Racquetball/Zen
A story of personal transformation, social healing, Zen, and racquetball.
Cindy Tilbury
Alex Glaros
Alex Glaros
Erika Manilla
EDITING PROGRESS: as if November 29, 2024: Completed pages 1-25 and page 112 of 120 page script. Editing is 21% done.
After editing, film will be sent professional color and audio tech to meet industry standards. Then, finally goes to the distributor.
Very rough release date estimated to be around March 2025. Date will be updated as work progresses.
In addition to being my hero and friend, Al Tolento is an incredibly charasmatic actor. Below is a rough cut before real audio added, etc. Al plays the role of a Zen instructor. His trademark is the racquetball he carries aroud with him. https://www.rocketballmovie.com/ Was Al born cool or what!
A criminal joins a Zen monastery with the intent to scam a wealthy family, but little does he know that he's off to a new path of spiritual awakening.
StrengthsThe themes you've explored in this script are nothing short of sublime, imbued as they are within the very fabric of the narrative. What I found particularly enthralling about this piece of writing was that it delves into dense and weighty subjects without ever resorting to preachiness. The film engages with the current political climate, social issues, economic disparity, inclusivity, and mental health in a manner that is at once nuanced and incisive. It is a beautifully crafted work of social commentary.
The plot of the film unfolds at a pleasingly measured pace, albeit with a slow-burn sensibility that only serves to heighten the impact of the events depicted. This film takes its time, savoring each morsel of wisdom that is imparted to our protagonist as they undergo a profound transformation.
The underlying structure of this script is rock-solid, with each character possessing a voice that is richly distinctive. For example, there is a certain calming quality to Etmanu's speech, as he carefully weighs each word before uttering it. In contrast, Christian's internal conflict is palpable in his more frenetic dialogue; he has a conflicted mind. These subtle nuances are not easily achieved and speak to the depth of the writing.
Furthermore, the script is elegantly structured, with a clear beginning, middle, and end that imbue the narrative with a sense of symmetry and balance. That being said, it could potentially be refined and condensed, with the page count reduced to 105.
In summary, this film strikes an exquisite balance between the cerebral artistry of festival cinema and the populist appeal of commercial cinema. It has the potential to attract the attention of both mini-major studios and streaming platforms, and with a little finesse in the scripting, it could be destined for great things.
Inclusion, restorative justice, and sports as a mind-focusing skill.
Many years ago I introduced racquetball to a young boy from the neighborhood when I was attending UMass Boston. The boy loved racquetball and at first mispronounced it as "rocketball". That stuck with me and 40 years later, I wrote that incident into the one of the scenes in act I.
(note: Crowdfunding phase has concluded)
Read it and tell me you don't agree it is a killer beginning!
The trailer has that rolling ball scene a little similar to how the real movie will be shot. Here's a behind the scenes explanation how the rolling ball was shot. It is not some CGI footage copied off the web. I made the clip myself. After many tries, the ball would not roll to the camera to cover the lens, so I laid the camera on the floor, held the ball against the lens to block out all light, and flicked the ball away from the camera. In the editing booth I ran the clip backwards so it looks like the ball is rolling faster and faster towards you till it blocks out all light.
Every scene has some of this detail pre-planned into it. I can't wait to get all the ideas into action.
The movie ends with the same ball, handed to the leader, after the protagonist completes her hero's journey. The leader (played by Izzy Torres) rolls it on the floor. The ball meanders around the racquetball court until it accelerates into the camera lens. Movie ends!
The racquetball represents symmetry embedded throughout the film.
The goal of film is to support racquetball with specific strategies.
(1) The film will awaken interest in racquetball from (a) people around the world that never heard of it (b) people that used to play in college but got busy with life and drifted away.
(2) On the film's website, newly interested people will find paths to play. It will have links to organizations such as yours, rball instructors, where to play, equipment retailers, and even rball ambassadors to get them in the court. Examples include: https://dailyracquetball.com and https://broadcastracquetball.com
The project is a money-losing proposition for me but I am using film to grow the sport.
Many years ago the California state racquetball site got hacked. I heard about it and stepped in, working under Peggine Tellez and Steve Cook, to restore it and volunteered to work for free to keep the website going until a permanent webmaster could be found. This film is made in a similar vein, but to save courts around the country from closing down.