A2-based film hits dead end

A movie made by University graduates at 47 different locations in Ann Arbor drew critical acclaim after it was produced four years ago. But in the years following the bliss of having a hot movie, the film's producers have dealt with the headaches and letdowns of botched contracts with major film distributors.

In the summer of 1993, the movie "The Four Corners of Nowhere" was shot entirely in Ann Arbor and written, directed and produced by recent college graduates - some of whom were University alumni. When the total budgets were calculated, the project cost nearly $300,000.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily University alumnus Julian Rad produced the film "The Four Corners of Nowhere." The movie never hit theaters due to distribution problems.

The film, which played at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, eventually was plagued with problems caused by major film distributors and did not live up to its expected potential, said University alumnus Julian Rad, the film's producer.

Rad, who also acted in the film, said the movie had great potential, but the distributor he contracted did not live up to its obligations.

"MGI International said that our film would run in 56 cities," Rad said. "It ended up showing in only one - Los Angeles."

Steve Chbosky, the film's writer and director, said his parents put a second mortgage on their house to help finance the film. He said that despite the film's financial troubles, most of the people involved have benefitted from the experience.

"It was a special time, and to be able to even make a movie is great," Chbosky said. "But we lost our shirts with this film."

The Generation X movie could be appropriately put alongside "Singles" in a videostore, Rad said.

Rad said that during the Sundance Film Festival, the show received rave reviews and should have been signed by a major distributor, if a few mishaps had not occurred.

"A lot of things went wrong at Sundance," he said. "There was a leak that Miramax was planning on signing with us, but we never signed anything with them."

From that point, no other distributors wanted to touch the rights to "Four Corners," Rad said. The work sat dormant for more than one year until MGI International, a new distributor at the time, signed the film and promised big results - a nationwide release, a gigantic opening-night event in Los Angeles and a large share of the film's profits.

Rad said he has not yet received any payment from MGI, two years after the contract was originally signed.

Colleen Meeker, who works for MGI and signed the deal with "Four Corners," said her company cannot afford to support the film any longer.

"The film opened in L.A. and got terrible reviews," she said. "We did the best we could, but I had to pull out because it was a poor film."

Despite Meeker's claim of MGI's "pulling out," the distributor still handles the film's distribution.

"I wish someone (from "Four Corners") would call me and let me know what is going on," Meeker said.

When asked about specific contractual obligations, Meeker declined to comment.

Rad said MGI will hold rights to the film until a lawsuit is brought against the company.

"But I have no money to sue," he said. "So until then, MGI will continue to embezzle the money that should be ours."

03-31-98