Al Pacino is teaming up with HBO for another biopic. This time he’ll play Phil Spector, the famous music producer who is serving a minimum 19 year prison sentence for the second-degree murder of Lana Clarkson.
The currently untitled movie will begin filming in NYC this week. Signs have already been spotted around 7th Ave and 10th St for July 6. They will also spend two days filming at the Nassau County Court House in Long Island on July 18 and July 19.
David Mamet is directing the project, which he also wrote, and Bette Midler has signed on to co-star.
Be on the lookout for more No Parking Signs for The Phil Spector Project around NYC in the next few weeks and be sure to let us know if you spot them!
[Photo: CrawDaddy, Special Thanks to Glenn]
They were filming at the Strip Club on 12 Street. Bette Midler was spotted outside the club during a break with David Mamet. No sign of Al Paciino today. I could not believe they were filming right across the street from my job.
The Friends of Lana Clarkson Group Send Letter of Concern
Protesting David Mamet’s Disturbing Statements About his HBO Film
Film Stars Al Pacino as Phil Spector the Convicted Murderer of Lana Clarkson
and Bette Midler as Spectors Controversial Lawyer Linda Kenney Baden
Los Angeles – The Friends of Lana Clarkson, a support group for the memory and reputation of the actress abused and murdered by record producer Phil Spector in February of 2003, has sent a Letter of Concern to David Mamet, well known Hollywood script writer and Director. His latest project, writing and directing an HBO film starring A-stars Al Pacino and Bette Midler as convicted murderer Phil Spector and his controversial lawyer Linda Kenney-Baden, was announced last month in Variety and Hollywood Reporter. The letter was received by Mamet through his lawyer today.
The contents of the letter show the concern and anxiety that Lana Clarkson’s support group feel about this dubious film and disturbing comments made by David Mamet to the media this past week including that he felt Phil Spector was innocent, does not deserve to be in prison, and that if he were a regular citizen, would of been found innocent. These outrageous statements by Mamet have inflamed Lana’s friends and law enforcement officials and decent people in the legal and entertainment professions.
Mamet defying all logic and trial documentation actually says, ” ” I don’t think he’s guilty. I definitely think there is reasonable doubt….they should never have sent him away. Whether he did it or not, we’ll never know but if he’d just been a regular citizen, they never would have indicted him.”
The following are excerpts from the Letter sent to Mamet from The Friends of Lana Clarkson who are comprised of her girlfriends, boyfriends, hairdressers, agents, managers, casting directors, producers, make-up artists, church goers and a select group of media reporters. Many of the group were in the court room during both criminal trials.
[Your statements are] “Absolutely mind boggling and wrong in so many ways Mr. Mamet. Who is the WE in “we’ll never know”? But we do know Mr. Mamet. A jury of your peers, a total of 22 jurors in two trials DID KNOW and without a doubt. Please, please, do your research.”
‘Your biased statements reveal our worst concerns. This film may be a valentine for a convicted murderer and 40 year gun abuser. ”
“What really concerns us now is how you will portray our angel Lana Clarkson……If your film is about the trial, will there be flashbacks about Lana’s life? Will it be your interpretation on what really happened or will it be WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED with Lana? Will you portray her as the loving beautiful actress and comedian she was, with hundreds of friends, thousands of fans, and a giving nurturing friendship person-who was working for 25 years in the business as a SAG, AFTRA, EQUITY actress with a national comedy tour in pre-production? Or will you go the low road as did Team Spector , portraying her as a casting couch dope-whore hell bent on picking up Spector for kicks and then blowing her brains out in his back doorway, depressed about turning 40?”
Not included in the letter was the possibility that the protest and concern by The Friends of Lana Clarkson could turn into a full blown call for Protest, Admonishment and a Boycott of the production and anyone having anything to do with it.
“This project is so wrong and so insensitive in so many ways to the people who knew and loved Lana Clarkson. We are requesting that Mr. Mamet have the good sense and courtesy to write a factual and entertaining film concerning the facts. He does not need to rewrite history so soon. It will back-fire on him. We would like to help him. We would like to see the script with him”, said Edward Lozzi, former publicist and 25 year friend of Lana Clarkson”
*The Letter is included below.
Contact: Edward Lozzi, Edward Lozzi & Associates 310-922-1200 epl@lozzipr.com
June 16, 2011
Mr. David Mamet
Writer & Director
c/o Stanley Coleman
Weissman, Wolf, Bergman, Coleman, Grodin & Evall, LLP
9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Ninth Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2315
310-858-7888
RE: DISTURBING STATEMENTS by David Mamet about his HBO- Motion Picture Project- Phil Spector portrayed by Al Pacino
and Linda Kenney Baden portrayed by Bette Midler
Dear Mr. Mamet,
Because of your incredible body of work, including many award winning TV, stage, and motion picture projects that have been seen by millions, I am writing this letter of concern to you. This letter is the result of conversations with the living friends, and professionals who were a big part of the young life of actress, comedian Lana Clarkson. Her girlfriends, boyfriends, hairdressers, agents, managers, casting directors, producers, make-up artists, and a select group of media reporters, comprise our group. Many of us attended both criminal trials. They have discussed with me the amazing announcement of your new HBO film, your disturbing recent statements, and the incredible cast and crew that is forming, including Al Pacino as the murderer Phil Spector, Bette Midler as the controversial Linda Baden Kenney, and you, David Mamet, writer and director with Barry Levinson producing. We know that with HBO as it’s platform, your film will be seen by millions and later millions more on DVD and social applications. So what is our concern?
We are concerned that Phil Spector, the loathsome, lying, gun abusing convicted murderer of our friend Lana Clarkson, will be portrayed with some kind of sympathy or worse yet, someone important. We understand that the script or story line is about the strange relationship between the Badens and Phil Spector who spent millions on his own failed defense.
What really concerns us, is your recent quotes this week in The Financial Times. Your troubling quotes reveal your opinion on Spector’s innocence. You say, ” I don’t think he’s guilty. I definitely think there is reasonable doubt….they should never have sent him away. Whether he did it or not, we’ll never know but if he’d just been a regular citizen, they never would have indicted him.” Absolutely mind boggling and wrong in so many ways. Mr. Mamet, who is the WE in “we’ll never know”? But we do know Mr. Mamet. A jury of your peers, a total of 22 jurors in two trials DID KNOW and without a doubt. Please, please, do your research. Mr. Alan Jackson, the District Attorney candidate and successful prosecutor of Spector, would be available to consult with you on your misdirection. Please refrain from rewriting history for “creative license”. That doesn’t work when you write a script in a film that will hurt people victimized by Spector and still alive today. Alan Jackson can tell you about the many important citizens who came forward to sign Affidavits that Spector pulled loaded guns on them for sex, and bullying. Judge Fidler only allowed 5 women abused in similar dangerous circumstances as Lana Clarkson to testify. He didn’t allow any celebrities to testify including Debbie Harry and Michelle Phillips who both accused Spector publicly of holding them hostage with guns.
Your biased statements reveal our worst concerns. This film may be a valentine for a convicted murderer and 40 year gun abuser.
What really concerns us now is how you will portray our angel Lana Clarkson. It took us a few years before the trial to finally educate the media about the wonderful, loving, nurturing, and good natured positive woman Lana was to all of us. The trial transcripts and many press articles will reveal the ugly and horrible fabrications that Team Spector came up with out of total desperation. To this day, the pathetic defense of Team Spector and all of it’s lawyers and paid witnesses, including the Badens remains, that Lana Clarkson, after a few hours of being confronted by Spector at her work, drove back with him, a perfect stranger, to his mansion to kill herself with his gun because she was depressed about turning 40. This proven phony failed defense and fabricated witness back-up, as well as the degradation campaign of Lana Clarkson, including the outrage that she was responsible for her own death, is a black mark on the legal profession and for legal criminal defense lawyers and forensic experts everywhere.
The astounding last minute changed testimony on the stand by Mrs. Baden’s husband, Dr. Michael Baden, that the reason there was blood spray on Phil Sector’s jacket, was not because he jammed a gun into her mouth and pulled the trigger, but that he had rushed to her aid after hearing the gun shot, and when he arrived near her, Lana’s dead body involuntarily coughed up some blood. OUTRAGEOUS! And on the record. We were in the court room. We were astounded. Almost as astounding as the answering machine tapes of Spector’s victims played at the trial of Spector’s vicious voice threatening to harm them if they ever told about his behavior with guns toward them.
If your film is about the trial, will there be flashbacks about Lana’s life? Will it be your interpretation on what really happened or will it be WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED with Lana? Will you portray her as the loving beautiful actress and comedian she was, with hundreds of friends, thousands of fans, and a giving nurturing friendship person-who was working for 25 years in the business as a SAG, AFTRA, EQUITY actress with a national comedy tour in pre-production? Or will you go the low road as did Team Spector , portraying her as a casting couch dope-whore hell bent on picking up Spector for kicks and then blowing her brains out in his back doorway, depressed about turning 40? The overwhelming evidence against Spector and the public resentment against him is proven fact. We know that you are creative enough to make this a great story without portraying Lana in any bad light to help with the story. If you do, it will hurt many, many people who grew with her and are still alive today.
We wanted to let you know how we feel about this and hope you are not offended if this letter is a bit blunt. If you are interested in interviewing any of the friends of Lana Clarkson, who knew how she ticked, and who could be helpful to your story, we are available any time.
During the trial (2007)the Huffington Post asked me to write a story for them about Lana Clarkson and me. It would be helpful for you to know more about Lana if you read it. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-lozzi/mods-and-rockers-festival_17_b_58046.html
I know you have revealed your intentions to portray Spector through Pacino as a victim, or worse yet, innocent. Please don’t make Lana Clarkson a pawn in this scenario. Thank you for your time in reading this letter.
Sincerely yours,
Edward Lozzi
Edward Lozzi, for The Friends of Lana Clarkson
Edward Lozzi & Associates PR
9454 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 600
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310-922-1200
http://www.lozzipr.com
I will have to side with The Friends of Lana Clarkson side on this one. It seems Mr. Mamet has no interest in learning about one of the main characters in this project. Not only has he shown no interest in getting the facts about Lana Clarckson, he has also made no attempt in replying to my e-mails regarding my brothers. Both of my brothers interacted with our father in the courtroom during the trial and I showed up during deliberations. If he has no interest in portraying Lana Clarkson correctly or my fathers interactions with any of his sons correctly, I can only assume that there will be nothing of value to learn from this project as it appears it will be very one-sided that there will be no point in watching it.