The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 304

READER COMMENTS AGENT AGENT: CALL IF YOU DON'T NEED HIM After really enjoying Deborah Caulfield's article on the DeLorean movie deal Lovers. Have We Got a Deal for You," Calendar, Dec. 1 I thought Calendar might be interested in my own adventure in Hollywood, which raises the question. "Do you need an agent to get an agent?" My story starts three years ago after I graduated from New York University film school, directed a number of student films, and had been the assistant director on a low-budget Brian DePalma movie. I knew enough about the business to realize that an agent could help me achieve my career goal to direct a feature film.

I wrote a treatment for a suspensethriller movie and took it to five different agents. Their response, summarized, was, "I love it but I can't do anything with a treatment. Call me when you've got a screenplay." I quit working and spent the next six months writing three drafts of the script before I felt it was ready. I took it back to those same agents and was told, "Great writing. We'll help you show the script around but not with you attached as the director.

If you come back with a deal in place, we'll talk." I got out the phone book and started to take the script around myself. I had little choice. After six months of knocking on doors, making budgets, finding a veteran director who would step in if I faltered, and hearing a million "no's." I finally heard a "yes" from a small company in Washington, D.C. The deal was set I raced back to Hollywood and called up the agents to tell them my good news. Their reply was, "That's beautiful, babe, but call me when the film is in the can." Two months later, I was filming in Maryland on a shoestring budget and almost to the point of bouncing the checks to the cast and crew.

1 finished shooting just before the last of the money and favors ran out Before the editors could hold the film ransom until they were paid. I managed to settle everything, box up the film and return to Los Angeles where I completed the rough cut. The movie was in the can and another year had gone by. The agents looked at it and said. "Congratulations.

Call me when you have a distributor." Forty-one screenings later, after every distributor in and out of town had seen it, including MGM-UA. which took four screenings and two months before finally passing. I made a deal with Film Ventures-Artists Releasing Corp. It gave me the money to complete the film in return for handling the worldwide rights. I set up screenings of the now -finished movie for a number of different agencies.

When the lights came up at the end of each showing the response was, "Mark, you've done the impossible. But we can't sell you to Hollywood because it's not a Hollywood picture. But if it does well tergeist" and "An Officer and a Gentleman." When 1 called back the agents they told me, "Las Vegas is for nightclub acts and where is Albuquerque? Call me when it opens in L.A." On Jan. 21 my film is set to open in about 50 theaters in the Los Angeles area, including Westwood and Hollywood. The agents' response? "Terrific.

But why don't you call me when you've got your next treatment." three years of perseverance, of people telling me I can't do it, of doing everything from writing, raising the money, directing, producing, and gophering, after completing a movie that everyone says looks great and yet was brought in on a shoestring, and after it has outgrossed some pretty big films in its initial small run, I still can't get an agent. I did everything right What went wrong? I hope to be able to meet Ms. Caulfield sometime. If she can't I'll understand. But please tell her not to say.

"Great story. Mark. Why don't you call me when you get your next film off the ground." MARK ROSMAN P.S. Can you recommend an agent who might help me get an agent? L.A. LATINO MOVIES: SOUND AND FURY Concerning Lee Grant's article about Bruce Cor-win.

president of Metropolitan Theaters Jefe of Broadway's Film Houses," Calendar. Nov. 26). I don't think Corwin gives the people who love Spanish-speaking movies a fair shake. Here are a few reasons: 1.

We get no say about the quality of the movies we see. It seems as if we get slapped with the same kind of movies all the time. There are enough sophisticated Latinos in Los Angeles who would love to see something different from the film fare of downtown. Cuba, Spain, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico produce some excellent films. We never see them in Los Angeles.

2. Sound and picture. Not one theater downtown has when it opens, call me." Three weeks ago. on Nov. 19.

"The House on Sorority Row" opened in Las Vegas and Albuquerque. At the six-plex in Vegas it sold out the Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. shows and outgrossed the five other films playing with it that weekend, including "Creepshow," "Pol- "BRILLIANT FANTASY. An exquisite film. The kids will love it and parents will be glad they went along.

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