny, we discussed his tactics...

Chicago – One big star and two directors took their turns on the red carpet at the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival on October 15th. Ron Perlman, of the Hellboy movie series and “Sons of Anarchy,” joined directors Guillermo del Toro (”Pan’s Labyrinth”) and Edward Burns (”Nice Guy Johnny”).

The Chicago International Film Festival was honoring Guillermo del Toro through their Cinemas of the Americas Tribute, and del Toro was being supported by his old friend Ron Perlman. Edward Burns was premiering his latest film that he wrote and directed, “Nice Guy Johnny.”

HollywoodChicago.com was there, and got a few questions in, as well as Exclusive Portraits by photographer Joe Arce.

Ron Perlman of “Hellboy” and “Sons of Anarchy”

Ever since Ron Perlman made his debut in “Quest for Fire” (1981), the character actor has been behind the mask in famous roles including the TV series “Beauty and the Beast” (1987) and the Hellboy film series,...

With it's sappy-sweet first trailer [1] premiering to much online criticism [2], Edward Burns has taken the marketing of his new film, Nice Guy Johnny, into his own hands and, in my opinion, in a very exciting new direction. Burns, with the help of someone named "Reel Movie Guy [3]", has recut the Johnny trailer in the style of several classic films. So far, five such trailers have been released. Want to test your own movie knowledge? You can play along at home. See if you can figure out which classic films' trailers are being homaged by Burns et al. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailers (and the original trailers they are homaging) after the jump. 1. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailer 1 2. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailer 2 3. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailer 3 4. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailer 4 5. Nice Guy Johnny Homage Trailer 5 And now, the originals. How did you do? 1. L'Avventura (The Adventure) Trailer 2. Contempt...

Edward Burns and Genesis Rodriguez have joined the heist thriller Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks. Directed by Asger Leth (Ghosts of Cité Soleil), the film centers on a fugitive ex-cop (Worthington) who is pretending to be considering a leap to his death as a cover for a massive diamond heist. Banks plays the negotiator trying to talk him down. The film also stars Jamie Bell and Anthony Mackie. According to THR, Burns will play “a rival negotiator who tries to swoop in when he believes Banks has a conflict of interest,” while Rodriguez plays “Bell’s girlfriend who, along with Bell, tries to prove Worthington’s innocence.”

Burns recently wrapped production on Nice Guy Johnny, which he directed and stars in. Rodriguez recently nabbed the female lead in Will Ferrell’s Spanish-language comedy Casa de mi padre.

After Elizabeth Banks recently agreed to play the female lead in director Asger Leth's cop drama "Man On A Ledge,” Edward Burns joined the cast along with actress Genesis Rodriguez. According to "The Hollywood Reporter," Burns agreed to star in the drama about a NYPD crisis negotiator who's called to talk down a suicidal cop teetering on a building ledge; after he finished his own directing effort “Nice Guy Johnny.”...

Edward Burns and Genesis Rodriguez have joined the cast of Summit's thriller "Man on a Ledge," being directed by Asger Leth.

The project, which begins shooting this month in New York, stars Sam Worthington as a fugitive ex-cop perched on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living NYPD hostage negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes he might have an ulterior objective.

Jamie Bell and Anthony Mackie also have been cast in the film.

Rodriguez plays Bell's girlfriend who, along with Bell, tries to prove Worthington's innocence. Burns is a rival negotiator who tries to swoop in when he believes Banks has a conflict of interest.

The screenplay was penned by Pablo F. Fenjves and rewritten by Chris Gorak and the team of Erich and Jon Hoeber.

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and David Ready will...

Filed under: Features

Fact: Microwavable popcorn doesn't taste quite as delicious as it does out of buckets at the cineplex. Not that certain filmmakers got that memo this year.

More than ever, first-run movies are being made available for viewing solely in the privacy of one's own home. Take, for example Edward Burns' latest, 'Nice Guy Johnny,' which has never been in wide release; yet it will stream directly to your TV set via an exclusive deal with Comcast On Demand beginning October 26. Even more impressively, many of these movies are as good as those that you'll find in theaters.

A trip to the local movie house remains a fun experience, no doubt. But shifting audience expectations, more powerful home theater systems, and commitments by studios -- particularly HBO -- to create engaging films solely for the small(er) screen have made not-in-theater films a growing medium.

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: While it doesn’t quite have the stature of such festivals as Toronto, Venice, or Telluride, the annual Savannah Film Festival held in gorgeous Savannah, Georgia still manages to attract awards-season contenders and high-profile stars.

This year, lucky No. 13 for the fall festival, Liam Neeson, Sir Ian McKellen and Isabella Rossellini will be honored with specific awards, while coveted titles like “127 Hours” and “Black Swan” will screen.

McKellen will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of this year’s event. Neeson and Rossellini will receive Achievement in Cinema awards. But they are not the only names expected to be in attendance. Academy Award-nominated actress Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”) will present the documentary “I Know a Woman Like That,” directed by her mother Elaine Madsen, who will also be in attendance. Ed Burns will show his latest film, “Nice Guy Johnny.” Writer/director Neil Labute will participate in a workshop.