New Indie Film Documents the Creation of "The Greatest Artificial Rock Band in Russian History"

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AMERICAN PREMIERE JULY 19 at NY’s QUAD CINEMA

“Anyone can step up and seize history. Our movie is an allegory of that same process.”

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 12, 2013

New York’s QUAD Cinema and Lackluster Entertainment are delighted to announce the U.S. theatrical premiere of writer-director Mark Hendrickson’s mocumentary, COLOSSUS, (134 minutes) after its first public screening to enthusiastic audiences at the Sergey Kuryokhin Modern Art Center in St. Petersburg, Russia as part of the Megapolis Film Festival.

Shot in new Russia, Hendrickson creates a tightly nested narrative for the ex-pat con man, Clark Larson (played by Hendrickson), who spent the last 17 years wheeling and dealing in Russia’s twilight of commerce and graft. Now, at the top of his game and before his soul has completely vanished, he decides to “give back” something in return for all he has taken: a film to illustrate and instruct the audience in “the power of bullshit, lies and intimidation.”

As a means to his redemption, he wants to impart a fundamental truth: the world can be strong-armed by a very passionate and relentless few. “The Bolsheviks succeeded in selling to one of the world’s largest nations a crude ideology that essentially abolished freedom—a shining example of the creation of culture through manipulation” and proof that “anyone can step up and seize history. Our movie is an allegory of that same process.”

To teach this lesson and post this warning, Hendrickson sets out (with no money) to invent a heavy- metal artificial rock band, launch its first national tour across Russia, and make a film to tell the tale.

Framed by a pixilated montage of the history of Russia since Lenin (scored by Frank Zappa) and filmed in the exotic underground world of St. Petersburg and Moscow (including Bunker 47, a Khrushchev Era nuclear bunker 18 stories below street level and now repurposed as a private club), Hendrickson’s deception takes on a life of its own as he engages an international crew and cast of emerging talent, sweeping them up in his schemes. He trains amateur musicians to perform like rock stars, uses a drug-addicted poet to write lyrics for his songs and exposes himself to a ruthless underworld as he succeeds in turning his artificial rock band into a national sensation—all the while, tempting us to wonder, who’s going to get the last laugh?

“I made this movie as a celebration of doubt,” Hendrickson says. “A lot of endeavors celebrate faith. I’m a New Yorker. I believe faith and doubt need to be kept in balance. We’ve done something that’s a mixture. It shows you need both.”    

About the music in COLOSSUS:
Mark Henrickson has been at the center of writing, arranging, producing and performing the film’s music, choosing and arranging the "cover" songs performed in the film, and playing guitar, drums and performing vocals on many of the tracks of the soundtrack album, which is due out in August. The first single from the album, ("Fire in the Hole" by Actor/Musician Ilya Sokoloff, who plays the lead singer in the film) was digitally released on Wednesday, June 26th. The next several singles, slated to be released in August, are cover songs by Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, David Byrne, Sly Stone and the BeeGees. Notes Hendrickson. “Despite all the lies, twists and turns, the one thing that remains absolutely real is the music, which is truly the core of the movie.”

About the martial arts in COLOSSUS:
COLOSSUS features scenes demonstrating a highly secretive and deadly form of martial arts, called “The System,” now in the midst of a national resurgence. Daniel Ryabko, son of Grandmaster, Michail Riakov, trained the COLOSSUS cast in this ancient Russian discipline based on yoga, once forbidden under Stalin and reserved only for his special forces, the Spetznaz.

Mark Hendrickson is available for interviews and will attend selected evening screenings for Q&A. Please view QUAD's website for schedule: http://www.quadcinema.com.
Showtimes: 1:00, 3:40, 6:30 and 9:30

Official Website/Trailer: http://www.colossusfilm.com
Press Kit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zql58eb7nln0bsv/BIG1jLhGxq
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/COLOSSUSfilm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColossusFilm

COLOSSUS - Not rated. Opens Friday, July 19 at New York’s QUAD Cinema, 34 West 13th St., New York, NY 10011
p: (212) 255-2243;                                                                        
f: (212) 255-2247;
email: quadcinema(at)aol(dot)com

For advance ticket sales, call 777-FILM #636, Group Sales: Box Office (212) 255-2243, or purchase from http://www.movietickets.com – enter code 10011 – enter opening date.

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