Demoted (2011)

Director:

J.B. Rogers

Writers:

Dan Callahan (screenplay)
Dan Callahan (story)
(more)

Release Date:

June 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

What goes around comes around for a pair of prank-playing tire salesmen (Astin and Vartan) who find themselves placed in secretarial jobs by their put-upon boss (Cross). |

Plot Keywords:

Tires | Secretary | Fiancee | Strip Club | Female Nudity

Cast

Michael Vartan	...	Rodney McAdams
David Cross	...	Ken Castro
Celia Weston	...	Jane
Sara Foster	...	Jennifer
Ron White	...	Earl Frank
Constance Zimmer	...	Elizabeth Holland
Patrick St. Esprit	...	JR Daniels
Cleo King	...	Betty
Jill Bartlett	...	Tina
Cathy Shim	...	Olivia
Jay Johnston	...	Kline
George Back	...	O'Donnell
Robert Klein	...	Bob Farrell
Billy West	...	Robert Reilly
Arcadiy Golubovich	...	Coffee Shop Employee
Theo Williamson	...	Sales Associate
Ruth Crawford	...	Mike's Mom
Jim Ochs	...	Mike's Dad
Greg Trzaskoma	...	Big Guy
Rich Marentette	...	Stripper DJ
Jennifer Soop	...	Destiny
Kerry Birmingham	...	Reporter
Randy Godwin	...	Umpire
Erin Cahill	...	Amy
William Nyeholt	...	Basketball Guy
Erin Nicole	...	JR's Wife (as Erin Nicole Brolley)
Geoff Wehner	...	Willy (as Geoffrey Thomas Wehner)
Heidi Hastings	...	Hostess
Heather Elizabeth Regan	...	Waitress
Mel Foster	...	Narrator (voice)
Rosa Paulus	...	Old Lady
Tom Schwartz	...	Priest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sean Astin	...	Mike
Marco Zaccagnini	...	Salesman
Tonino Zaccagnini	...	Striker
John Anton	...	Salesmen (uncredited)
Wayne E. Brown	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Jennifer Lynn Bryant	...	Striker (uncredited)
Dennis Budziszewski	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Kyle Clarington	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Guy Copland	...	Man in Gentlemens Club (uncredited)
Sonja Crosby	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Shawntay Dalon	...	Street Looker (uncredited)
Ryan Falcheck	...	Office Worker (uncredited)
John Forman	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Paul Walter Hauser	...	Bothered Salesman (uncredited)
Niki Haze	...	Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Carol Ilku	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Tiren Jhames	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Eric Kabacinski	...	Gentleman's Club Patron (uncredited)
Dave Kilgore	...	Ed (uncredited)
Candace M. Laferle	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Jovan LaRocque	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Diane M. Leach	...	Softball Fan (uncredited)
Lawrence Leach	...	Softball Fan (uncredited)
Bill Lumbert	...	Softball Fan (uncredited)
Amanda Maston	...	Receptionist #1 (uncredited)
Brenda E. Mathers	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Anthony Moscato	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Steven Proehl	...	Gentleman's Club Patron (uncredited)
Cindi Randall	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Brian Matthew Richardson	...	Auto Store Patron (uncredited)
Ray Daniel Rogers	...	Office Worker (uncredited)
Dwayne Roszkowski	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Nick Surma Jr.	...	Frisbee Player (uncredited)
Joseph Victor	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)
Billy Whitehouse	...	Cafeteria 'Tater Tots' Worker (uncredited)
Patricia Yasbeck	...	Fan (uncredited)

Directed by
J.B. Rogers		(as James B. Rogers)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dan Callahan		screenplay
Dan Callahan		story
Adam Ellison		story

Produced by
Ned Adams	....	co-producer
Michael Arata	....	executive producer
Darrel Casalino	....	executive producer
Arcadiy Golubovich	....	producer
Ryan Lewis	....	co-executive producer
Armen Mahdessian	....	associate producer
Raymond J. Markovich	....	producer
Olga Mirimskaya	....	executive producer
B.J. Rack	....	line producer
Gwendolyn Rogers	....	associate producer
Sean Sorensen	....	co-producer
Warren Zide	....	producer

Original Music by
David Kitay

Cinematography by
David Insley

Film Editing by
Michael L. Sale

Casting by
Chadwick Struck

Production Design by
Caty Maxey

Art Direction by
Robert W. Joseph

Set Decoration by
Joan MacFarlane

Costume Design by
Marie France
Brie Harris

Makeup Department
Eleyna M. Brandt	....	assistant hair stylist
Amber Crowe	....	makeup artist
Louise Holoday	....	key makeup artist
Jon Lieckfelt	....	hair stylist
Robert Maverick	....	makeup department head
Francie Paull	....	makeup artist
John Tarro	....	hair department head

Production Management
J.M. Logan	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michelangelo Csaba Bolla	....	first assistant director
Greg Brautigan	....	second second assistant director
Betsy Friedman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Brayman	....	carpenter
Matthew Cavaliero	....	property master
Franco Esile	....	leadman
Nickolas Gilbert	....	on-set dresser
Will Grant	....	assistant property master
Daniel Jaffe	....	carpenter
Ben Joffe	....	props p.a
Bobby Rhodes	....	set dresser
Kenneth Stanley	....	carpenter
Vicki Stefanopoulos	....	art department coordinator
Alyssa Toft	....	buyer set decorator
Edward Young	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Ron Ayers	....	boom operator
James Bailey	....	foley artist
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Christopher Eakins	....	additional adr editor
Mike Hampton	....	utility boom
Tim Limer	....	sound recordist
David Mann	....	sound effects editor
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley cueing
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley editor
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley mixer
Callie Thurman	....	assistant sound editor
Tania Wang	....	supervising sound editor
Beau Williams	....	sound mixer
Mandell Winter	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Ken Gorrell	....	special effects foreman
Robert Tyrrell	....	special effects technician
Russell Tyrrell	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Ryan Beadle	....	data managment supervisor
Samuel M. Dabbs	....	lead title designer
Adam Gass	....	digital editorial
Lajos Kondor	....	flame artist
Paulina Kuszta	....	visual effects coordinator
John Lafauce	....	compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Jeff Chumas	....	stunt rigger
Dan Lemieux	....	stunt rigger
James Logan	....	stunt double
Bob Marrocco	....	stunt coordinator
Kevin Reid	....	stunt double: Michael Vartan
Allen Robinson	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Brad Baker	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
John C. Barber	....	dolly grip
Katie Barkel	....	additional second assistant camera
James Frank Brown	....	key video assist operator
Jesse Cecchini	....	electrician
Michael J. Conner	....	best boy electric
Shawn Cragin	....	first assistant camera
Phaedra Eason	....	grip
William Eichler	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Derek Hackett	....	film loader
Andrew Hoehn Jr.	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
David Insley	....	cinematographer
Brad Irvin	....	grip
Neil Jacobs	....	still photographer
William MacLeod	....	key grip (as Bill MacLeod)
Cory O'Dea	....	electrician
Miguel Pask	....	second assistant camera
Tom Schnaidt	....	Steadicam operator
Tom Schnaidt	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Steven Seery	....	camera pa
Amy Snell	....	grip
Scott Zuckerberg	....	best boy grip

Casting Department
Kathy Mooney	....	casting: Michigan
Janet Pound	....	casting: Michigan

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michelle Hutchins	....	key costumer
Scarlett Jade	....	costume supervisor
Kimberly Leitz-McCauley	....	costume assistant
Beverly Llombart	....	key costumer
Johnna Thomas	....	costumer
Bernadine Vida	....	costumer: extras

Editorial Department
Tamara Juristovszky	....	assistant colorist
Benedek Kabán	....	digital intermediate colorist
Tom Lathrop	....	assistant editor
Pat Mathews	....	senior film colorist
Rob Randall	....	colorist: dailies
Steve Whaley	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Vito A. Colapietro II	....	composer: additional music
Neely Dinkins Jr.	....	cues composer
Laura Katz	....	music coordinator
Alex Lockhart	....	music licensing supervisor
Alexina Matisse	....	co-music supervisor
Amine Ramer	....	music supervisor
Andy Ross	....	executive music producer
Carl Sealove	....	music editor
Tom Villano	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Mike Bilkovic	....	driver
Don E. Burns	....	transportation captain
Robert Middendorff	....	driver
Cindi Randall	....	transportation coordinator
Rob Shaw	....	transportation
Ray Shuboy	....	driver
Patrick Stephenson	....	driver
Kevin Weakley	....	driver
John 'Detroit' White	....	transportation coordinator
David Schmidt	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Cindy Anderson	....	assistant accountant
Michael Barnes	....	distribution legal services
Bori Bartucz	....	di line producer
Jennifer L. Brooks	....	second assistant accountant
Michael Donald Bryant	....	production assistant
Russell DeVriendt	....	assistant location manager
Benjamin Dresser	....	production assistant
Josh Goldberg	....	production assistant
Michael Goldberg	....	payroll accountant
Paul Isakson	....	production assistant
Connie Johnson	....	location scout (uncredited)
Julie Juran	....	production coordinator
Alex Lockhart	....	contract administrator
Elizabeth Mace	....	assistant to executive producer
Vikki M. Magdich	....	production assistant
Connie Mangilin	....	locations office production assistant
Ashor Art McDonald	....	production assistant
Bryan Meganck	....	key craft service
Megan Meganck	....	craft services assistant
Ivan Menitsky	....	assistant: producer
Jodie Rosello	....	legal counsel
Dug Rotstein	....	script supervisor
David Rumble	....	location manager
Greg Saraceno	....	first assistant accountant
Louise Seppi	....	assistant production coordinator
Andrew C. Smith	....	assistant to director
Jeff Solano	....	key set production assistant
Dalibor Stolevski	....	double
Dalibor Stolevski	....	stand-in
Aisling Warren	....	production assistant
Geoff Wehner	....	production assistant
Jimi Woods	....	location scout

Production Companies

• Flipzide Studios
• Parallel Media
• Reflection Pictures

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Atlantic Film (2012) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2012) (Norway) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2012) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Cinema Management Group (2012) (Non-USA) (all media)
• DLN Films (2013) (UK) (all media)
• Horizon International (2012) (Turkey) (DVD)
• Pinnacle Films (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
• Première TV Distribution (2012) (Netherlands) (all media)
• Seven Sept (2012) (France) (DVD)
• Starz / Anchor Bay (2012) (USA) (all media)

Special Effects

• Tyrrell FX & Rentals

Other Companies

• Fletcher Chicago  camera equipment provided by
• Colorfront  digital intermediate
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Film Production Capital  tax credit financing
• Gallagher Entertainment  insurance
• Grace & Wild Studios Inc.  processing and telecine by
• Grace & Wild Studios Inc.  production offices
• Grace & Wild Studios Inc.  sound stages
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• LISTO Videofilm  negative film processing (for Colorfront)
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• NovaStar Digital  sound post-production
• PES Payroll  extras payroll services
• Post Haste Sound  commentary recording engineering
• Right Lobe Design Group  main titles
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Runway  post-production services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for crude sexual content and language

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA15+ | Sweden:11 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Company:

Flipzide Studios

Trivia:

The film takes place in Detroit. Real Detroit TV station WJBK (FOX 2) covers the secretary strike, and Kenny is shown reading real Detroit newspaper the Detroit Free Press.

Soundtrack:

Harden Up

We're reminded of "Office Space" and can truly never go on from there

The direct to video effort Demoted brings one fantastic corporate office satire to mind and immediately suffers by comparison. That satire, of course, is Mike Judge's cult hit Office Space, a funny, poignant, and brutally honest look at inside the cubicle, observing three men fed up with their boss, their job, and every sickening event that happens day in and day out.

There are times when clearly Demoted wants to be that film. It wants to pack in relatable qualities found in the workplace, it wants to create characters that lie around your office, and it wants to make people you've seen before. The problem is that it is so textbook and underachieving in almost every field that it becomes less a relatable film and more of an envious portrayal of the life you wish was as convenient as your own.

Mike and Rodney (Sean Astin and Michael Vartan) are the office pranksters at their company, where they spend some time selling tires over the phone, but more time harassing fellow employees, mainly Ken Castro (David Cross). They have a notable relationship with the current boss, but after he dies in a night of boozing, strippers, and camaraderie, the head position is given foolishly to Castro (a name that will prove wholly fitting). He is dictative, boisterous, and sickeningly belligerent, and demotes Mike and Rodney to the secretary position - a position they sneered and mocked prior to this demotion.

Rodney is getting married and, after being put on the spotlight by her snotty father, tells her that he is getting a promotion and is a big shot at the office. It is truly inevitable this excuse will backfire, causing his marriage to subsequently go under, yet be miraculously saved in a foolish and contrived scene. It is too inevitable that Mike and Rodney will not have very much fun walking in someone else's shoes. I believe it was Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird that you can never totally understand someone until you climb in their shoes and walk around for a while. Their case doesn't seem so much like that as it seems an urgent alliance. They, then, witness all the disheartening budget cuts Castro is making and plot to stop him.

I enjoyed the first act of Demoted, stared blankly, chuckling occasionally during the second, and finally, snickered and yawned during the third. There are times when the film genuinely wants to incorporate intelligent satire and wit to its material, but it is stuck in a rut of clichés waste-deep. Astin is a fine choice for Mike, playing a simple and likable man, if a caricature, and Vartan does his best with the role of the everyman, desperately careening towards the idea of making his marriage work. But who is brought to a solid light here is David Cross's Castro, but even he feels cheated on the levels of destruction he could so helpfully bring to a comedy of errors.

And that's where Demoted flounders. Too many clichés, too many ridiculous setups, too many cheap-shots taken at decent people, too many instances that beg us to laugh, and too much suspension of disbelief that we haven't seen Office Space. Likable cast, efficiently determined script, but an execution that has direct-to-DVD rehash written all over it.

Starring: Sean Astin, Michael Vartan, and David Cross. Directed by: J.B. Rogers.