-Caveat Lector-
The F Zone:
Not since the Boston Tea Party has there been a
tax event with as much impact as THF Pictures’
"The F Zone," a new, independent explosively
dramatic action film about some of the horrors,
strong arm tactics and ruthless behavior of the
U.S. Internal Revenue Service....
<http://www.thfpictures.com/f_zone_main_page.htm>
BACKGROUND:
The 16th Amendment states, " The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect
taxes on incomes,
from whatever source derived without apportionment among the several states, and
without regard to
any census of enumeration."
In recent history the IRS targeted the entertainment industry for large scale tax
changes.
Specifically in the definitions of employee vs. independent contractor and the
determination
thereof. These changes were made by broadly interpreting existing tax laws and
unfortunately came at
the expense of small companies without the resources to fight the large levies placed
on them by IRS
and state agencies.
The recent insurgence of patriot groups, militia and other similar groups is related
to the rising
discontent with the tax system as well as the federal government. These groups, in
general, feel the
government has become too powerful an entity in which the rights of the individual are
continually
eroded. Recent disclosures, such as the government's radiation experiments upon
unwitting
participants, the Iran-Contra drugs-for-weapons scandal, the leaving behind of
American POW's in
North Korea, or the CIA's fundraising by selling crack in our inner cities, has led to
an ever
increasing distrust of the American Government. And now, recent evidence has suggested
that the
sixteenth amendment to the Constitution, upon which all authority for modern taxation
rests, was
never legally ratified. The number of states that ratified it was less than the
three-fourths margin
needed to declare it an amendment, yet the acting Secretary of State in 1913 declared
it ratified.
Patriot groups have used this information, as well as an extensive knowledge of the
laws, U.S.
codes, and the Constitution, to "legally" avoid paying taxes.
Multiple members of congress have made it their platform and vow to change the tax
system and the
IRS. One publication suggested that in the next year some 20 million citizens will
have an adverse
encounter with the IRS.
SYNOPSIS:
Producer Dennis Smith (William Harrity), though innocent of any wrongdoing, is
financially ruined by
a group of IRS agents intent on changing the tax standards for the entertainment
industry.
Led by agent Lothar Gunter (Lee West) they levy Dennis' accounts forcing him out of
business. Dennis
accepts help from tax attorney Loren Adams (Kelly Hunt), but without adequate funds to
mount an
opposition he must resort to her off the record advice which entails hiding his assets
from seizure
by the IRS. Angered by Dennis' evasiveness, Lothar and his marshals (F.G. Houston &
Mark Hoadley)
make life difficult for Dennis, who manages to stay one step ahead. Loren convinces
Dennis that he
must learn the knowledge necessary to protect himself, but she possesses alternative
motives that
are driven by circumstances that have led to her own loathing of the IRS. Loren seeks
to convince
Dennis to help her create a film that will question the validity of the federal
authority for
taxation, the sixteenth amendment. Dennis' initial reluctance changes as the pain of
Loren's past is
revealed.
Loren reasons that by imparting the knowledge necessary to understand an injustice to
the populace,
change can occur via the will of the people. Dennis' consent leads to an interesting
and tumultuous
climax.
PRODUCTION NOTES:
Not since the Boston Tea Party has there been a tax event with as much impact as THF
Pictures’ "The
F Zone," a new, independent explosively dramatic action film about some of the
horrors, strong arm
tactics and ruthless behavior of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. All too often, in
the opinion of
this film, IRS policy is you’re guilty until proven innocent! "The F Zone" producers
said they were
motivated since the inception of their film to create an illumination about a common
American
injustice.
And that’s why "The F Zone’s" everyperson protagonist, Dennis Smith (portrayed by
filmmaker William
Harrity), tosses prudence to the wind and fights the most awesome adversary of them
all--the
Internal Revenue Service.
When Smith rebels by announcing to the IRS that he "refuses to pay the large levy
imposed by them on
him and his company" war breaks out between him and agent Lothar Gunter (Lee West),
probably the
most relentless pursuer since officer Javert in "Les Miserables" or Tommy Lee Jones in
"The
Fugitive." Smith is motivated by the real-life facts that the sixteenth amendement to
the
Constitution, upon which all authority for modern taxation rests, was never legally
ratified. The
number of states that ratified it was less than the three-fourths needed to declare it
an
amendement, yet the then acting Secretary of State in 1913 declared it ratified.
Patriot groups have
used this information, as well as extensive knowledge of the laws, U.S. codes, and the
Constitution,
to "legally" avoid paying taxes.
"The F Zone" is co-produced, co-written by and stars William Harrity. Director is
Michael Hansel.
Costarring are Kelly Hunt and Lee West. Also producing are Diane Wilson and Melanie
Brown, who
collaborated with Harrity on the screenplay.
"The F Zone" story explodes into action when TV commerical producer Smith (Harrity) is
financially
crippled, forced out of business and pushed to the emotional edge by hounding agents
of the Internal
Revenue Service, led by Gunter. Cause of the conflict are changes in the tax standards
for the
entertainment industry. Brilliant tax attorney Loren Adams (Hunt) between falling in
love with
Smith, guides him into fighting the Goliath tax system by advising him to hide some of
his surviving
assets. She also prevails upon him to produce a film--not unlike "The F Zone"
itself--that will
expose IRS injustices to the world and advance a change in the tax system.
It was his wife Nicole LeTendre who initially told actor-filmmaker Harrity about how
her father had
been hounded by the IRS throughout his entire adult life. Then Harrity remembered that
his uncle
cannot return to the United States because of an IRS dispute. LeTendre also met a
friend of a friend
who shocked the Harritys by revealing to them that he hadn’t paid federal taxes for
five years.
Harrity was intrigued enough with this initial information to embark on a vast
research project
about taxes and the IRS. He uncovered numerous case histories of federal abuses,
improper
harrassments, cars and houses needlessly seized. . .and of lives ruined. Harrity’s
collection of
vast amounts of IRS information and facts motivated him to create "The F Zone"
screenplay, one with
built-in strong dramatic entertainment values. Prior to this Harrity had been writing
a script about
doctors in an emergecy room (even before the popularity of "ER" and "Chicago
Hope")--another subject
close to his life since he is a former ER doctor himself who now is also a practicing
anesthesiologist--when not writing, acting, producing or editing.
Said Harrity:
"In my heart I believe god heard the wailings of too many good people who from
personal experience
are opposed to methods of the IRS. Consider the recent Senate hearings as well as
organizations that
are surfacing daily such as CATS (Citizens for Alternative Tax System) and CSE
(Citizens for a Sound
Economy), the various patriot movements, political forces from representatives such as
Dick Armey
and Bill Archer, who are all part of a mounting wrath against an agency that has gone
bad and is
often out of control. "
Harrity originally became interested in acting while attending Wayne State University
Medical School
in Detroit. While in medical school Harrity performed in "South Pacific" while
cramming for surgery
exams back stage. He did his internship in Los Angeles where a theatrical agent moved
him around
town. Weary about auditioning as an actor, Harrity started studying filmmaking at UCLA
and the
American Film Institute with the determination of one day making his own film. An
interesting
sidebar to his personal life is that he met his wife while removing her appendix as an
intern.
Harrity had planned also to direct "The F Zone." But when he became overwhelmed from
wearing the
many hats of co-writer, co-producer, star, editor and fund raiser he sought help
elsewhere. It was
then that he met and was impressed by Michael Hansel. Harrity quicky concluded that
Hansel was
brilliant and very knowledgeable about films. Although handicapped and confined to a
wheel chair,
Hansel, in the opinion of Harrity, "has great insights into working with actors."
Following a
10-year career of acting and directing, "The F Zone" is Hansel’s theatrical film debut
as a
director. He studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory and trained in directing
at the Film
Industry Workshop at CBS-TV.
Film production of "The F Zone" began in June and concluded four weeks later with all
location work
in the Los Angeles area and Mexico.
What does filmmaker-actor Harrity personally think of the tax system? "While I
reluctantly abide by
it as do most solid citizens," he says, "I now believe all of us would be better
served by replacing
personal income taxes with a national sales tax."
Between the making of "The F Zone" and acquiring some eight other independent films for
international sales representation through his THF Pictures company that is run by
Nicole LeTendre,
Harrity continues to be a full time anesthesiologist. He is regularly on call for
emergencies.
The budget for "The F Zone" came mostly from Harrity, his family and aquaintances
interested in a
story where the I.R.S. is the "bad guy". Harrity’s dollars were originally set aside
to buy a
house. But the passion to do his own film caused him temporarily to postpone buying a
house, using
the money to produce the film. The Harritys have no regrets about that decision since
1999 now finds
them with two sons, ages six and two, a bigger house than they would earlier have
bought and a
finished movie. During the filming Harrity’s wife served the production as assistant
director and
photographer.
Casting of the film was accomplished by open audition calls as advertised in the
actors’ trade
paper, DramaLogue. Kelly Hunt, who portrays Loren Adams the tax attorney, was Harrity
and Hansel’s
first discovery.
"Kelly and I had that instant chemistry," said Harrity. "It’s as if we had been
friends for 20
years. She has that wonderful, unique ability to pump enormous life and energy into
all her scenes.
I’m convinced Kelly will be a major star."
The tough IRS agent, Lother Gunter, who pursues Smith with relentless and ruthless
passion went to
actor Lee West.
"We probably read 500 actors for the part of the revenue agent," said Harrity, "but
the minute we
saw and heard Lee West we knew we had the right person for that role by his sound,
look and body
language. We could now move on to filling assignments for the rest of the cast."
Said Harrity about the film:
"It’s about the little guy against the establishment along with a love story. The
entire premise of
our film is that an injustice may never exist without the knowledge to understand it.
Once the
knowledge is passed along, the injustice can be perceived. While being entertained,
we’re hopeful
audiences for this film will gain enough knowledge to question injustices in the tax
system across
other areas of life."
Said Hansel:
"This film is not a diatribe about the evils of government. To the contrary, our film
is in keeping
with the ideas our forefathers set up when they created this country. They felt that
questioning the
status quos was so important that the first amendment under The Bill of Rights was
freedom of
speech, press, and the right to petition, and that’s one amendement that should never
be
questioned."
Several members of the cast and crew of "The F Zone" each had their own personal
"horror" stories
about the IRS. The film’s location manager, Darold Westbrook, remembers his mother
having her car
seized by an IRS agent even though it was her only means of getting to and from work.
Assistant
director Pierre Lorillard also had his car seized.
Filming of "The F Zone" was done in and around Los Angeles on 15 diversified location
sights. The
Glasair plane, used in the film as one of the assets being hidden from the IRS,
actually was built
by filmmaker-actor Harrity. It took him seven years to build it in a hanger at a
Southern California
airport.
Director of photography is Steve Adcock. Music is by Michael Shapiro, who took the
film assignment
as his first immediately following graduation from the University of Southern
California. It was
John Ottman, composer of the musical score for "The Usual Suspects" who recommended
Shapiro.
ABOUT THE ACTORS:
WILLIAM HARRITY (Dennis) see 'About The Filmmakers'
KELLY HUNT (Loren) has a long list of theater credits including the role of Laura in
The Glass
Menagerie and has been seen in the features Edge of Darkness and Street Hauntings. She
holds a B.A.
degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and trained with Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio.
LEE WEST (Lothar) is frequently seen in film, theater and television. His feature
credits include
She's Having A Baby, Code of Silence and Dangerous Waters. Lee has a recurring role on
The Bold &
The Beautiful, and has also been seen in Young & The Restless, Days of Our Lives,
Married With
Children, Designing Women and has numerous co-starring roles in television films. Lee
has a long
list of off-Broadway and regional theater credits including roles in Macbeth and Much
Ado About
Nothing.
F.G. HOUSTON (Marshal) is a regular performer in film, theater and television. He has
a long list of
television roles including Matlock, Coach, The Wonder Years, Married With Children,
Webster and
Knots Landing. F.G. has appeared in over 20 national commercials and over sixty
industrial films.
His feature credits include starring roles in Night of the Kickfighters and Night
Raiders.
MARK HOADLEY (Marshal) has been seen in numerous films such as Green Mantis, The Long
Ride, Bob's
Bungalow, The Journalist and The Pit. Mark is also known for his ability to
choreograph stunt work,
and he has worked as a stunt coordinator in many of the films in which he acted.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
Director MICHAEL HANSEL makes his feature film debut with The F Zone. Born in Spokane,
Washington,
Michael has a background in both film and music. He has been acting and directing for
more than 10
years. Early directing work includes a 30-minute short and numerous live musical
comedy television
programs. Other directing duties have included tutoring actors for stage and film. He
studied acting
at Stella Adler Conservatory and trained in directing under the Film Industry Workshop
at CBS
Television. He was awarded the School of Fine Arts Artistic Excellence Award and
Senior Meritorious
Award at Eastern Washington Interview.
Writer/Producer/Actor/Editor WILLIAM HARRITY. The F Zone is his feature film debut.
William is a
member of the IFP/West group of filmmakers, and has studied acting for more than 10
years, including
the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Film Industry Workshops, where he met
director Michael
Hansel. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of
Television and
Radio Artists. William's "day job" is as an M.D. anesthesiologist.
Producer/Production Manager DIANE WILSON has been connected to both live theater and
film/video
production for over thirty years. She has worked at nearly every level of video and
film production
from crew member to producer, including director of photography on three cable
television
series/pilots and a documentary nature film. Diane is now a producer and co-owner of a
corporate/educational video production company. She co-produced an educational series
for national
distribution and a training series for Farmers Insurance Company.
Producer MELANIE L. BROWN has been in the video and film industry for twelve years.
Melanie has
owned and operated her own production company, Master Video Productions, for the past
nine years.
Melanie interned at KSBY in Santa Barbara, and has also worked as a news
photographer/editor at KEYT
in Santa Barbara. She has recently produced two of a ten part series titled Unfinished
Stories which
are being distributed by Barr Films.
Director of Photography STEVE ADCOCK is originally from England. Steve arrived in the
U.S. in 1986
and worked with Panavision in the rental and prep departments for two years. After
leaving
Panavision he went into production and has worked as a camera assistant in such films
as Hunt for
Red October, Days of Thunder, Basic Instinct, and Thelma and Louise. In 1992, Steve
started working
as Director of Photography on music videos, commercials and features such as Timelock,
Must be the
Music (1996 Sundance Film Festival Finalist), Don's Plum, The Silent Force, and Rough
Trade. He
continues to work on the camera crew for "A" features between work as Director of
Photography, and
has recently worked on Jade, Species, and Lethal Weapon III.
Composer MICHAEL SHAPIRO. The F Zone his second feature film score. Mike works in
Hollywood as a
freelance composer and his clients have included MopTop Films, Iwerks, Metroff Media
Makers,
WQED/West, and Wild Track Productions. Mike also serves as a musical consultant for
SuperNova
Productions, a New York based multimedia firm. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon
University,
obtained his masters in music composition at New York University and studied music at
the University
of Southern California.
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