| The Personals | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Markle |
| Written by | Peter Markle |
| Produced by | Patrick Wells |
| Starring | Bill Schoppert |
| Distributed by | New World Pictures |
Release date |
|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $375,000 [1] |
| Box office | $2 million [1] [2] |
The Personals is a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Peter Markle. [3] [4] It was shot in Minneapolis. The film was picked up for distribution by Roger Corman's New World Pictures. [3]
Production
Writer/director Peter Markle's first feature film, [1] it was made with a SAG cast recruited from the Guthrie Theater [5] and a nonunion crew. [6] Principal photography was May–September 1980, with additional takes and pickups through December and continuing into August 1981. [4] It was shot on 16 mm, [4] and blown up to 35 mm for theater screenings. [7]
It was filmed in and around Minneapolis, including such landmarks as the Lake of the Isles, [5] Bde Maka Ska, [8] and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. [9] As a low budget, independent film, the homes of director Markle, writer Wells, and actor Schoppert were used as filming locations as well. [10]
Plot
 | This article needs an improved
plot summary. (September 2022) |
A man whose wife has left him starts dating again by placing ads in newspaper personal columns. He gets some letters and he dates around the Minnesota area.
Cast
- Bill Schoppert as Bill
- Karen Landry as Adrienne
- Paul Eiding as David
- Victoria Dakil as Shelly
- Chris Forth as Jennifer
- Patrick Thomas O'Brien as Jay
Reception
The film won the Best First Feature Award at the Houston International Film Festival. [6]
New World Pictures distributed the film nationally, and it ran for twelve weeks at St. Louis Park's Cooper Theater. [8] It also received generally positive reviews: [8] The Washington Post called it a "minor but admirably polished and attractive low-budget gem," [5] and Variety said that the "story really isn't all the profound, but it's told with sincerity and humor, full of likeable, decent people dealing with familiar problems with wigging out." [11] Variety also commended the cast "making their feature film debut ... so natural it could embarrass some Hollywood acting schools." [11] Multiple reviewers appreciated Minneapolis as a fresh setting for filmmaking. [11] [12]
Its rental tally was $2 million (equivalent to $6.31 million in 2023). [1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Koetting, Christopher T. (2009). Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures. Bristol: Hemlock Books. pp. 216–217. ISBN 9780955777417.
- ^ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 295. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ^ a b Canby, Vincent (March 20, 1983). "Screen: 'Personals' in Minneapolis". The New York Times. p. 60.
- ^
a
b
c Timberg, Bernard; Arnold, Thomas (February 1982). "Voices from the Hinterlands... Part Three". The Independent. Vol. 4, no. 10. pp. 10–11.
Starting out with $50,000 of their own money, Pat Wells and Peter Markle raised the balance of the $375,000 needed to produce their film The Personals by this method.
- ^ a b c Arnold, Gary (January 22, 1983). "Roller Romance, as Advertised". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. pp. B1, B4.
- ^ a b Anderson, Phil (November 1982). "Prairie Film Companion". American Film.
- ^ "SWM, 32, Looks for Love in 'The Personals'". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 20, 1983. p. 52.
- ^ a b c Canton, Rolf J. (2007). "Producers". Behind the Cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II. Minneapolis, MN: Nodin Press. p. 22. ISBN 9781932472530.
- ^ Markle, Peter (director) (1982). The Personals. YouTube (motion picture). 91 minutes in.
-
^ Canton, Rolf J.pp=172–173.
Behind the Cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II.
{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link) - ^ a b c "Film Reviews: The Personals". Variety. Vol. 309, no. 3. Los Angeles. November 17, 1982. p. 14.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (March 3, 1983). "Movie Review: 'Personals' A Fresh Surprise". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. J1.
External links
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