Assassination of a High School President (2008)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Brett Simon

Writers:

Tim Calpin (written by)
Kevin Jakubowski (written by)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Politics, popularity, paranoia, pharmaceuticals. Are you in?

Plot:

At a Catholic high school, the popular girl teams up with a sophomore newspaper reporter to investigate a case of stolen SAT exams. Once the duo target their suspects, a larger conspiracy is unearthed.

Cast

Mischa Barton	...	Francesca Fachini
Nick Blaemire	...	Byron
Zachary Booth	...	Rocky
Gabrielle Brennan	...	Chrissy Moore
Emily Brownell	...	Ms. Smart
Josh Caras	...	Marty Mullen (as Josh Barclay Caras)
Tomas Deckaj	...	Ben Striedel (voice)
Melonie Diaz	...	Clara
Mohamed Dione	...	Ongatumamwe
John Farrer	...	Faculty priest
Tanya Fischer	...	Sam landis
Laura Ford	...	DMV Lady
Luke Grimes	...	Marlon Piazza
Aaron Himelstein	...	Tad Goltz
Marc John Jefferies	...	Elliott Duncan
Zoë Kravitz	...	Valerie
John Magaro	...	Cipriato
Emily Meade	...	Tiffany Ashwood
Kathryn Morris	...	Nurse Platt
Josh Pais	...	Senor Newell
Adam Pally	...	Freddy Bismark
Joseph Perrino	...	Dutch Middleton
Vincent Piazza	...	Ricky Delacruz
Maria Elena Ramirez	...	Nancy Margle
Michael Rapaport	...	Coach Z
Zach Roerig	...	Matt Mullen
Quinn Shephard	...	Eye Patch Girl
Ashley Springer	...	White kid with dreds
Patrick Taylor	...	Paul Moore
Robin Taylor	...	Alex Schneider
Reece Thompson	...	Bobby Funke
Bruce Willis	...	Principal Kirkpatrick
Michael Zegen	...	Stephen Lohman
Effrem J. Adams	...	Shocked Student / Prom Couple (uncredited)
Angelina Aucello	...	St. Donovan's Student (uncredited)
Andrew Stephen Bradley	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Alana Cadiz	...	Saint Donovan Friar Cheerleader (uncredited)
Gary Cherkassky	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Casey Cipriani	...	Student (uncredited)
Ryan Curtis	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Jason Etter	...	Comets Basketball Player (uncredited)
Cassidy Gard	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Cassie Hansen	...	Catholic School Girl (uncredited)
Jeanine Hill	...	High school student (uncredited)
Kimberly Magness	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Robert Malitsky	...	Comet Basketball Player (uncredited)
Ronnie McCoullough	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Joel Ney	...	St. Donovan's Student (uncredited)
Chris Nuñez	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Enrique Sebastian Rivas	...	St. Donovan's Student (uncredited)
Louis Rosario	...	St. Donovan's Student (uncredited)
Steven Rubinchik	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Ben Skinner	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Blake Young-Fountain	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Brett Simon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tim Calpin		written by
Kevin Jakubowski		written by

Produced by
Brian Bell	....	line producer
Elsie Choi	....	co-producer
Doug Davison	....	producer
David Glasser	....	executive producer
Bradley Jenkel	....	executive producer
Roy Lee	....	producer
Gabriel Mason	....	co-producer
Eric Umali	....	co-producer
Bob Yari	....	producer
Irene Yeung	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Daniele Luppi

Cinematography by
M. David Mullen

Film Editing by
William M. Anderson
Thomas J. Nordberg

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Billy Hopkins
Suzanne Smith		(as Suzanne Crowley)

Production Design by
Sharon Lomofsky

Art Direction by
Anu Schwartz

Set Decoration by
Robert Covelman

Costume Design by
Amy Westcott

Makeup Department
Bert Reo Anderson	....	hair stylist
Barry Berger	....	assistant makeup artist
Fabian Garcia	....	hair department head
Sarit Klein	....	makeup artist
Tina LaSpina	....	makeup artist
Sherri Berman Laurence	....	additional makeup artist (as Sherri Berman Laurence)
Jason Shur	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Buddy Enright	....	executive in charge of production
Sean Garrett Fogel	....	assistant unit manager
Jill Greenblatt	....	post-production manager
Robert Hackl	....	post-production supervisor
Adam Park	....	executive in charge of post-production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas Fatone	....	first assistant director
Patrick Gibbons	....	second assistant director
Kim Thompson	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Cecchini	....	art department assistant
Almitra Corey	....	art department coordinator
Abariss Culjak	....	assistant props
Shannon Finnerty	....	buyer
Daniel Fisher	....	property master
David Scott Gagnon	....	lead man
Hunter Harris	....	art department intern
Sean Ryan Jennings	....	art department production assistant
Victor Littlejohn	....	assistant property master
Peter Mayer	....	set dresser
Jeff Naparstek	....	set dresser
Eric Pastore	....	props
Timothy Powers	....	on-set dresser
Bob Provenzano	....	set dresser
Peter Regnier	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Kyle Billingsley	....	foley mixer
Barney Cabral	....	supervising sound editor
Sanaa Cannella	....	foley artist
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	supervising dialogue editor
Teferra McKenzie	....	second boom operator
Perry Robertson	....	supervising sound editor
Scott Sanders	....	supervising sound designer
Gabriel J. Serrano	....	sound recordist
Leslie Shatz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Thomas Varga	....	sound mixer
Kevin Zimmerman	....	first assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Andrew Mortelliti	....	special effects foreman

Stunts
Jared Burke	....	co-stunt coordinator
Douglas Crosby	....	stunt coordinator
Vince Cupone	....	stunt double
Vince Cupone	....	stunt driver
Clayton Guida	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Blahut	....	electrician
Vincent Camuto	....	video playback technician
Anthony Gamiello	....	key grip
Philip Gleason	....	additional video assist
Noah Philip Lagin	....	camera production assistant
Brian C. Mackey	....	camera loader
John Francis McCarthy	....	camera intern
Jeff Muhlstock	....	Steadicam operator
Jeff Muhlstock	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Jeff Niggemeyer	....	electrician
Wayne Paull	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Ian Pratt	....	grip
Leigh Rathner	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Frank Rinato	....	key first assistant camera
Jon W. Rosenbloom	....	dolly grip
Frank Schumo	....	key rigging grip
Dara Selbert	....	camera production assistant
Walter Thomson	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Mihal Freinquel	....	extras casting associate
Jessica Kelly	....	casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Erin Byrne	....	costumer
James Deanes	....	costumer
May Elbaz	....	stitcher
Kathy Karbowski	....	wardrobe supervisor
Estella Marie	....	seamstress
Estella Marie	....	set costumer
Katie Martin	....	wardrobe assistant
Lenore Pemberton	....	assistant costume designer
Shelby Saboy	....	set costumer
Nicci Schinman	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Dan Aguilar	....	digital intermediate editor
Bob Curreri	....	colorist
Ben Hasler	....	post-production coordinator: Yari Film Group
Travis Sittard	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard A. Harrison	....	music editor
Liza Richardson	....	music supervisor
H. Anton Riehl	....	programmer: musical score
H. Anton Riehl	....	score mixer
Jason Ruder	....	music editor

Other crew
Giles Andrew	....	production assistant
Stuart Burkin	....	executive in charge of post
Greg Chiodo	....	location scout
Scotch James Diaz Crisostomo	....	assistant accountant
Charlie Crowell	....	location scout
Tomas Deckaj	....	set production assistant
Anne Marie Dentici	....	set production assistant
Farnaz Fahid	....	assistant: David C. Glasser
Dan Gloeckner	....	set production assistant
Orit Greenberg	....	location scout
Michelle Israel	....	assistant: director
Melissa Kalbfus	....	script supervisor
Cynthia Kao	....	production secretary
Richard Keeshan	....	assistant production coordinator
Nelson Khoury	....	location scout
Ronnie Kupferwasser	....	location manager
Eric LaFranchi	....	set production assistant
Stephanie A. Marquardt	....	script supervisor
Clement McIntosh	....	production assistant
Linda L. Miller	....	production executive
Karen S. Neasi	....	product placement
Malee Nerenhausen	....	production executive
Brendan O'Rourke	....	assistant location manager
Darin J. Patterson	....	additional production assistant
Kevin Pazmino	....	key production assistant
Jean Pesce	....	assistant location manager
Jaime Phelps	....	production assistant
Michelle Reed	....	assistant: Mr. Immerman
Jennifer Roberts	....	set production assistant
Michelle Stella	....	assistant: Brian Bell
Michael Stewart	....	additional production assistant
Skye Stolnitz	....	assistant: Linda L. Miller
Steve Tsentserensky	....	production assistant
John Whitley	....	payroll accountant
Christa Zofcin	....	senior business affairs executive
Peter Conboy	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Stephen J. Eads	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Vertigo Entertainment
• Yari Film Group (YFG)

Distributors

• Yari Film Group Releasing (2008) (USA) (all media)
• MG Film (2008) (Croatia) (all media)
• Freestyle Releasing (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Pyramid (2008) (Russia) (all media)

Other Companies

• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• EarCandy  sound post-production
• Grant Wilfley Casting  extras casting
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• MS-Pro/MusicSupervisor.com  post-production (music services)
• PostWorks, The Lab  processing
• Postworks New York  dailies
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility
• Wildfire Studios  sound post-production

Also Known As:

The Sophomore (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, some nudity, language, and drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bayonne High School - Avenue A & 28th Street, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Vertigo Entertainment

Quotes:

Bobby Funke: Look Clara...I am the best writer you got.
Clara: Bobby, you've never finished an article.
Bobby Funke: [sternly] Well, are you going to give me this one, or not?
Clara: ...No.
[awkward Pause]
Bobby Funke: Do you want to come to Homecoming with me, then?
Clara: [smiles] ...No.
Bobby Funke: [narrates] Clara was one tough cookie. All I wanted was a taste.
[Funke sighs and walks away]

Movie Connections:

References The Usual Suspects (1994)

Soundtrack:

Amrit Naam

Completely awesome

I saw this film at Sundance at the Salt Lake screening. I have to say I was really surprised by how much I liked it. This is NOT your typical high school movie. It's the antidote to say movies like High School Musical. I'd call it Rushmore meets the Usual Suspects or John Hughes on acid or something. The characters were great, Bruce Willis was excellent and most of all it was absolutely, laugh out loud hilarious. I can't believe this film hasn't come out yet. I'm really looking forward to seeing it again. I get the feeling it could go on to become one of those Lebowski type comedies. There was so much stuff packed in there that it should get better every time you see it.