Manhattanites Is Now Available on DVD!

Manhattanites is now available for purchase on DVD at manhattanitesthemovie.com.

Join cast members Ilene Kristen, Forbes March, Jill Larson and more on a special DVD release episode of "Stardish Radio" at 10pm ET.

Monti Sharp Joins Manhattanites

Daytime Emmy winner Monti Sharp has recorded a voice over for the upcoming DVD release of Manhattanites.

Manhattanites To Be Released on DVD on May 6

Manhattanites will be released on DVD on May 6. Information about where to order will be published in the next couple of weeks. The film stars a number of recognizable soap actors. Here's a preview of the stories in the film.

Marilyn Marsden (Ilene Kristen, ABC's ONE LIFE TO LIVE) is an entertainment lawyer representing up and coming artist Matt Malone (Forbes March, MUTANT X). Everything in her life is just right, with a prominent career and her engagement to Family Focus Magazine Editor-in-Chief Blake Whitney (Lev Gorn, HBO's THE WIRE).

Gretchen Styles (Caroline Hay, The Trial of Jack) is a waitress at a seedy midtown diner. Her dreams of a career as a television news reporter are fading until a chance encounter with anchorman Kyle Carpenter (Aiden Turner, ABC's ALL MY CHILDREN) changes her whole world.

Hannah Richards (Newcomer Tasha Guevara) is a secretary at TM productions and spends her days planning her perfect wedding. She has a job she enjoys, is engaged to the man of her dreams and thinks the world is a beautiful place. In her rose-colored eyes, everything is falling into place just as she planned.

But are things always as they seem? In a city of 8 million people...
are we living in mere coincidence? What is coincidence?

Featuring hilarious appearances by Alex McCord (BRAVO's THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK) and Jill Larson (ABC's ALL MY CHILDREN).

manhattanitesthemovie.com.

Q&A With Manhattanites Director Gregori J. Martin

Q: What inspired you to write this story about this group of Manhattanites?

GJM: Roger Newcomb inspired me! The radio show I was a part of for several years grew very close to my heart. It was a pleasure helping Roger turn his radio series into a feature film script and watching these characters come to life on screen!

Q: When you were writing the script, were you aware of any of the common threads or common themes?

GJM: Oh, very much so. With a couple of additional characters, the film is almost entirely based on the radio show!

Q: What is it about a film composed of many short stories, many vignettes that appeals to you?

GJM: Life isn’t only about one person’s story. Most of my scripts follow several characters lives. It’s just so much more interesting! The world doesn’t revolve around one person, despite what some people may think! (wink, wink)

Q: How did you find just the right balance of comedy and drama?

GJM: I’m not sure how Roger would answer this, but for me, I would say it was very simple. Life can be very comedic and very dramatic at the same time. I think we (Roger and I) have very different humor at times and that had a lot to do with creating a balance. It’s a very conversational piece. These characters are very New York. New Yorkers are naturally comedic and dramatic at the same time!

Q: What are your influences as a writer and filmmaker?

GJM: Growing up with three sisters, soaps were always playing on the television, and nothing else, so as a kid I grew up watching ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and SANTA BARBARA, later becoming a fan of ANOTHER WORLD and GENERAL HOSPITAL. As I got older, and had my own TV and VCR in my bedroom I became a big fan of Stephen King and Wes Craven and when I began to pursue a career as a writer/director my films/screenplays were all horrors or psychological thrillers. When Roger asked me to help turn his dramatic series into a feature it was a real pleasure. I tapped into my childhood memories and my soap upbringing came in handy! It really helped me help Roger create this screenplay. Anything dark in the film is totally me! For me, Kubrik, Friedkin, and Fincher, are very inspiring directors, though I can’t say they were in my mind much when directing this.

INTERVIEW: Manhattanites Director Gregori J. Martin

Manhattanites director, Gregori J. Martin, was a guest on "Stardish Radio" last night.

EVENT: Ilene Kristen At The Triad

If you have never seen Manhattanites star Ilene Kristen perform live, you are missing a wonderful show. She is one of the most entertaining people I've ever seen.

She will be performing at The Triad on Saturday, November 1, at 9pm. There is a $20 cover and 2 drink minimum (see below for additional details).

The Triad is the perfect venue to see Kristen and I can guarantee you the music will be amazing, and you'll be laughing non-stop at her commentary between songs. If you're in the New York City area, don't miss it.

Manhattanites Trailer

Here is the official trailer for the upcoming Loger, Inc film, Manhattanites, starring ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Ilene Kristen, Forbes March and David Fumero, as well as ALL MY CHILDREN's Aiden Turner and Jill Larson. The film was directed by Gregori J. Martin and co-directed by Darnell Williams.

INTERVIEW: Manhattanites Star Ilene Kristen

Kristen, who plays Marilyn in the upcoming Manhattanites, was a guest on "Stardish Radio" earlier this week and had a lot to say about the upcoming election, her roles on the soaps and more.

Manhattanites Update

- Photo by Sue Coflin, who also appears in the film

We have received a number of inquiries about when the Loger, Inc film, Manhattanites, will be released so we wanted to provide an update here. For those who don't know, Roger Newcomb and Lyle Kamenir, who formed Loger, Inc a few years back, were the Executive Producers of the film. Newcomb wrote the script with long-time friend, Gregori J. Martin, who directed and starred in the movie. The film stars several familiar faces to soap fans including Ilene Kristen, Forbes March, Aiden Turner, David Fumero and Jill Larson.

We held a very successful two night industry screening in late May with the cast (see photo), crew, potential distributors and a few select guests from press.

Over the past few weeks we have been working on final edits and sound design. We are shaving a few minutes off the film and perfecting the sound but it will not be radically different than the version we screened, just a cleaner version. That process should be completed by the end of June at which time we will begin a big push with distribution companies.

The next steps could play out in a number of ways. The film could get picked up right away and you'll see it on DVD in the not too distant future. We may also visit some select film festivals to stir up interest. Either way, the process has been a fun ride so far and we're sure it will continue to be.

REVIEW: I’ll Take Manhattan(ites)

Marlena De Lacroix blogs: "My friend Roger Newcomb, who is the editor of We Love Soaps, invited Moose and I to attend a Tribeca screening of Manhattanites, the film he co-produced with Lyle Kamenir. We really enjoyed it, and I think you’ll like it too, especially if you are a soap fan."

Manhattanites After Party

We had a wonderful time at the second night of screening for the Loger, Inc film, Manhattanites. Here's a shot from the after party at Mixx Lounge with our dear friend Anne Sayre (ex-Mitzi, ATWT).

http://welovesoaps.com/screening5.jpg

Last night was the first industry screening for the Loger, Inc film, Manhattanites. We are screening again on Thursday night in Tribeca.

From left: Gregori J. Martin, Derrell Whitt, Lyle Kamenir, Roger Newcomb

Audio suds: Eye of the Storm, Scripts and Scruples, Manhattanites, Westways, The Archers, and more…

From the Noir Dame blog:
Amazing casting certainly plays a part in ROCKLAND COUNTY, a continuing soap project created by Roger Newcomb of Loger, Inc. Each episode is recorded via telephone voice mail by the performers, a seeming limitation which actually enables many well-connected actors, as well as up-and-comers, to participate. Since Newcomb’s long-time favorite soap is the aforementioned Another World, it is a happy surprise to hear the solid soaper Kale Browne (ex-”Michael Hudson”, ANOTHER WORLD, and currently starring on Days of Our Lives) on several episodes of Rockland County.

Newcomb’s other project is SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES, which has continued for several years, most recently culminating in the connected indie film Manhattanites, a film which ended primary photography this past December. Judging by the trailer, it looks like a lot of fun for fans of soaps both past and present. I’d mention that the actors here have great chops, only it looks like someone will get chopped during the run-time of the film. Forbes March and David Fumero of ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and Aiden Turner of ALL MY CHILDREN are just some of the familiar faces here. Darnell Williams, ex-ALL MY CHILDREN, co-directs with Newcomb’s long-time collaborator Gregori J. Martin.