I stood on the sidelines for one the more interesting adventures early in the tenure of the Sam Park Revue in New York City. I don't know if it was during the first few months, when I was still temping, or if I had already gotten a real job, but for whatever reason, good or bad, I did not get involved with MM, and his lieutenants, CC and JJK, as they tried to make the dream of The Black Cougar a reality.
The Black Cougar was a complete vision for a movie by a guy from Yonkers named Silvio. Silvio hired MM, CC, and JJK to help with the production of the movie, which included everything from MM designing special effects sequences (including various smoke bombs, a scene in which some twenty miniature Black Cougar action figures "march" in unison with the help of a vaguely concealed rig of wire and wood, and perhaps design of the Cougar costume, as well), to on-site production support, to various minor, supporting roles on-screen in the movie, including a duo of spastic and suspiciously familiar looking thugs and donning of the Black Cougar costume in different action sequences by each of MM, CC, and JJK who have sufficiently different physiques to perhaps add even more to the legend of the Black Cougar.
The movie was about a superhero, the Black Cougar, who is the only superhero with the specific mission of "protecting kids." The plot of the movie involved the Black Cougar, who is the orphaned charge of a cantankerous old toy inventor, foiling a plot by the mayor of the local town to steal and sell the local town's children into slavery, to a cartel of cartoonish supervillains, including a South American drug lord, an Arab sheik, and someone fairly reminiscent of Condi Rice. It was goodhearted to an extreme, entertaining, and perhaps the slightest bit flimsy. Silvio's sons (who may have also been named Silvio) played the lead characters, one of whose name was also, surely, Silvio.
A special Black Cougar rap was commissioned for the movie, as was a closing hard rock anthem by a band whose name might have been Anaesthesia. All of this can be seen on the DVD, which may or may not come with a limited edition Black Cougar t-shirt. The entire movie, to my understanding, was conceived, financed, directed, and produced by Silvio - who is an incredibly energetic, charismatic, and I don't think I need to add, visionary filmmaker. He financed the movie (or at least paid our boys) from large rolls of $100 bills he kept in his pocket at all times. So he was a successful entrepreneur, as well, I'm guessing.
All of this by way of introduction, only, as from my outsiders perspective, I could never do the experience justice. And the incredible audition for the American Inventors TV program that JJK forwarded is only an entree to the wonderful world of the Cougar.
The Black Cougar was a complete vision for a movie by a guy from Yonkers named Silvio. Silvio hired MM, CC, and JJK to help with the production of the movie, which included everything from MM designing special effects sequences (including various smoke bombs, a scene in which some twenty miniature Black Cougar action figures "march" in unison with the help of a vaguely concealed rig of wire and wood, and perhaps design of the Cougar costume, as well), to on-site production support, to various minor, supporting roles on-screen in the movie, including a duo of spastic and suspiciously familiar looking thugs and donning of the Black Cougar costume in different action sequences by each of MM, CC, and JJK who have sufficiently different physiques to perhaps add even more to the legend of the Black Cougar.
The movie was about a superhero, the Black Cougar, who is the only superhero with the specific mission of "protecting kids." The plot of the movie involved the Black Cougar, who is the orphaned charge of a cantankerous old toy inventor, foiling a plot by the mayor of the local town to steal and sell the local town's children into slavery, to a cartel of cartoonish supervillains, including a South American drug lord, an Arab sheik, and someone fairly reminiscent of Condi Rice. It was goodhearted to an extreme, entertaining, and perhaps the slightest bit flimsy. Silvio's sons (who may have also been named Silvio) played the lead characters, one of whose name was also, surely, Silvio.
A special Black Cougar rap was commissioned for the movie, as was a closing hard rock anthem by a band whose name might have been Anaesthesia. All of this can be seen on the DVD, which may or may not come with a limited edition Black Cougar t-shirt. The entire movie, to my understanding, was conceived, financed, directed, and produced by Silvio - who is an incredibly energetic, charismatic, and I don't think I need to add, visionary filmmaker. He financed the movie (or at least paid our boys) from large rolls of $100 bills he kept in his pocket at all times. So he was a successful entrepreneur, as well, I'm guessing.
All of this by way of introduction, only, as from my outsiders perspective, I could never do the experience justice. And the incredible audition for the American Inventors TV program that JJK forwarded is only an entree to the wonderful world of the Cougar.
No comments:
Post a Comment