Arieanna was so kind to have an interview with mr. D. Ferriola on the blog of Searching Bones
SearchingBones (SB): When you wrote "Mr. Fix It",
did you have an actor in mind who you thought fit your vision of Lance Valenteen?
Darin
Farriola (DF): No. I try not to write with actors in mind. It limits the character
but most of all: if you can't get the actor you had in mind, it can really suck.
SB:
Is the name "Valenteen" a purposeful play on "Valentine"?
DF:
I strongly believe in making character names loosely resemble their identities…so
yes, Valenteen is a play on Valentine (but not the David Boreanaz movie )
SB:
How do you think "Mr. Fix It" can distinguish itself from "Hitch",
a movie with a similar plot line?
DF: I wrote Mr. Fix It in 2002, way
before anyone heard of Hitch. However I was happy when I saw it, because it is
quite different. The plot lines are very different and I strongly feel Mr. Fix
It has more depth and charm. The only similarity is that their professions are
similar. However, Hitch was nothing more than a re-imagining of the Cyrano de
Bergerac story (like Roxanne) in which Will Smith tells his clients how to "hook
up". Lance, however, actually dates the ex-girlfriend in an effort to make
his client look more appealing.
SB: How did you land David Boreanaz
for the role of Lance?
DF: David's management read the script and really
liked it. They approached us and after some meetings with David, I felt that his
inherent personality was very similar to the character. So although I never saw
him portray a vulnerable, comical romantic lead before I took a leap of faith…I'm
glad I did.
SB: What quality in Sophia finally catches Lance's eye,
if you can dish that?
DF: When you watch the film you'll see that it's
not just one quality. As is often the case, it's a series of things.
SB:
What scene in the movie came out completely different than how you thought it
would be?
DF: Everything was very well planned, storyboarded, rehearsed…when
you make movies independently on challenging budgets you have to over prepare.
Therefore no one scene really turned out different than I had hoped. Having said
that, the biggest surprise was how well the movie works as a whole. As a filmmaker
you always strive for a seemless, entertaining film but when you actually achieve
it…it's always a surprise.
SB: Were there any funny behind-the-scenes
moments?
DF: We did have fun, but no one moment stands out.
SB:
Who do you think this movie appeals to?
DF: This will sound cliche but
it appeals to everyone. Check out the review we just got on Filmthreat. The movie
has been called a "date movie" and not a "chick flick"…meaning
that guys can enjoy it too.
SB: When is the movie website coming out
and what URL?
DF: I'm currently creating a MySpace site for the film
and will let you know when it's up.
Thanks Darin for taking the time
to do the interview, we look forward to hearing more about Mr. Fix It!
~ SB ~
Hello Everyone:
The
serenade scene from Mr. Fix It was recently posted on the popular website YouTube.com.
Please feel free to forward the below link to any friends that you may want to
check it out...the more views it gets, the higher the chance of it getting on
YouTubes' front page - which would be great exposure for the film.
Mr.
Fix It will be released nationwide on DVD on December 26, 2006 backed with
a strong television premiere (negotiations are in process with several major cable
networks).
I really have appreciated all your support in making this
movie and hope everyone's doing well.
Mr. DF
vid clip
at camera part 2
MR.
FIX IT
by Eric Campos
(2006-09-04)
2006, Un-rated, 93 minutes
Get
ready to throw on an extra pair of super absorbant panties because this here is
a romantic comedy featuring everyone’s favorite Angel, David Boreanaz. It’s
gonna be a sticky ride.
Boreanaz plays Lance Valenteen, the self-appointed Mr. Fix It. Lance fixes shitty relationships between couples by making the relationships look…not so shitty. Newly dumped guys visit Lance at Mr. Fix It HQ where they plead their case, telling him of that one major flaw that saw their former significant other giving them the axe. Lance gathers the girl’s personal information, sets up a time and place to “accidentally” bump into her, worms his way into her heart, and then, just when she’s totally fallen for him, he takes her ex-boyfriend’s one major flaw and magnifies it, so that he becomes the biggest creep on the planet and the ex becomes Mr. Fantastic again and winds up with the girl. It’s easy money for Lance, but it comes at a price – Lance has no heart and this little business he’s started continues to deny him having one. But then, romantic comedy formula kicks in, and Lance is assigned to the one girl that might be able to dig deep enough into his chest to find that troublesome little organ that’s fabled to empower you to love.
Romantic
comedies come and go. You and I both know that. And there have been a few that
have had that certain power to stand the test of time – “Romancing the
Stone,” “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” and
“Irreversible” – movies that will always make you wanna grab the
one you love and do stuff to ‘em. Then there’s the rest of them, the
many, many rest of them, and the good ones are the ones that give us characters
that aren’t only worth spending time with, but characters you want to hang
out with long after the movie ends. The good ones make a connection with us, they’re
not just nap time fodder. And the good ones are truly romantic and comical, not
annoying and tragic. “Mr. Fix It” is one of the good ones. It’s
a great date movie that showcases Boreanaz’s ability to lead a romantic comedy.
Women will freak out as will the fellas when they see how freaky their ladies
get once the movie ends. Everyone wins!
DB's character runs an agency by the name of Mr. Fix It - He is the
guy you need when your relationship is down and the girl you loved dumped you.
He tries to fix it in searching contact with the girl, exploits her interests
and impersonates 'her perfect guy' - make her fall for him and then dump her just
before it gets to serious. Heartbroken she will see that the previous guy she
left isn't that bad at all. But of course it wouldn't be a movie without a little
twist in it.
Directed by
Darin Ferriola
Writing credits
Darin
Ferriola
Credited cast:
David Boreanaz .... Lance Valenteen
Alana De La Garza .... Sophia
"Holding Pattern"
& "Birds of A Feather" (closing credits), along with 3 other songs
from Dept. Store Girl are featured in "Mr. Fix It", a romantic comedy
starring Paul Sorvino, "Angel's" David Boreanaz, and "Maxim"
cover girl Alana De La Garza.