contemplating color
GULLY'S PARADISE (2024) 96 minutes
Synopsis: Gully Abrams is an old school bookie known for his empathic approach to his clients and stoic life style. In the final days of a distinguished career, he is confronted by Ai, legal online gambling, and a ruthless enemy. We meet his frosty wife, Sarah, a Broadway actor; some of his clients and colleagues; and witness his confrontation with Mellow Mel Stein who orders Gully's execution. A group of hackers gather in a surreal warehouse in the Meadowlands of New Jersey to destroy Mel's bank accounts and life. The film has a surprise ending.
The dialogue is improvised based on a script outline. There is considerable humor in the story with some stings of dramatic realism relating to addiction and co-dependency. Two of the actors have professional experience; the remaining cast is composed of friends who are poets, novelists, and others who wanted to be in a film.
There was no budget. The film was shot on the Apple Pro Max 15 iPhone without lighting or sound accessories. All sound track music is used with permission.
The film was produced almost entirely on the upper west side of Manhattan. Two scenes were filmed on Columbia University's campus during the early days of the student protests. Other scenes were created in the popular local gay bar Suite Tavern and the iconic Gotham Bar and Grill in Greenwich Village.
CREDITS:
A film by Shalom Gorewitz
coproduced by John Foy
with
David M. Katz
Annette Fox, SAG
Stan Hoffman
John Foy
John Blahnik
Darko Dejanovski
Meredith England
Josh Knoblich
Warner Wada
Lee Weinberg
Stephen Wisker
Rob Snyder
Charlie Morrow
Cassandra Bahr
Ann Barcan, SAG
Chaitanya Kadimisetty
Rachel Hadas
Bret Csencsitz
Rob Medaska
Robert Medaska III
Alexander Medaska
Oliver Kisza
Jesse Rosser
Chris Foy
Catherine Foy
John Peffer
Susan Greenspan
Michael Joseph
Drone Pilot
Chris Foy
Special Thanks to:
Omonia Cafe
Suite Tavern/
Chaitanya Kadimisetty
and
Chander Malik
Gotham Bar and Grill/
Bret and Cassanra Csencsitz
and
Gardenship
Poems
From Nine Lives
James Merrill
The Gambler's Song
Rachel Hadas
On 34th Street
David M. Katz
She Spent her
kid's Inheritance
Patterson-Mooney
On Broadway
Claude McKay
MUSIC
Shostakovich
By Muca Pazza
Live @ FMU
Used with permission
Tribe of Noise Production
En Roue Libre
By L’Esprit d’Sfign
Used with permission
Free Music Archive
Traditional Klezmer
Performed by G String Orchestra
Used with permission
About Me
By NDA
Used with permission
Tribe of Noise
Arab Sadness
By Serge Quadrado
Used with permission
Tribe of Noise
The Mafia
Mixkit
Used with permission
Soundstripe
Passing Fields
By Quantum
Used with permission
Soundstripe
Blue Night
Strata
By Moby
Used with permission
mobygratis.com
Rogue
By Cody Kurtz Martin
Used with permission
Soundstripe
Walking Dead
by Mixkit
Used with permission
A Bright Tomorrow
By Dustin Ransom
Performed by Cast of Characters
Used with permission
Soundstripe
Rough Rider
By Brendan St. Gelais
Performed by Wastelander
Used with permission
Soundstage
Jersey Schlang
By Hoskins and Clark
Used with permission
Courteous Chaos
By Aaron Sprinkle
Performed by Lone Canyon
Used with permission
Soundstripe
Hora Mittsibeles
By Alicia Svigals and Lauren Brody
Used with permission
Free Music Archive
Alaikum
By Dustin Ransom
Performed by Cast of Characters
Used with permission
Soundstripe
It’s Your Destiny
By Adrian Dominic Walther
Performed by Moments
Used with permission
Soundstripe