Columnist Jerry Fink: Filmmaker slashing way to the top

Next week's 8th annual CineVegas Film Festival, which runs June 10-18 at the Palms, will attract hundreds of independent filmmakers from all over the country.

Las Vegan Michael A. Tessiero won't be among them. He will be busy decapitating Steve Rossi.

Tessiero is a budding independent producer who is working on his first two projects, low-budget horror films "Death Ranch" and "Death Ranch, the Given."

The first film stars Tessiero (who also is the producer, director, composer and creator), Rossi and newcomer Glenda Tangen. Phil Maloof (uncle of the Maloof brothers) has a small part in the film. So does comedian Joey Villa, who recently suffered a stroke and is recovering at Spring Valley Hospital.

Rossi plays the role of a sheriff in the first film. He will lose his head in a particularly gruesome scene, one that might be in the same league as actor Ray Liotta eating his own brain in the 2001 film "Hannibal."

In "Death Ranch, the Given," Rossi will play the role of an FBI agent. Tessiero and Tangen also will star in the second film.

Both films are being shot in and around Las Vegas.

"I'm working on five films, and four more are in the planning stage -- every one of them involves Las Vegas," Tessiero, founder of Mikeet Productions, said.

The low-budget films cover a wide range -- a gay and lesbian love story; stories about the mob; stories about world disasters.

But the first two are horror flicks.

"There is always a demand, and they are easier to sell to distributors," Tessiero said.

Tessiero says a lot of independent filmmakers overlook the obvious -- make sure to have a source of distribution before making a movie.

He said when he pitched "Death Ranch" to distributors they liked it, but asked him to make two.

"The distributors will work with you if you have a good project," Tessiero said.

And so he is shooting two films simultaneously.

Tessiero says there are a lot of little details that drive up the cost of films. These details, which Tessiero refers to as minefields for the independent producer, include soundtracks.

"If your film has a soundtrack that includes music that is copyrighted, licensing fees can make the low-budget film too expensive for the distributor," he said.

Tessiero solves that problem by writing his own music for his own music publishing company -- and instead of a 40-piece orchestra hires a percussionist and keyboardist, who create the sound of an orchestra on a synthesizer.

Modern technology has been a godsend for independent producers -- a $1 million film, such as "Death Ranch," can have the look of a $20 million film, thanks to computerized cameras (whose purchase price has dropped from about $1.6 million to $160,000).

The high-definition cameras don't even use film.

"The cameras shoot directly to a hard drive," Tessiero said.

After the shooting and editing are completed, the information on the hard drive is transferred to film.

This allows for some amazing feats -- entire scenes are created in the camera: costumes are added to characters; explosions take place that never happened; scenery and props are created that didn't exist; characters are generated.

All of this is a boon to the independent filmmaker on a limited budget.

Tessiero, a native of New York, only recently became involved in making his own films. He first lived in Vegas from 1976 to 1980.

"Basically, I was running around enjoying myself," he said.

While he was enjoying himself he opened the city's first video store -- when Beta videotape was used instead of VHS.

He also bought some video equipment from a company going out of business.

Tessiero eventually returned to New York, made some corporate training films, sold the equipment and enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts -- where he met a diamond cutter.

"He taught me how to cut diamonds and I ended up a graduate gemologist," he said.

Tessiero was diverted from his film career for a few years, busy with his lucrative diamond-cutting business.

But he remained involved with films, primarily raising money for other independent filmmakers making low-budget movies.

Eventually, he got back into the business -- bit parts in films, roles in commercials -- and learned it from top to bottom, until he felt knowledgeable enough to strike out on his own.

Now he is setting up a local studio.

"I want to make money," Tessiero said. "But it's not all about making money -- it's the challenge of creating something from the ground up; figuring the whole game out and making it work."

Dusk settles

Matt Dusk is a busy crooner these days.

Since his brief gig at the Las Vegas Hilton showroom last year he has performed in Asia, the Middle East, Canada and, of course, Las Vegas, where he has had a home for a couple of years.

He will be at the Golden Nugget's Theatre Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. nightly through June 20. Tickets are $45.

"We perform all over the world," Dusk said. "One of the most difficult things these days is finding more than four weeks in a row in one spot, so I'm happy to be in Vegas for five weeks."

When the gig ends Dusk will prepare for his second album, which he will begin recording in August for Capitol Records.

"The new album will be out in February," he said. "It will be a lot more classic sounding -- the plans are to have a big band and to perform half originals and half classic standards."

His first album for a major label was "Two Shots," a project that landed him his first gig at the Nugget and a starring role in the Fox reality TV series "The Casino," which followed his budding career for several weeks.

Dusk says the new album will give him the opportunity to get back to his roots -- swing and the standards.

"I do a lot of that in the new show," he said. "There is so much great music out there -- every time I do another show I try to change up the repertoire.

"Because I've been singing the music awhile, I have quite a catalog of songs."

Dusk says when he isn't busy touring these days, he divides his time between homes in Las Vegas and his native Toronto.

"The thing I love about Vegas is there is so much to do," he said. "You never know who you are going to meet -- good or bad."

Sand Dollar bash

The new owner of the Sand Dollar blues club is a McKnight in shining armor.

Hundreds of fans showed up for Pat McKnight's grand reopening bash, held Saturday night at the 3,500-square-foot lounge at Spring Mountain Road and Polaris Avenue.

Scott Rhiner & The Moanin' Black Snakes, for years the house band at the venue, was the featured entertainment.

True to its heritage, the club was an eclectic cross-section of society, from businessmen to bikers.

In an interview shortly before the Sand Dollar reopened, the 41-year-old McKnight said: "I want people to know we are committed to blues and good talent.

"We're going to bring back the most popular talent that used to perform here, but we're also going to search for talent throughout the country -- we're going to take the Sand Dollar to another level."

From 2 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. June 12, the Southern Nevada Blues Association will present its Spring Blues Bash at the Sand Dollar.

Among the performers will be Bluesstorm, the Spellcasters; Iya Khan & The Would Be Kings, Vegas Blues Kings, Moody Scott & Positive Force and the Moanin' Black Snakes.

The Sand Dollar is located at 3355 Spring Mountain Road.

The party's over

The 18th -- and final -- annual Black Tie Ball at the Gold Coast will begin at 6 p.m. Monday.

DJ Larry Taylor began hosting weekly ballroom dance sessions at the venue in 1987. The Black Tie Ball, where guests wear formal and semi-formal attire, has been an annual highlight for fans since its inception.

Taylor says he has been looking for a new room for the 2,000 fans on his mailing list, but so far has not found anyone willing to provide the space.

Although the ball is coming to an end, the weekly dances (held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays) will continue until Sept. 15.

"I can't get mad at the Gold Coast," said Taylor, who has been a DJ in Vegas since 1971. "I've got to be the luckiest guy in the world -- I signed a two-week contract here in 1987 and stretched it out to 18 years."

He says he understands the Gold Coast's reasoning -- the hit musical "Forever Plaid" took over the ballroom dancing time slot on Sundays, and in September "Monday Night Football" returns, which will take away the Monday time slot.

Brenner extended

David Brenner's engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton's Shimmer Cabaret has been extended through Dec. 31.

"David has been at the top of his game here," spokesman Ira David Sternberg said in a prepared statement. "His observations on life and Las Vegas, as well as his topical humor, have generated an excitement that attracts new fans as well as repeat business."

Brenner's comedy career began with his debut on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson in 1971.

He has written five books. The latest is "I Think There's a Terrorist in My Soup: How to Survive Personal and World Problems with Laughter -- Seriously."

Brenner performs at 8 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays. Tickets are $50. For information call 732-5755.

Stand-up guy

While Brenner has been performing for more than 30 years, relative newcomer James Scott is still looking for his big break.

The Vegas resident has performed locally with comedian Vinnie Favorito (headliner at the Horseshoe), at the Plaza's "Comedy Zone" and at other venues since arriving in Las Vegas from Cleveland in 2001.

"I take occasional gigs here and there," Scott said recently as he prepared to head for a Saturday night gig at a nightclub in Barstow, Calif.

After that he says he will be touring the country, including comedy clubs in Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia and Canada.

Then he will be back in Vegas.

Scott, 36, has been performing professionally for nine years. He says his motivation comes from a murdered friend.

"Before he was killed in college I promised him I would pursue a career in comedy," Scott said.

Scott attended the police academy in Cleveland and worked for a while as a police officer before giving up law enforcement for entertainment.

He decided to pursue his comedy career in Vegas because the comedians here are more like those out of the past -- classy and stylish.

"In Los Angeles everyone is trying to step on each other's toes or steal each other's jokes," Scott said.

Comedian ailing

As noted earlier in this column, veteran comedian Joey Villa is at Spring Valley Hospital, where friends say he is recovering from a stroke suffered last week.

Villa was close friends with Frank Sinatra and with Sinatra's closest friend, Jilly Rizzo. He gave a eulogy at Rizzo's funeral when the restaurateur and Sinatra ally was killed in a car crash in 1992 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Most recently Villa hosted a celebrity brunch at the Gold Coast.

Jackson snubbed

A spokesman for Steve Wynn has denied a report by syndicated TV news show "Celebrity Justice" that Wynn has been courting Michael Jackson to headline at Wynn Las Vegas -- if Jackson is acquitted of child molestation charges at his ongoing trial in Santa Maria, Calif.

The spokesman sent the denial to the TV show four days after "Celebrity Justice" reported that Wynn and Jackson have held several meetings over the past 18 months.

Rainbow opens

Rainbow Bar & Grill, a famous Los Angeles hot spot, will host a grand opening of its Vegas branch tonight and Saturday.

Brothers Jerry and Bob Greenberg, brothers and renowned record executives, own the venue.

The Greenbergs have been music executives for more than 30 years and have worked with artists, including AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Alice Cooper.

Fans of the original Rainbow Bar & Grill include Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne and family and Guns N' Roses.

The Vegas location will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Vegas views

The Aliante master-planned community in North Las Vegas will host its second annual "Summer Country Kick-Off" concert at Nature Discovery Park from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Guests are asked to bring picnic blankets and lawn chairs. Food and refreshments will be available for sale.

Nature Discovery Park is located at 2627 Nature Park Drive, near Aliante Parkway, U.S. 95 and I-215.

"Aventurera" (billed as "the most successful Mexican musical melodrama of all time") will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Aladdin's Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Tickets range from $45 to $110.

"Aventurera" is a three-hour, interactive production based on the play by Alvaro Custodio.

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