Presents RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Directed by Marina Zenovich This moving portrait of legendary comedian Richard Pryor chronicles his life from his troubled youth in Peoria, Illinois, to his meteoric rise as one of the most respected comic actors of the 20th century. Often misunderstood during the height of his celebrity, the late superstar has never been profiled this extensively. Marina Zenovich’s revealing and entertaining film lays bare the demons with which he struggled and reminds us just how daring and dangerous artistic freedom can be. Tribeca Film Festival Screenings Tuesday, April 23, 9:30 PM – SVA 1, NYC (First Public Screening) Wednesday, April 24, 6:00 PM – SVA 1, NYC (Second Public Screening and Panel to follow) Thursday, April 25, 9:00 AM – Clearview Chelsea Cinemas 4, NYC (First P&I Screening) Friday, April 26, 12:00 PM – Clearview Chelsea Cinemas 8, NYC (Second P&I Screening) Saturday, April 27, 10:00 PM – AMC Loews Village 2, NYC (Third Public Screening) Director Marina Zenovich and subjects from the film, including Jennifer Pryor, will be in attendance and available for th. interviews on Wednesday, April 24 To schedule interviews or for more information, please contact: John Murphy [email protected] o: 212-414-0408 c: 646-369-0317 Russ Posternak [email protected] o: 212-414-0408 c: 914-400-7025 For more information please visit: http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/513a83c0c07f5d471300036erichard-pryor-omit-the-lo RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 2 Synopsis Short A new look at the life of Richard Pryor, one of America's greatest comedians. A man of huge gifts and extraordinary flaws, Pryor transformed the way blacks and whites saw each other. With never-beforeseen footage and interviews with comic legends, Marina Zenovich captures Pryor's magic, allowing fans, both old and new, to rediscover the iconic comedian. Long Emmy Award-Winning director Marina Zenovich takes a new look at the life of Richard Pryor, one of America's greatest and most gifted comedians. Pryor's comedy -- a blend of brutal honesty, dead-on observation and sheer surrealism – grew from a life that was at turns comic and tragic. A master truth teller, a man of huge gifts and extraordinary flaws, a lightning quick artist who lived close to the edge, Richard Pryor used comedy to transform the way blacks and whites saw each other, in a way which still rings true today. Using never-before-seen performance and talk-show appearances, coupled with revealing interviews with comic legends, Zenovich revives Richard Pryor’s genius for a new generation. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 3 A Q&A with Director Marina Zenovich How did Showtime’s RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC first come together? I was approached by Joan Boorstein from Showtime who were lining up projects for their newly launched “Sho Closeup” documentary banner. They had a great inaugural documentary in the works and were excited about the team on RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC which included Roy Ackerman, an English producer who now runs Jamie Oliver's company, Fresh One. He and Nick Fraser, of the BBC, initially approached me with their idea to make a film about Richard Pryor and thought I might be a good fit because of my prior work on Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. Roy came to LA and we met up with Jennifer Pryor, Richard Pryor’s widow and the caretaker of his estate, and gave her our pitch. Were you a fan of his work before? I was a huge fan of Richard Pryor. It’s true that he remains a legendary comedian who broke barriers and expanded the envelope when it came to racial equality in Hollywood, but I, like his millions of fans, loved him because he was great entertainer. I can still remember the feeling I had watching LIVE IN CONCERT when I was a teenager. Richard's energy is riveting and he still remains thrilling and vital. When you are watching Richard Pryor, you literally can't take your eyes off him. Was his family receptive to the idea? I think they had been approached a few times but were waiting for the right team to come along. When we met with Jennifer Pryor I was lucky in that she had not only seen ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED but had also seen a film I did called WHO IS BERNARD TAPIE? about my fascination with this French character called Bernard Tapie. So she had an idea of the range in my work. Roy is also a huge Pryor fan and I think she responded to his enthusiasm. When did you first start filming and gathering footage and when did you wrap production? We first met Jennifer in 2009. We did some filming in 2011 but did the bulk of the filming from May to November of 2012. We started editing in August of that year and are just wrapping up now. Why do you think Richard Pryor is a good subject for a documentary? He changed comedy forever. And he’s extremely controversial, incredibly honest and very funny. What more could you ask for? More broadly, I also wanted to peel away the icon and the tabloid image of Richard Pryor and find the human being within. His life is really an extraordinary story. From his being reared in a brothel, to his marriages, his very public battle with his dark demons to his superstar film status, you just can’t make this stuff up. What are you hoping to convey about him with this film? I want people to know his place in entertainment history. His groundbreaking controversial talent moved our culture forward and blasted away rigid racial barriers. He was a first. I also wanted to show younger people that before Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, there was Richard Pryor. Do you expect the film to change how viewers look at Richard Pryor? I hope so. People tell me that they always loved Richard and his work but were not aware of his trailblazing status. Perhaps part of that is because his work has not aged at all and it still crackles with contemporary relevance. His concerts still connect with audiences in the same vital way they did thirty years ago. I hope this film will make people understand him better and seek out his recordings and films. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 4 As a filmmaker, what was the greatest creative challenge you encountered while making RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC? When you have someone like Richard Pryor, who had best selling concert albums, blockbuster movies, a television show (albeit a short lived one) and was frequently tabloid and news fodder, it can be a tremendous editing challenge. My editor and I had to juggle between the on-air comedy routines, the acting roles, the audio routines and interview material. When we had an early test screening, people said "we want more Richard." It is almost like people just want to see him telling stories. What aspect of the film are you most excited about? I am excited to screen it for an audience in front of some of Richard's friends and family. You can never please everyone with a film but we hope we did a good job of showing who he really was. You’re known for your biographical documentary films, including Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. What draws you to making this type of film? I'm drawn to fascinating men. Not that I am not drawn to women -- but there is something about difficult men that interests me. I also like survivors. And Richard Pryor is the ultimate survivor. Do you see any similar characteristics in Roman and Richard? I am fascinated by people with epic lives. Roman Polanski falls into that category and so does Richard Pryor. The film I made before WANTED AND DESIRED was about a difficult French man, Bernard Tapie. It has kind of become what I do. Is this your first time at the Tribeca Film Festival? As a filmmaker, yes. I attended the festival several years ago when I lived in NY. What are you hoping to accomplish at the festival? I'm so excited to share the film with New York audiences. This film has the energy and vitality of New York City. And hey, it’s where Richard Pryor started out. So in a way he is coming full circle. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 5 Biographies Marina Zenovich Director Showtime’s Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic is Marina Zenovich’s most recent project. Her last film was Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out which played at the 2012 Toronto and New York Film Festivals. Odd Man Out is a follow-up to Marina’s 2008 film Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (TWC/HBO/BBC). Wanted and Desired premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim and considerable media attention. It also won the award for Best Editing. It then screened at the Cannes Film Festival as a Special Screening. Soon afterwards, Roman Polanski’s lawyers used Marina’s film as evidence to reopen the 30 year old case. Wanted and Desired was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the Best Documentaries of 2008. The film also won Emmys for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming (shared with Joe Bini & P.G. Morgan.) Marina’s past work includes: Who is Bernard Tapie? about the French former politician convicted criminal turned actor and her fascination with him; Independent's Day about the struggles of independent filmmakers set in Park City, Utah, and Estonia Dreams of Eurovision! about the wacky world of Tallin, Estonia as it prepares to host the Eurovision Song Contest. Chris A. Peterson Editor Film editor Chris A. Peterson has cut over a dozen award-winning feature films and more than a hundred television, independent and commercial projects. Recent feature film work includes CHAINED, directed by Jennifer Lynch (BOXING HELENA) and starring Vincent D'Onofrio, and OFF SEASON, starring Rick Fox and Eliza Dushku. Chris also edited on TNT’s hit series “Leverage”, produced by Dean Devlin (INDEPENDENCE DAY) and the award-winning indy MISS NOBODY, starring Adam Goldberg, Leslie Bibb and Vivica Fox, and is currently airing on Showtime. Chris’ feature documentary work notably include Sony Pictures’ acclaimed "Who Killed the Electric Car?”, official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and the follow up 2011 documentary "Revenge of the Electric Car", which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the Environmental Media Award for Best Documentary. In 2010, Chris won an Emmy Award for his editorial storytelling on the PBS Korean War documentary “Hold At All Costs”. P.G. Morgan Writer/Consulting Producer P.G. Morgan won an Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Writing for 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired' (HBO/BBC). Other recent writer/producer credits include : 'Revenge of the Electric Car' (PBS), 'Intervention' (A+E) and 'Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out' (Showtime). RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 6 Sara Hutchison Producer Sara's production credits include: Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out (Showtime); Revenge of the Electric Car (Independent Lens); Last Will & Testament (Centropolis Entertainment); When Strangers Click (HBO); The Presidents (History Channel); California Forever (PBS); and Adventures in Time (National Geographic). Her entertainment career began at National Geographic Television as part of the Emmy-award-winning team responsible for primetime documentary specials on NBC and PBS. She has since been involved in the development and production of a range of television series and independent films with a particular passion for character-driven documentary storytelling. Sara currently serves on the Documentary Peer Group Executive Committee for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is an active member of the DGA. Roy Ackerman Executive Producer Roy Ackerman is Managing Director of Fresh One Productions (the company set up by Jamie Oliver) after taking Diverse Production from a niche U.K. indie to an, award-winning and innovative company with impact world-wide. Credits include the recent prize-winning Dream School C4) the programme which launched a parliamentary session and is now being made in the USA and South Africa and developed in 6 major territories, two seasons of the Emmy-winning Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (ABC). Amongst his credits are BAFTA nominated drama Mrs. Mandela and the hit David Tennant drama series Spies of Warsaw, theatrical hits Reagan: American Idol (Emmy Award), Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson; Sundance Grand Jury Award winner and Oscar Shortlisted The House I Live In (2012), Sundance Grand Jury Award winner Why We Fight and The Trials of Henry Kissinger. The hit arts format and winner of RTS Broadcast Prix Italia and other awards, Operatunity; acclaimed arts series Musicality, Ballet Changed My Life, Play It Again, Streetdance, How to be a Composer and Orchestra United. Factual Entertainment series RTS winner Last Chance Kids (C4) , Rocket Science (BBC2) , The Rich List and The Rich List Give It Away (ITV), The Channel Four Mash-up, Badger or Bust (Sky1), Shalom in the Home (TLC), Codex, Ex Files (C4) Be a Grand Prix Driver (Five/Discovery UK). He recently was EP on the Idris Elba specials How Hip Hop Changed the World and How Clubbing Changed the th World and the forthcoming acclaimed story of 20 century music The Sound and the Fury, premiered at London’s South Bank Award winning documentaries include BAFTA winner 100% White, BAFTA shortlisted Battlecentre, multi-award winner House of War, BAFTA-winning BBC1 epic Tsunami: 7 Hours on Boxing Day; the RTS and Banff award-winning After The War: Conquering Germany (BBC2); RTS awardwinning Not Cricket (BBC4/2); the RTS Shortlisted docu-drama Killing Hitler (BBC2/History Channel); the Grierson shortlisted drama Our Hidden Lives and The Last Border (winner of Best Documentary at the Berlin Film Festival) and as a director the award winning Secret Lives – Jeremy Thorpe and Volvo City. Doc series include Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age (C4/TLC), International Emmy-winning The Phil; RTS short listed Status Anxiety: Philosophy - A Guide to Happiness, Fat Man in a White Hat, Soldier Town, The Gambler, In Your Dreams and The Essential Guide to Bosnia, Britain BC, Britain AD, The Real Dad's Army, Who're you Calling Stupid (TLC). RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 7 Jennifer Lee Pryor Executive Producer Jennifer Lee Pryor is an actress, writer, producer, and Executive Producer of Omit the Logic. She is the widow of Richard Pryor, to whom she was married twice. She worked with Pryor on an abundance of projects during the course of their 35-year-relationship, including his most popular concert films, several anthologies, and the award-winning box set, And It’s Deep Too. Jennifer is author of Tarnished Angel, Surviving the Dark Curve of Drugs, Violence, Sex and Fame. She is at work on her second book, which details her life with Richard after his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, and a bio-pic of Richard’s life, co-produced with Forest Whitaker. Her other projects include producing the special, I Ain’t Dead Yet, M*#*F*#* for Comedy Central, and another box set of Richard’s work for release this spring on the Shout label, No Pryor Restraint: Life In Concert. She is the director and founder of Pryor’s Planet, a non-profit animal rescue organization that she and Richard established together. Erin Davis Music Producer Erin Davis, son of late jazz icon Miles Davis, is an LA-based musician/producer/composer who heads production company Ghost Media, artist management company Davis Artists Group, and runs Miles Davis Properties, LLC along with his sister (Cheryl Davis) and his cousin (Vince Wilburn, Jr.). Erin has toured with Miles and has also recorded with him. Mocean Worker Music Composer Mocean Worker's score and placement credits include The Devil Wears Prada, The Bourne Supremacy, CSI and Six Feet Under as well as providing music for documentaries such as Client 9 - The Eliot Spitzer Story, Who Killed The Electric Car, HBO's award winning Weight Of The Nation and Inside Deep Throat. MOWO! - as his friends call him - started working professionally in this lovely entertainment business as a session bassist at 15 years of age and has worked with a very varied collection of artists including Luther Vandross, John Cale, Brian Eno, Youssou N'Dour, and Laurie Anderson. As a re-mixer, you may have seen his work in Mr and Mrs. Smith – when Brad and Angelina beat the crap out of each other to his remix of Charles Wright's Express Yourself (he's still never been called and thanked for creating the soundtrack to their young romance). For those interested, Mocean is pronounced "Motion". If you happen to meet Mocean Worker in person, you can call him Adam as he is also known as Adam Dorn. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 8 Amine Ramer Music Supervisor, States of Sound Amine Ramer has done music supervision for film, (features and documentaries) television, instore & ad campaigns. Clients and credits include: Weeds, (Emmy Winner) Food Inc, (Oscar Nominated) The Losers, Revenge of the Electric Car, Entitled, For A Good Time Call, Boys & Girls Guide To Getting Down, the Olsen Twins, Blackberry, Cadillac and Heineken. Realizing the value of her musical palate, Ramer has carved out a successful career in music supervision for film and television. Ramer created the platform, which enabled her to work with film and television heavyweights Lions Gate, HBO, Showtime, Warner Bros, Focus Features, and NBC among others. In 2005, Ramer partnered with Alexina Matisse and founded States of Sound; a full service boutique agency providing music supervision for major studio and independent films, documentaries and television. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 9 Production Credits A film by MARINA ZENOVICH Music by MOCEAN WORKER Music produced by ERIN DAVIS Music Supervisor AMINÉ RAMER Director of Photography CHRISTINE BURRILL Edited by CHRIS A. PETERSON Written by P.G. MORGAN CHRIS A. PETERSON MARINA ZENOVICH Produced by SARA HUTCHISON Executive Producers ROY ACKERMAN JENNIFER LEE PRYOR Directed by MARINA ZENOVICH EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR THE BBC Nick Fraser CONSULTING PRODUCER P.G. Morgan ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS Mark Cope Stephanie Johnson Grace Willen ADDITIONAL CAMERA Thaddeus Wadleigh Grant James Michael Negrin RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 10 Tim Newman Keith Walker ASSISTANT CAMERA Marc Shap PRODUCTION SOUND Jon K. Oh Tyler Bender Paul Buscemi Jim Choi K.C. Clayton Doug Dunderdale Hayden Jackson Mark Maloof HAIR AND MAKEUP Mirj Sofro Nicole Bolin Luann Claps Heather Coopersmith Claire Doyle Marianna Elias Nancie Marsalis Marlene Williams Lisa Zomer DATA TECHNICIANS Mark Cope Kiazad Ehya Patrick Kollman Enzo Sica Lars Ullberg PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Nicole Aprea Melanie Booth Jelena Mrdja Kiazad Ehya LOCATION COORDINATOR - PEORIA, IL Doug Leunig PRODUCTION INTERN Deshaun Thompson RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 11 ADDITIONAL EDITING John Sandlin ASSISTANT EDITOR Mark Cope DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE SERVICES BY Siren Digital DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE PRODUCER J.E. Moore DIGITAL FILM COLORIST Michael Eaves DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE CONSULTANT Jeff Brue CONFORM ARTIST Daniel Hasenstaub ASSISTANT CONFORM ARTIST Charles Hildreth EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – SIREN DIGITAL Kyle Dean Jackson SOUND SUPERVISOR Christopher Sheldon RE-RECORDING MIXER Yagmur Kaplan FOLEY SUPERVISOR Gregg Teutonico FOLEY EDITOR Alex Ma POST SOUND ASSISTANT Andrew Liu MOTION GRAPHICS Dan Wilken GRAPHICS CONSULTANT Nicole Ellingson TRANSCRIBERS Michael Chinnici RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 12 Trisha Chinnici Julian Clark Gisela M. Perez Laura Wheeler ARCHIVE RESEARCH AND CLEARANCES Grace Willen RESEARCH CONSULTANT Michelle Sullivan CLEARANCE LEGAL SERVICES Lisa A. Callif Donaldson + Callif, LLP ADDITIONAL LEGAL SERVICES Linda Lichter Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman, Inc. INSURANCE SERVICES Carlos Lavin DeWitt Stern ACCOUNTING Greg Wallace, CPA Erin Wallace, CPA HEAD OF OPERATIONS – FRESH ONE Jo Ralling LEGAL SERVICES – FRESH ONE Nicola Hartley Mauny Wright LEGAL SERVICES - JENNIFER LEE PRYOR Sheri Jeffrey ACCOUNTING – FRESH ONE Kirsten Hemingway STILL IMAGES COURTESY OF AP Images © Peter C. Borsari Corbis Images Getty Images Globe Photos, Inc. © 1978 Gunther/mptvimages.com RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 13 Michael Jacobs Mayme A. Clayton Library And Museum Polaris Images The Estate of Richard Pryor Rex USA Steve Schapiro Mitzi Shore and The World Famous Comedy Store Dan Winters Zuma Press, Inc. MOVING IMAGES COURTESY OF The Estate of Aaron Russo ABCNEWS Videosource Burt Sugarman Carson Entertainment Group CNN Full Circle Films and C.A.G.G. Partners Getty Images Jonathan Wilson c/o Ryan Jansen Kert Gartner NBC Universal Archives Oddball Film + Video Research Video, Inc. Saul Rouda Film Archive Mitzi Shore and The World Famous Comedy Store Soul Train Holdings, LLC T3Media The Weinstein Company “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling” “Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip” “Richard Pryor Here And Now” “Stir Crazy” “The Toy” “Wattstax” Courtesy Of Columbia Pictures “The Merv Griffin Show” Licensed courtesy of Reelin’ in the Years Productions, LLC “The Mike Douglas Show” Courtesy of CBS Television Distribution “Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!!” Courtesy of Comedy Central ©2003 Comedy Partners. All rights reserved. RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 14 “Richard Pryor Live In Concert” ©1979 Gary Biller ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Arizona Republic/Gannett Company, Inc. Arthur Hiller Billboard/Prometheus Global Media Broadway Video Emile de Antonio Productions GLBT Historical Society Harbor Productions, Inc./New Line Cinema Harry Benson Ivory/JET/Johnson Publishing Ken Goldstein/Steel Blue Horizon Hollywood Reporter/ Prometheus Global Media LA Herald Examiner/Hearst Communications Inc. Las Vegas Review Journal/Stephens Media Las Vegas Sun/Greenspun Media Group Los Angeles Times/Tribune Company Michael Lovesmith New York Times Newsweek Orange County Register/Freedom Communications, Inc. Paramount Pictures People/Time Inc. Rashon Khan The Estate of Richard Pryor Rocco Urbisci Sandy Gallin Stanford University Special Collections Synergy Entertainment Tucson Citizen/Gannett Company, Inc. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Universal Pictures Variety/Penske Media Corporation Victoria Advocate Publishing Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Warner Bros. Records The Weinstein Company ADDITIONAL MUSIC “You're the Man” Performed by Marvin Gaye Written by Marvin Gaye and Kenneth Stover Courtesy of Motown Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 15 “Life's a Game of Give and Take” Performed by Marvin Gaye Written by Marvin Gaye Courtesy of Motown Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises “Baby Save Me” Performed by MoZella Written by Maureen McDonald and Brian Holland Courtesy of Belle Isle Records/Beverly Martel “Blue in Green” Performed by Miles Davis Written by Miles Davis Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing “Feio” Performed by Miles Davis Written by Wayne Shorter Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing “Stand Up” featuring Lee Fields Performed by The Sugarman Three Written by Neal Sugarman Courtesy of Daptone Records “So What” Performed by Miles Davis Written by Miles Davis Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing “Pow” Performed by Beastie Boys Written by Adam Horovitz, Diamond Michael Louis, Mark Ramos Nishita and Adam Nathaniel Yauch Courtesy of Capitol Records, LLC and Beastie Boys Under license from Universal Music Enterprises “Pre Rhod Edit” Performed by Poets of Rhythm Written by J. Whitefield, M. Whitefield and B. Baral Courtesy of Now-Again Records “Safari Strut Demo” Performed by Whitefield Brothers Written by J. Whitefield RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Production Notes Page 16 Courtesy of Now-Again Records “My Home” Performed by Nneka Written by Nneka Egbuna and Farhad Samadzada Courtesy of Decon Records “Vegas Say So” Performed by Leland Bond Written by Leland Bond Courtesy of Sounds Right Music LLC © 2013. Fresh One Productions. All rights reserved. Fresh One Productions is the author and creator of this motion picture for the purpose of copyright and other laws in all countries throughout the world. This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States, Canada and other countries, and its unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution. SHOWTIME A Presentation of Showtime Networks Inc. A CBS Company
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