With every cinematic oddity that artist/filmmaker Vincent Gallo makes, he seems to pursue a fleeting moment that crumbles after its creation. He’s denied films a proper release before, as “Promises Written in Water” turned out to be hidden from the “dark energies from the public” — but now a new glimpse of a forgotten acting project has emerged, and it’s certainly a change from the iconoclast.
Aside from a brief 3-minute clip (in Italian) with actor Clive Riche, little has been seen or heard about the Gallo-starring “Oliviero Rising.” It landed briefly on the international festival circuit in 2007, playing small scale places like Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival and Flaiano Film Festival a year later, before disappearing completely. However, a trailer has landed online that takes a look at its considerable cast, surreal, austere tone, and bawdy plotline.
Directed by Riki Roseo, the film stars Gallo as an Italian-American immigrant who returns to Italy for an inheritance and, once there, faces a “deep, personal crisis” with intimacy. While that may sound like a typical Gallo piece, the trailer showcases a sex comedy vibe filtered through Antonioni, bolstered by a supporting cast of Ernest Borgnine, Burt Young, Vincent Schiavelli, and the unsettling presence of Sage Stallone to kick things off.
No release date yet for the film (and don’t hold your breath), but check the trailer and clip out below to gauge whether “Oliviero Rising” should even see the light of day. [via Why Vincent Gallo]
I agree, Vincent Gallo's talent (music, directing, acting, writing, etc) is highly underrated.
And Sarah is correct. He is one funny dude
His entire body of work is amazing. With the current batch of nonsense that hollywood cranks out, Its doubtful he'll every get any real credit for his talent, He's basiclly the Anton Newcombe of film.
People sometimes forget how funny Vincent Gallo is. He is funny funny funny. Some idiots miss his humor especially his web site humor. Vincent Gallo could rule films like "The Hangover" Check him out in Palookaville and Arizona Dream. HE is funny. In Buffalo 66 is humor is top notch.
Vincent Gallo as usual is brilliant in this film. I saw it in Rome in 2007 as I was a film buyer then. The film stayed silent because it was so poorly edited and the post production work was a disgraceful (some terrible over dubbing of not even Gallo's real voice for example). I felt the film Kaspar Houser, in which Gallo also stars, was also terribly edited though unlike Oliviero Rising Kaspar Houser could have been a masterpiece had its filmmaker not been so pretentious. Gallo's performances in Kaspar Houser (he plays two characters) are as good as any I have seen from anyone ever. His performances as both characters are also completely original. The Italians get money from the government to make films. The filmmakers and producers there have no pressure whatsoever to do well in the marketplace or to make great films. Everyone becomes a parasite grabbing money and the director of Oliviero Rising Riki Roseo is said to be a buffoon and completely incompetent. Vincent Gallo has given some of the greatest performances. Unfortunately many of Gallo's great performances are in terrible films. I say the three best films Vincent Gallo was in where the three he directed, Buffalo 66, The Brown Bunny and Promises Written in Water.
This looks really funny, and marketable. I'm surprised it didn't get a platform release in 2008. Also, it doesn't seem to have anything of Antonioni in it except for the Italian setting. If it were set in America with a "non-ethnic" cast, you would never have invoked him. Probably, you would've invoked Woody Allen
Hilarious trailer. Have to see this one. Oh Vincent please stop denying us your amazing work.