American Bully (2009) Anytown (original title)

Director:

Dave Rodriguez

Writers:

Dave Rodriguez (writer)
Zak Meyers (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

america's innocence lost.

Plot:

A middle-American teenage boy who is affected by 9/11, terrorism, and the war in Iraq becomes involved in an isolated high school altercation that escalates into a hate crime that shocks the entire nation. |

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Matt O'Leary	...	Brandon O'Leary
Marshall Allman	...	Mike Grossman
Jonathan Halyalkar	...	Eric Singh
Sam Murphy	...	Bo Aznabev
Ross Britz	...	Kyle Castranovo
Brooke Johnson	...	Michelle
Meghan Stansfield	...	Charlotte
Paul Ben-Victor	...	Principal Wheeler
Natasha Henstridge	...	Carol Mills
Dan Wells	...	Deputy LeBlanc
Sam Blan	...	Video Executioner
John Savage	...	News Producer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brendan Aguillard	...	Young Boy 1
Chase Alan	...	Young Boy 2
Debby Gaudet	...	Defense Attorney
Jamie Tisdale	...	Assistant to Carol Mills

Directed by
Dave Rodriguez

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Zak Meyers		writer
Dave Rodriguez		writer

Produced by
Beth Beard	....	line producer
Sam Blan	....	associate producer
Jarred Coates	....	co-producer
Brock Davis	....	executive producer
Sarah J. Donohue	....	line producer: Los Angeles
Ron Finberg	....	co-executive producer
Luigi Ghilardi II	....	executive producer
Matt Keith	....	producer
George Kostuch Jr.	....	executive producer
George M. Kostuch	....	producer
Bryan Messina	....	executive producer
Zak Meyers	....	executive producer
Shaun Redick	....	executive producer
Dave Rodriguez	....	producer
Aaron L. Williams	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Phil Symonds

Cinematography by
John Barr

Film Editing by
Lauren A. Schaffer

Casting by
Nicole Abellera
Leslie Woo

Production Design by
Jeremy Woolsey

Art Direction by
Andrew W. Bofinger

Costume Design by
Kalif Durham

Makeup Department
Jace Chamblee	....	key hair stylist
Dan Forest	....	assistant hair stylist
Megan Graham	....	special makeup effects artist
Mattie Rabalais	....	hair department head
Mattie Rabalais	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Jarred Coates	....	unit production manager
Ron Finberg	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Blan	....	second second assistant director
Caroline O'Brien	....	first assistant director
Claire Peberdy	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Adam Cambre	....	set dresser
Matthew Gatlin	....	property master
John Gorman	....	leadman
John Gorman	....	on-set dresser
Ruston Head	....	stand-by art director
Claire Sanchez	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Rob Cunningham	....	boom operator: additional photography
Rachel Grissom	....	sound mixer
Lisa Lewis	....	dialogue editor
Ryan Robison	....	sound department production assistant
Nathan Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nathan Smith	....	sound supervisor
Carlos Wilkerson	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Marcus Varnado	....	grip

Stunts
John Bernecker	....	stunts
Phil O'Dell	....	stunt coordinator
Chad Rose	....	stunts
Tony Vo	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Beard	....	best boy electric
Mike Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera
Tony Bryan	....	gaffer
Anthony Cady	....	key grip
Dustin Frugé	....	second assistant camera
Gerard Martin	....	film loader
Brandon Swain	....	electrician
Elliot Westphal	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dane Carmouche	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Brent Greer	....	colorist
Brian Rodriguez	....	post production supervisor

Transportation Department
Jack Prince	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Rhagen Austin	....	assistant: Mr. Rodriguez
Liz Barker	....	production assistant
Brett Bodin	....	production assistant
Nancy Clark	....	production assistant
Jennifer J. Collins	....	script supervisor
Devin Denicola	....	production assistant
Shanna Forrestall	....	location manager
John Gorman	....	armorer
Uyen Le	....	production legal
Jonathan Marshall	....	production legal
Petey Messina	....	production assistant
Mark Pogachefsky	....	publicist (as Mark Pogachefski)
Ryan Robison	....	assistant: Mr. Kostuch
Mitchell Ryan Rodriguez	....	production assistant
Jason Thibeau	....	assistant production coordinator: k2 pictures
Michael Thompson	....	assistant production coordinator: k2 pictures
Asha Vyas	....	production assistant
Aaron L. Williams	....	epk: producer/director (uncredited)

Thanks
Shanna Forrestall	....	special thanks
Alejandro González Iñárritu	....	thanks
Patrick Mulhearn	....	special thanks
Martin Scorsese	....	thanks
Chris Stelly	....	special thanks
Richard Zeringue	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• K2 Pictures (II)
• Cine Relevante
• Dirty District Entertainment
• 13 Steps Entertainment
• Leverage Entertainment

Distributors

• Green Apple Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Green Apple Entertainment (2011) (USA) (video) (VOD)
• Gryphon Entertainment (2013) (Australia) (DVD)
• High Fliers Distribution (2011) (UK) (DVD)
• High Fliers Distribution (2011) (UK) (video) (VOD)
• I-On New Media (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Redbox Automated Retail (2012) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Circus Road Films  producer's representative
• Dan Forest.  additional hair and make-up
• Digital Film Tree  editor footage
• Hollywood Rentals Productions Services  grip and lighting equipment
• Hollywood Trucks  entertainment transportation
• MPRM Public Relations  publicist
• Riot  dailies and color correction

Also Known As:

"Anytown" - USA (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing violent content, a scene of sexuality, drinking, drug use and pervasive language - all involving teens

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:18 | Australia:MA15+ (2013)

Filming Locations:

9000 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

K2 Pictures (II)

Chalk One Up For Ignorance

What could have been a really good film was hampered by some heavy handed direction. American Bully tells the tale of four teens, one of them a most charismatic individual leads the other three into a crime of unspeakable horror. Matt O'Leary who has a brother in Iraq and is getting ready to enlist himself gets suspended from school for showing a beheading video from the wars on terror. He thinks that Jonathan Halayalkar ratted him out and Jonathan is darker complexioned. Ergo he has to be one of those Moslem terrorists. In fact he's a Sikh, but what does O'Leary know from Sikhs? Nor do his friends Marshall Allman, Sam Murphy, and Ross Britz.

In fact what do Americans for the most part know from these other cultures? We are a most ignorant people if we were not politicians would not have such an easy time talking us into wars.

In this situation Moslem terrorists don't do themselves any good either. Since the Seventies they've done all kinds of unspeakable acts starting with the massacre of those Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. Not hard to hate these people as young O'Leary and his friends do.

But in point of fact they're punks and nothing justifies what they did. And that they chose a Sikh because they don't know the difference, chalk one up for ignorance.

American Bully covers a wide range of troubling issues, hate crimes, bullying, and ignorance and maybe another viewer can add a few more. These issues deserve a better film.