KERBEROS
KERBEROS
Written and Directed by Kely McClung
Starring Kely McClung, Robert Pralgo, Stan Harrington,and introducing
Whitney Sullins
THE MOVIE
KERBEROS is a feature film shot with a micro-crew on a micro-budget, yet has a huge cast, over 70 locations, a truly memorable score, a soundtrack both poignant, and at times, seriously hard driving, with 17 songs from 8 bands from Australia, the UK, and of course, the United States.
The attention to detail and composition was taken to an even higher level by the high end color grading and mastering in 2K at Digital Film Design, while the movie’s soundtrack was mixed and mastered at the world famous Twickenham Film Studios n London, in the same mixing theater that mastered such films as Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth - the Golden Age, The Crying Game, and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by BAFTA award winning sound engineers Craig Irving and Rob James.
KERBEROS is by far the smallest budgeted movie ever considered for their work, much less completed there!
THE SYNOPSIS
"The great thing about independent film today is there is no reason or excuse to limit yourself in terms of acting, production values, or story content.”
Mike Finn's promise of putting his violent life behind him is shattered when his young friend, the daughter of an out of control cop, photographs her father and his partner killing two men in a vicious shakedown. When the girl is kidnapped by corrupt Federal Agents posing as his former partners, the lives of everyone Finn knows are pulled into a relentless vortex by the dirty cops convinced Finn has her, the Feds waiting on Finn to pound his way to them, and a dozen low-lifes from all sides sensing the chance of a huge, multi-million dollar score.
KERBEROS is named after the monstrous three-headed dog in Greek mythology guarding the Gates Of Hades, ostensibly a vicious action/crime thriller, was written not only as a character study of one man, but as the study of one man’s character.
The nature and concept of modern fiction’s tough guy guide the compressed timeline of actions, relationships, and motives of the story’s three heads, here represented by Finn, Armstrong, and Menacci - in a movie ultimately about guilt, responsibility,and the search for redemption.
THE ACTORS
Kely McClung the actor, (Mike Finn) has appeared and/or starred in nearly 20 feature films. Originally brought to Los Angeles after winning the World Title in Full Contact Stickfighting, Kely quickly found himself both in front of, and behind the scenes. From American Ninja to HBO’s AM Session, fiercely dedicated to every aspect of filmmaking, Kely continues to study and push his acting. Here in the role of Mike Finn, the tough guy with a heart racked with pain and guilt, Kely brings all his talent and experience to the part to create a genuinely memorable and believable hero.
Robert Pralgo, (Lester Armstrong) is one of those amazing talents that is just now starting to get recognition from his 20 years of hard work and dedication to the craft, studying with gifted teachers in New York and Los Angeles,having been in or starred in nearly 30 films and numerous TV shows. He recently gained recognition as the bomber Sgt. George Polarski on Army Wives, and now asMayor Charles Lockwood on the CW’s Vampire Diaries. Rob’s leading man looks and charm are presented here as a thin veneer to Armstrong’s sociopathic personality.
Stan Harringon, (Tony Menacci) an award winning filmmaker and screenwriter in his own right, brings a nearly out of control menace and intensity to his role. His dedication and years of work in front of the camera and on stage, as both a director and an actor, is taken to the limits as thedirty cop who is fighting desperately to survive another day. Stan lives and works in Los Angeles as the theater manager of the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood.
Whitney Sullins, (Katie Menacci) was chosen after auditioning nearly 200 people. She brings a genuine innocence and sense of naivete to the role, and hits emotional levels that actors and actresses many times her senior in experience have yet to find. The role of Katie,defiant, scared, emotionally and physically abused, was never written maudlin or sappy, and Whitney brings the strength and determination that defines not just her character but is one of the underlying themes of the movie.
THE DIRECTOR
"As the writer/director and producer of KERBEROS, I spent months soul-searching and deliberating over playing one of the lead roles as Mike Finn.”The unique combination of emotional transparency and physical prowess of the character was something I knew I could do, but I still spent time searching and reading dozens of other actors with the thought of replacing myself. As the movie turned out, and people like the engineers at Twickenham who are used toworking with A-list directors like John Madden and Mikael Håfström, and first reviews from test screenings have borne out, I know I made the right decision.”
Kely McClung the director, though relatively new as a director, has already had a remarkably diverse career behind the camera as a screenwriter (24 screenplays), an editor (3 features and numerous film projects), a producer/line producer/1st AD (5 films), and has done everything from lighting and cinematography to stunts and fight choreography, and even hair and make up! KERBEROS (completed 2010) is Kely’s second feature film.
His first feature film, the action thriller Blood Ties, was shot on a micro-budget in three countries, with a cast of over one hundred people, and with a crew of two people! Blood Ties won Action on Film’s Action Film of the Year, Indie Fest USA’s Best of Festival, and Best Director and Best International Feature Film in numerous other film festivals including in Puerto Rico and England.
AM Session, his first short film, screened at the American Black Film Festival in a standing room only Writer’s Guild Theater showing, was nominated for the HBO Short Film Awards, and has played on HBO for the past two years.
Besides starting on his next projects, DUST TO HEAVEN and ALTERED, Kely just finished returned form LA and Hollywood where he Co-Produced and Guest Directed on the "destined to be cult classic" CREED - a bloody vampire tale based on true events!
KERBEROS, how do you say this name anyway?
Kerberos is the Greek spelling of the three-headed dog in Greek mythology that guards the Gates Of Hades, you can get in but you can’t get out,and is pronounced with a hard ‘K’. Later adopted by Roman mythology and Latinized to Cerberus, and then further Anglicized, it then was pronounced with the soft ‘C’ sound most people know it by.
The New KERBEROS Movie Trailer and Clips can be found on
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMovieKerberos
High resolution stills and galleries can be found on the website under “Production Stills”
Kely McClung's IMDB links
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565955/