Universal Groove

Infobox_Film
name = Universal Groove


imdb_id =0287075
writer =Sandeep Panesar
starring =Corey Haim
Chris Mulkey
Anne Nahabedian
Jordan Perlis
Robert Rudman
Rami Yasin
Kianha Daniels
Marie-Eve Blackburn
Corey Besner

director =François Garcia
producer =François Garcia
Sandeep Panesar

distributor =OM Entertainment
released = 2007
runtime =72 min.
music =
awards =
language = English
budget =

"Universal Groove" is a long-delayed independent film starring Corey Haim, Chris Mulkey and Anne Nahabedian. It was officially released in December 2007.

Tagline

Eight People. Eight Lives. One Universal Groove.

ynopsis

Universal Groove is an opportunity to step in the pre millennium underground party scene through the eyes of eight people who all tap into the Universal Groove-that moment when the party connects everyone to each other. Each character starts the night with a personal mission, but all leave the party slightly changed by their human interactions. The film uses the afterhours backdrop to draw eight characters together at one event--GROOVE. Each of the eight characters is pulled through a night of inspiration and escape through drugs through the release of all manner of frustration.

Jim [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000433/ (Corey Haim)] , the movie director, struggles with writer's block. Eve [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619549/ (Anne Nahabedian)] the painter searches for inspiration. Beamer [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0999041/ (Jordan Perlis)] is a stockbroker wants to escape from a hard day at work. Gina [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0998379/ (Rami Yasin)] party fixture, who likes being around people. Zed [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748848/ (Robert Rudman)] the waiter needs a reason to let go of his pain. Candy [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0996713/ (Kianha Daniels)] and Kane [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0996828/ (Marie-Eve Blackburn)] the party girls are ready to go on a moments notice. Push [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0996485/ (Corey Besner)] is the opportunistic dealer.

Modern Themes

Universal Groove explores many different themes from simple to complex. Each centering around the films eight characters. Themes such as: free spirited drug use, release, escape from one's doldrums, the first time experience, homosexuality, and man's ever lasting struggle to blend in & leave a mark.

Each of the main characters grapples with one of these themes while they attempt to wrest themselves from the problem that currently affronts them:: Jim's got Writer's Block and late on a hard deadline; Eve is wholly uninspired; Beamer has just lost a pile of money on the stockmarket; Zed is too wound up to enjoy life; Gina is uncomfortable in her own skin; Candy & Kane have nothing to ground them in life except each other; and Push needs a party to confirm his existence.

The original intended version also described the global connection that exists between people as a party grows, however due to a post-production robbery critical footage was lost and this theme element was unfortunately lost forever.

Filming, Post-Production & Availability

Universal Groove was shot in the then emerging digital video format. The producers had felt that this medium would allow for the gathering of additional B-Roll footage that may not have otherwise been gathered. The technology at the time was quite new and only recently made accessible to indepenent filmmakers for modest fees.

The film originally was written by Sandeep Panesar during the winter of 1998 / 1999. Particular scene and western footage photography took place in a single day at Upper Canada Village during March 1999. Other shooting took place during a week long excursion in May 1999 that led a crack team of 4 guerrilla filmmakers through Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Searchlight Nevada (where the film's closing scene was shot). Up until this point in time the film's pre-production and initial production efforts proved to be easier than the producers had imagined, however what was to come no one could have predicted.

Principle photography began on July 11, 1999 in Montreal and continued for 11 days around the city. For Montrealers the return of Corey Haim to one of his childhood cities was media worthy, and the production was followed relentlessly, inciting visits from People Magazine, and other large media interests. Haim's presence on set was marred by his inability to keep himself off drugs and performing at his peak. He was noted to have frequently been distracted, confused, and high; leading to his overdose during production. The schedule was so tight that little time could be allowed for his recovery. Principle photography ended July 22, 1999 leaving the producers with approximately 36 hours of digital video footage to comb through.

Standing on the tail end of principle photography, and now with only post production left to complete the producers put the production into a 1 year hiatus while they experimented with digital effects, post production processing tests, and interviewed candidate studios for post-production duties. In 2000, the first selected studio proved unable to complete the editing process due to an unforeseen previously scheduled conflict causing them to back out of the deal once 6 months underway. As a result a second studio was solicited to work on the production. However due to a dwindling post-production budget already partially expended the producers needed to raise more financing in order to complete the film. This would put the film back into hiatus for three more years. Near the end of 2003 post-production once again began with great earnest only to come to a crashing halt when the studio was broken into mid 2004, nearly killing the project completely.

Universal Groove went into indefinite hiatus while the producers determined if the production could be salvaged.

In 2006 the project was revived when through a stroke of luck director Francois Garcia ran into an acquaintance who had a penchant for film editing and creative consulting. Between Garcia, Panesar, and the new (third) studio they were able to craft a plan to rebuild film while attempting to preserve as much of the original vision and integrity as it had been intended. In December 2006 Garcia and Panesar released a video to youtube indicating the film would be released soon after.

In July 2007 a press release was issued indicating that the film would be made available to fans and collectors in a Limited Edition DVD format later that year. [ [http://universalgroovemovie.blogspot.com/ Universal Groove Blog] . Accessed July 29 2007.] However this would not be the first time that this film was slotted for release since principle photography closed. The film was eventually released in December 2007.

tudio Break In

On the morning of August 18, 2004 editors arrived at the Universal Groove post-production facilities to find the place ransacked, vandalized, and robbed. Other productions in the facility had suffered similar blows to this production in that they had all lost footage. Of the 36 hours of footage originally shot for the film only 12 remained. The stolen 24 hours of footage contained screen tests, B-Roll footage, digital effects test, post processing effects, test trailers, some already stitched together assembly scenes from the film, and unedited shots for critical scenes necessary for the complete development of the film's plot.

Late 2005 / early 2006 footage from the film began appearing on the Internet and made accessible through torrents, peer-to-peer file sharing networks, and web sites. Initially the producers tracked down offending materials and had them removed from sites, however toward the beginning of 2006 footage was moving so rampantly over the Internet that it became too difficult to stop. Ultimately resulting in the producers donating the escaped footage to the greater good of the Internet and the waiting fans.

The final production version of the film contains alternate takes and shots of some scenes that were released to the Internet, and scenes that had been assembled on the editing equipment but for which the original media had been stolen. The end result is a stitch of high quality scenes without the original intent preservable. The story still holds as close to originally intended as possible. The intended running time was 92 minutes, however in spite of he break in the film is pruported to sit around 100 [ [http://universalgroovemovie.blogspot.com/ Universal Groove Blog] . Accessed July 29 2007.] minutes.

What is the "Universal Groove"?

The Universal Groove is that moment when each and every party in the entire world is connected at one time; you can feel that moment when the party your are in hits its own groove.

e.g. All parties hit a groove at one point when the ebb and flow is natural and anticipated. The attendees are able to ride that wave and be one with the music, the people, and its rhythm. This is the moment when your party hits its Groove. There is another moment that occurs just before the party begins the steep tumble toward its end. At this new moment just before the party climaxes your Groove reaches its apex and connects itself to all other parties reaching their apex around the world. Each apex is a point that connects to each other by tapping into the Universal Groove. In that instance we are all connected... [ [http://universalgroovemovie.blogspot.com/ Universal Groove Blog] . Accessed July 31 2007.]

References

External links

*imdb title|0287075
* [http://www.universalgroovemovie.com The Official Groove Movie Web Site]
* [http://universalgroovemovie.blogspot.com/ The Universal Groove Blog]
* [http://www.youtube.com/universalgroovemovie Universal Groove on You Tube ]
* [http://www.myspace.com/officialuniversalgroove Universal Groove on My Space ]