| BEST
OF THE EAST BAY 2004 |
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Best
Local Filmmaker
Moonlighting Pizza Dude
May 5, 2004
Chris Horvath
You might spot him walking down Piedmont Avenue in dark glasses,
strutting from cafe to cafe with his laptop to do some "guerrilla
writing." But don't be fooled by his unassuming demeanor.
Chris Horvath, an Oakland native, is a self-proclaimed Gen
Xer who makes films about "the romance that can be found
in everyday life," and he has made one of the most interesting
films about Oakland you'll find. Leisure is a character-driven
piece inspired by real people, mainly his friends and acquaintances
(who are playing other friends) from Cato's Ale House, where
most of the movie was shot. Featuring a deranged but kind
punk rocker, a stray Piedmonter, and some French soccer players,
it's a real slice of life in Oaktown and certainly deserves
cult status. Best line: "This isn't America! This is
Oakland!" Horvath's clever debut is his answer to the
cynicism of today's independent films, and he has since co-written
Illusion with pal Michael Goorjian (who also stars in Leisure),
a postmodern romantic fantasy featuring Kirk Douglas. His
next film will be a story about pizza drivers -- and he should
know a few things about them, since that's what he does when
not writing scripts.
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| EAST
BAY EXPRESS |
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Oakland barroom comedy pays its tab handsomely
Kelly Vance
January 29, 2003
 Good
for what ales you: If we told you that a group of
local filmmakers and actors led by a couple of Pizza Rustica
deliverymen shot a feature-length comedy about a bunch of
slackers spending all their waking hours (and their passed-out
ones, as well) in Cato's Ale House on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland,
you'd expect a beery night at the movies. But Leisure , the
refreshingly well-written and ably acted slice of East Bay
life by writer-director Chris Horvath and his friends, pulls
off a character coup. It's funnier than any movie made for
$5,000 (Horvath's pizza tips) has any right to be, thanks
to the naturalistic acting of Horvath, composer-actor Chris
Ferreira ( Groove) , actor Michael Goorjian (he made Oakland
Underground and acted in SLC Punk! ,Party of Five , etc.),
Alex Smith (Cato's real-life bartender), and Burgin Bailey
as Hank, the boozy fan you've seen stumbling down the aisle
at every A's game you've ever been to. Leisure screens Tuesday,
February 4, 9:15 p.m., at the Parkway, with an after-party
at Cato's.
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| MONTCLARION |
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Working hard in the name of 'Leisure'
B. Roscoe
February 21, 2003
 Next
time you tip your pizza deliverer, you may want to shell out
a little extra. You could be supporting your local arts scene.
It was pizza tips that funded the local production of "Leisure,"
a film written by, directed by and starring Chris Horvath,
a Bishop O'Dowd High School graduate who, when he's not editing
his films, is busy delivery pizzas for Rustica in Montclair
Village.
Filmed almost entirely at Cato's Alehouse on Piedmont Avenue
and starring a handful of local actors, artists and residents,
"Leisure" depicts seven friends who try to find
meaning in their lives.
Horvath graduated from the film program at San Francisco State
University in 1997. A couple of years ago, he borrowed a digital
video camera, taped a microphone to the top and began filming
his script.
The shoot took just six weeks, but the editing process --
done entirely on Macintosh computers at home during his free
time -- took two years. In fact, Horvath continued to make
changes up until the last minute.
"I literally shot a scene in my living room Monday night
that I inserted into the film," said Horvath, who lives
in the Piedmont Avenue district. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Parkway
Theater on hosted a screening of the final cut.
The screening at the Park Boulevard cinema -- which sells
pizza and beer -- sold out hours before its doors opened and
was followed by a party at Cato's. Horvath said there was
good crowd reaction. "They laughed in places I didn't
expect them to laugh."
The film had appeal as a local community project, said Will
Viharo, a Piedmont Avenue resident and the Parkway's program
director. When Horvath approached the theater about screening
the film, Viharo figured it would be worth it -- if it brought
in 50 people on a Tuesday night.
In fact, the screening sold out. More than 150 of Horvath's
friends and family members, along with cast, crew and supporters,
attended.
"It was basically a Piedmont (Avenue) pride rally,"
said Viharo. "(Horvath) was so nervous. It was like a
Hollywood premier to him."
The large turnout convinced Viharo that another screening
would be a good idea. The screening is currently set for 9:15
p.m. Tuesday, March 4. (Check the Parkway's schedule at www.picturepubpizza.com
.)
Horvath's biggest challenge in making the film was wearing
multiple hats. "Especially playing the lead character
and trying to direct," he said. "It was too hard."
This was Horvath's first stab at directing since film school.
Now that his attention can focus on more than finishing the
film, Horvath is now considering which festivals to enter.
He also has a few more scripts he'd like to shoot. One is
a "feel-good comedy" like "Leisure." Horvath
admits, though, that he wants to move toward something more
serious.
So order up a large pie with everything on it. You may just
be tipping the future Steven Spielberg.
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