BANG! The Media

In! Los Angeles Magazine

Interview - Anthony Mora
by Paul Winslow

In 1998, "BANG! A Love Story" was published in hardcover by Dunhill Publishing Company. In this, his first novel, Anthony Mora tells the story of the relationship between a bright, precocious, gun-toting teenage girl and a middle-aged journalist who is drawn into a scenario which includes cults, kidnaping and a cross country escape.

In 1999, Anthony adapted "BANG!" for the stage. The premiere performances took place at the Acme Theater in Los Angeles and The American Place Theater in Manhattan. The play featured Linda Cardellini in the lead role of the pistol-packing, precocious Janie. Linda is best known for her role in "Freaks and Geeks" and most recently as Velma in the Warner Brothers feature film "Scooby Doo."

Now comes "BANG!" the film. Anthony, who wrote the screenplay, is also the film's producer. The project stars newcomer, Ryan Cluett.

Anthony Mora began his career as a freelance journalist writing for such publications as US, Playboy, and Rolling Stone. In the late '80s, Anthony co-founded Phillips & Mora Entertainment, a public relations/personal management firm that eventually entered the production arena, producing several instructional videos as well as feature films. He is currently president and CEO of Anthony Mora Communications, Inc., a Los Angeles-based media relations firm. The author of two non-fiction books on media relations, Anthony has been featured in such media as USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and other media.

in!: You run a media relations firm, but you're also a personal manager?

Mora: They are a good fit. Because of my background in journalism and public relations, I approach management a bit differently than most other firms. To me, PR is an essential element of any overall career plan. I often combine the two, which is not the way most managers work. Some clients only need PR while others need management and PR. Each situation is different, but it's often the media that we generate that initially launches a career.

in!: Janie, the lead character in "BANG!," has been described as a female Holden Caufield. Do you see her that way?

Mora: If Janie were asked the question, I think she'd see herself more as Huck Finn than Holden Caufield, although I don't think she'd want to compare herself to any male character.

in!: You've taken the project from novel, to play, to feature film. Which step has been the most rewarding, or the most difficult?

Mora: We're still in the early stages of the film process. But having been involved in film production in the past, I'd have to say that, from the writer's point of view, making the film is the most difficult process. It's where a writer has the least amount of control. In the worlds of novels and plays, the writer is king. In the film world, the writer is pretty far down the totem poll.

in!: Is that why you chose to produce the project as well?

Mora: I figure this will give me some illusion of control.

in!: Janie contemplates joining a cult started by a pretty crazed character named Eden, a former TV talk show host and an ex-con. Where did the idea for Eden come from?

Mora: I've been involved with the media as a journalist, editor, writer, producer and PR executive, and have seen firsthand the impact that the media has on who we are and what we think. From my perspective, the media is no longer an instrument that delivers information. It's a process that shapes what we think and believe. When you take all that into consideration, who better to serve as the leader of a religion than an ex-talk show host?

in!: You chose Linda Cardellini to play Janie in the play. Linda's career is taking off and she's now co-starring in "Scooby Doo." You seemed to pick well there. You've decided to go with newcomer, Ryan Cluett for the film. How did that decision come about?

Mora: I loved working with Linda in the play version of "BANG!" I think everyone involved in the play knew that she was on her way. I'd like to see her in some sexier roles though. She has a much wider range than we've seen. As to the film, we had read over seventy actresses for the role and were pretty much in a burn-out mode. Ryan showed up at my office unannounced with her photo and resume in hand. Pulling such a stunt would usually just anger me, but in this case it worked. To be honest, the headshot she was using wasn't the best and I might not have called her in otherwise. Once I saw her, I knew she had the perfect look and hoped she could act. Once we read her, that was it. We'd found Janie.

Watch for his new book, "SPIN to WIN" which will be published in late Fall.

You can learn more about Ryan Cluett in the Special Fall issue of in! Magazine or find them on the web at http://www.inmag.com.




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