He’s no stranger to writing success, and has tackled everything from novels to stage plays to screenplays. Veteran writer Scott Fivelson has a unique gift for communicating satire, dry wit, and drama in the turn of a phrase, the subtle delivery of a line. He’s also quite the sleuth in that he can introduce a series of clues into character dialogue that attracts intellectual viewers thirsty for smart stories.
He has authored acclaimed books such as Tuxes, a satirical tale of a rich Texas family in the vein of Dallas meets Dynasty; and Johnny Passe - a novella in which Frank Sinatra records are as highly prized as The Maltese Falcon. He’s written stage plays such as Dial L for Latch-Key, and co-authored the film (along with Junior Burke) "American Reel," a comedy/drama about the music business, starring David Carradine in one of his best-ever performances as singer-songwriter "James Lee Springer," Fivelson keeps busy, and his current Indie film making the film festival rounds is Three Holes, Two Brads, and a Smoking Gun – a drama about a student and his screenwriter teacher vying for the rights to what appears to be the best script ever written.
The script was submitted by the student as original for critique. However, the story takes a dark turn as the mystery of who actually wrote the script begins to unveil and greed takes over causing the body count to pile up. The movie stars James Wilder (Melrose Place), Joaquim de Almeida (Desperado), Rudolf Martin (Swordfish), Richard Edson (Platoon), and introduces Zuher Khan in his first acting role and also as producer of the film.
Writers and actors often develop great friendships that lead to working together on multiple projects. International actor Rudolf Martin, who has a cameo appearance in Three Holes, and is working again with Fivelson on his next big film shared his thoughts on the project.
“I think the film was at least 50% finished when he asked Joaquim De Almeida and myself to come on board. He added those two characters very late in the process. I think that's just the way he works, you'd have to ask him about it. The role was entirely Scott Fivelson's creation as is the whole story, obviously. It might even be slightly autobiographical, I'm afraid. I think he made a deal with the devil when he was younger, a la Robert Johnson at the Crossroads.”
Fivelson gets very excited when talking about it – about any of his work – and will tell you that Three Holes “is along the lines of an Agatha Christie novel, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) directed by John Huston which even gets mentioned in the script.
When asked if he will be working with Fivelson in future, Martin responded with
“I already have, a very different project that I'm excited to see, a .. biography of sorts about the great director Oskar Knight!”
He goes on to say
“Well, my role in the film is really myself…. I did not actually work with Lenny (Von Dohlen who plays Oskar Knight) nor any other actors due to the format of the film. I have seen bits and pieces since and am very excited to see this film, it is a true labor of love and a tribute to the history of cinema and one of its forgotten heroes.”
The film, Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story, is a Hollywood biopic about the life of American director Oskar Knight, a docu-drama which Fivelson both wrote and directed. The film is currently in post-production and at least one year away from release to the public. He describes Oskar Knight with trademark Scott Fivelson wit.
It’s a
“deeply nostalgic movie that often resembles the coffee-table volumes whose photos have immortalized that bygone era in filmmaking, 'Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story' is a tribute to both the director and the times in which he lived. An era before Craigslist.”
The Golden Age of Hollywood is detailed here in the manner of the time for which it depicts and stars actor Lenny Von Dohlen (Twin Peaks, Tender Mercies), and includes interviews with Hollywood actors such as Oscar winner Margaret O'Brien (Meet Me in St. Louis), Portuguese Golden Globe winner Joaquim de Almeida (Clear and Present Danger, Fast Five), Julianna Guill (Friday the 13th, The Apparition), Lawrence Pressman (Mad Men, The Hellstrom Chronicle) , Rudolf Martin (Swordfish, 24), Kristina Anapau (Black Swan, True Blood), and many more.
On having Dohlen stepping into the shoes of Knight, Fivelson enthuses:
“Lenny Von Dohlen is the best. He has always been an actor's actor, right from his earliest roles in films like 'Tender Mercies' and 'Jennifer 8.' On this project, Lenny's fondest hope, from the start, was that he do justice to the man. And that he did. Lenny Von Dohlen IS Oskar Knight."
As Von Dohlen channels Oskar Knight, so does Renee Rivera embody Norma Knight.
"It was important to me that actress Renee Rivera (who plays Oskar's wife, Norma) should be seen in our film wearing the actual fashions worn by Norma Knight. And I expected, you know, that they'd only be found at auction at Sotheby's -- and this isn't big-budget, this film. But you'd be amazed how many Norma Knight outfits you can still ferret out around L.A. Naturally, our first stop was the retro shops on Melrose. And Silverlake -- they've got a whole Norma Knight thing going on there..."
His work is never predictable and always full of surprises.
With two major projects in the works, and an endless need to bring good stories to the stage and screen, it is certain the film industry will be seeing much more in future from Scott Fivelson.
Keep up with screenings of Three Holes, Two Brads, and a Smoking Gun on their Facebook page here. Follow the progress of Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story here.
Michele Gwynn is a freelance journalist in San Antonio, Texas, an author, and contributing writer for Examiner.com, Yahoo Voices, and several online magazines and websites.