Film Production

20 Questions
for a
Fresh Coast Filmmaker

Frankie Latina

By Liza Taylor
for FreshCoastEntertainment.com

1,460 shooting days + Super 8 + a Milwaukee filmmaker’s dream =

Modus Operandi

With virtually no budget, no rep, and mostly amateur actors, who woulda thunk this Midwestern boy would be giving Quentin Tarantino a run for his money in the feature film production business? He did it his way and is gaining acclaim and press for his bold 70’s- style, art- house exploitation independent film about a “desperate C.I.A agent on a mission to find the man who murdered his wife.” I had the opportunity to pick Milwaukee filmmaker Frankie Latina’s brain with twenty questions of my own, trying to find out what makes him tick. The verdict is in… he IS as sharp as he looks. Step into the world of this tenacious Fresh Coast writer-director-producer who isn’t afraid to take chances... after all, he let me write this.

- Liza T

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Born: 14 July 1978
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Italian American, son of counterculture parents, I was raised by two sets of grandparents—immigrant entrepreneurs on one side, and labor union activists on the other. My unique upbringing exposed me to the inspirational and contradictory values of the American dream.

(Sounds like the plotline for another movie Frankie… but probably not a 70’s exploitation one.)

Have you always wanted to be a filmmaker? If not, what did you want to do earlier?

I considered being a C.I.A. agent but I never pursued it.

(Hmm… could this be where the idea for Modus comes from?)

Tell us about some interesting jobs you’ve had….

My first job was when I was 14 as a dishwasher at the "Junction", a railroad themed restaurant. After that I have never been interested in working straight jobs.

(I hear ya… still having flashbacks about my short stint working in the kitchen at a nursing home. All aboard? Sorry- had to be done.)

How did you get interested in making movies?

Using my Uncle Dave's Super 8mm camera, I began making movies when I was a teenager. I aspired to explore the dark experiences of contemporary life and transform them into a phantasmagorical escape for my audience. My attitude can be summed up, in part, by my statement: "Filmmaking is my only weapon against impermanence.”

(Cool statement, but remember—there’s always cryogenics.)

Where/ how did you receive your training or learn how to make movies?

I worked as a sales clerk in video rental stores across Milwaukee, shooting experimental films on the weekends with friends and family members. Eventually I crossed from experimental work to narrative filmmaking. I studied film at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and I’m a graduate of MATA cable access.

(Apparently TV doesn’t rot everyone’s brains…)

What are some of your favorite films and why?

Coffy - This is the quintessential blaxploitation film starring Pam Grier.
Blue Velvet - This film could only come from a true auteur.
Pulp Fiction - This film exemplifies that all classics start and end with a flawless screenplay.
Apocalypse Now - This film brings out your deepest fears and makes you realize that all things in life are obtainable.
Le Samurai - Extremely stylish, with a certain je ne sais quoi.
A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick is untouchable.

(All spoken like a true maker of films… Blue Velvet freaked me out but I would expect it to be on Frankie’s “tops” list… and yes, auteur is a real word. Don’t feel bad- I had to look it up too.)

Give us a description of Modus Operandi?

Two briefcases with mysterious contents are stolen from top
Presidential candidate Squire Parks, setting off a deadly series of double-crosses and betrayals. Desperate warring factions of subterranean organizations will stop at nothing to gain possession of the sensitive material. A covert branch of the CIA calls on notorious black ops agent Stanley Cashay, who has been barely existing in a
semi-comatose twilight since the murder of his wife. Cashay is offered the identity of his wife’s killer in exchange for locating and returning the cases.

Agent Cashay uses the most dangerous weapons at his command, the telephone and his reputation, to unleash a bizarre assortment of operatives, including the deliciously sleazy Casey Thunderbird and exotic Tokyo-based special agent Black Licorice. Along with scores of other beguiling rogues, they initiate a horrifying chain of events,
including ruthless torture and brutal killings. When Cashay is finally in possession of the stolen materials, the contents of the briefcases shock even him, and he makes a decision that will change the course of history.

Cashay then sets the wheels in motion for bitter revenge and harsh justice, but not before the entire operation is nearly derailed as merciless underworld forces fight back. The final chapters play out as an increasingly surreal vision of modern reality, skirting the edge of
sanity and culminating with the wrath of the powerful Director Holiday, a man who would put the fear of God into God Himself.

(Can’t wait to see it… sounds bad- a**.)

How did you come up with the idea/ plot for Modus Operandi?

I have always had a love for art-house and exploitation films so I decided to bring the two genres together. Shooting Modus Operandi on video to save money would have been an insult to the genres. I had absolutely no money, so I had to shoot on Super 8 since it was the least expensive film stock. To start the screenwriting process I photocopied all of my favorite Helmut Newton pictures and used them as storyboards, then wrote notes and dialogue under each one.

(Helmut Newton: German- Jewish photographer best known for his photos of erotic, sado- masochistic and fetishistic scenes… per Wikipedia. Right… I’m not naturally a knower of obscure photography and film references.)

How long did it take you to do that project from start to finish?

After I had a cohesive story and a framework on paper, I began a four-year struggle to make it a reality.

(Wow… patience IS a virtue.)

What was the process (in a nutshell)?

The entire script was nontraditional. It consisted of storyboards in my notebook with camera notes and dialogue. I’m not a fan of improvisation on set especially when I am shooting at a three-to-one ratio. I structured my scenes around specific locations and architecture.

(Most of the movie was shot in/ around Milwaukee.)

What kind of acclaim has Modus been getting (film festivals, write- ups, etc.)?

Official Selection AFI Film Festival 2009 Official Selection CineVegas Film Festival 2009 Official Selection Chicago Underground Film Festival 2010

Official Selection Krakow Film Festival 2010
(No small potatoes… I’m not worthy.)

How have others described Modus Operandi?

“Modus Operandi is a trip. A fuzzed out ode to B-gangster films, ’60s political paranoia thrillers, ’80s late-night Skinemax, and raunchy underground cinema….an act of will shot on Super 8” — Filmmaker Magazine

“Latina is paying tribute to the ’70s here, but in a bizarre, formalist way: One scene might play like a retro spy spoof, the next like a British gangster flick, another like an experimental Warhol piece, and yet another like Italian neorealism … It’s never boring, as Latina throws enough random nudity and hilariously odd scenic juxtapositions at the audience to keep them amused … Expect it to appear on Quentin Tarantino’s Best of ’09 list.” — LA Weekly

“If you ever wondered what a James Bond film directed by Ed Wood would look like, here is your answer.” — Benjamin Spacek, Las Vegas Weekly

“See a corkscrew extract one eye of a presidential candidate … his other eye can see a stick of dynamite get stuck into the bloody socket.” — Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times

Is Modus available for the general public to view yet? (If so, where. If not, when.)

You can buy it on my website, or catch it at an art house cinema. (check my website for screening dates)

www.FrankieLatina.com

(…along with some cool merch)

Have you directed/ produced any other movies and are there any in the works?

I shot 7 short films before I shot Modus Operandi, I am currently shooting my new feature on Super 16.

(Movin’ on up… you know the melody… to the East side… but wait—Latina already lives there… oh.)

What inspires you?

Keeping a promise I made to my Mother.

(Awesome Midwestern values…what else can I say?)

What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to be a filmmaker?

Don't let anyone stand in your way including yourself.

(Amen brother.)

Anything you want to tell the “naysayers” you’ve encountered over the years?

I let my work speak for itself.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I would like to direct the first James Bond film starring a woman. “Jamie Bond”

(You go Frankie… you go.)

Modus Operandi Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/frankielatina#p/u/3/KAodGHstp_k

Are there any other contenders on the Milwaukee film scene right now?

Carlo "Vinnie" Besasie (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0078607/)
He will rise to the top very quickly as soon as he directs his first feature.

(When he wants to get a top- notch interview… just send him my way.)

Who are your main influences… film or otherwise?

Perseverance is the only thing I know.

(Is that THE Percy Verance? I kill myself.)