ANTHONY AMEDORI - Walter Rhum

“Machotaildrop” is a fantastical adventure comedy where skateboarding is not a trivial pastime of the
young, but rather a noble pursuit worthy of the highest cultural recognition. In this strangely beautiful
world, professional skateboarders live like knights in baroque castles, the halfpipe their jousting arena
and the concrete of the streets the forum for their Machiavellian tricks. Walter Rhum’s (Anthony
Amedori) dream comes true when the 17 year-old skateboarder is selected to ride professionally for
Machotaildrop, the world’s most prestigious skateboard company.
Whisked away from his mundane life, Walter is transported to the lavish estate of Machotaildrop's
headquarters, lorded over by the quirky and delusional Baron (James Faulkner). As the Baron grooms
young Walter (“with the right air, and the right outfit”) to dethrone then current top rider Blair Stanley
(Rick McCrank) and to replace him as the new face of Machotaildrop, Walter’s fantasy life dissolves
into a dizzying nightmare, as he uncovers the nasty underbelly of the Baron’s skateboard
manufacturing operation.
Walter experiences first-hand the Baron’s exploitative schemes and delusional antics, and how they
ultimately bring about his downfall when a gang of renegade skaters known as the Manwolfs retaliate
after the Baron attempts to appropriate their radical lifestyle for the “look” of his most ambitious
commercial venture yet, a skateboarding theme park called Apesnake.
ANTHONY AMEDORI
Walter Rhum
JAMES FAULKNER
The Baron
RICK McCrank
Blair Stanley
John j Mackie
Manwolf Leader
John Rado
Dr. Manfred
STEVE OLSON
George
JOHN RATTRAY
Victor Labonte
LukAcs Bicskey
Perkins
VANESSA GUIDE
Sophie
COREY ADAMS
Director/Writer
Corey Adams was raised in rural British Columbia, Canada where as a
teenager he spent much of his time with a video camera filming
skateboarding and random skits with friends. After purchasing a Super-8
camera from the local swap meet he decided to construct his first short
film. The result was a black and white wrestling movie he entitled
“Turnbuckle.” The experience inspired his desire to pursue film school and
Corey enrolled himself into a night course. He quit school after realizing
institutional training was not for him. However, his passion for filmmaking
persisted.
vs. Jason” and Sean Penn’s "The Pledge.”
Looking for a break into the business, he spent months of begging until he
finally landed a job at a special FX make-up studio where he took out trash
and swept floors. He eventually kicked the janitorial duties and slowly
learned SFX techniques, working on such films as "Scary Movie," "Freddy
Around this time, he returned to making his own films and with $20 and a little luck at game of roulette, he and collaborator Alex
Craig financed their first co-production, "Of Wolf & Limb." The short film went on to screen in the US, Australia and Europe. His
next venture was a 24-part web series entitled "Swampdonkey" about two hillbilly brothers living the woods.
Corey’s big break came in 2005 when he was selected as one of the 10 finalists in The FUEL TV Experiment, a sort of “Project
Greenlight” for the action sports genre. The opportunity enabled him to pursue his first independent film, “Harvey Spannos.” The
quirky skateboard tale was well received by the judges and ultimately won the overall Experiment in 2006. Now, with a “real”
movie budget, Corey and fellow filmmaker Alex Craig went on to develop the “Spannos”-inspired script, “Machotaildrop.” The
film is a culmination of three years of writing and a production effort that has spanned the globe.
Adams currently lives in Paris, France and is working on several new projects while “Machotaildrop” makes its debut.
ALEX CRAIG
Director/Writer
Alex Craig was born in 1974 and raised in the East Highlands of Scotland.
Although he claims to have never had a plan, Alex has been driven by an
obsession to observe, capture and manipulate images through the
medium of film and television.
Fiercely independent, he’s traveled and worked all over the world,
freelancing as a camera operator, editor and director. In 1992 he
undertook a diploma in broadcast production at Aberdeen College, which
led to a job working for a local production company duplicating videos,
until he finally pestered his way in to the position of trainee camera
operator, specializing in offshore filming in and around the North Sea
oilrigs. On weekends, he would sneak in to the company’s edit suite and
teach himself the basics of editing until he managed to get his first
non-linear edit suite in 1999.
It was at this point he left full-time employment and made his first trip to Canada where he met long-term collaborator Corey
Adams. This trip inspired yearly visits during which the pair made a variety of off beat short films including the “Of Wolf & Limb”
in 2002; “Swampdonkey,” a series of 24 webisodes in 2003; and the feature “Harvey Spannos” in 2005, winner of the FUEL TV
Experiment.
During the period of 1999 to 2007, Alex split his time between working on personal film projects and freelancing for major
broadcasters in the UK, filming and directing documentaries, including the acclaimed series “Unsloved” in 2007 for STV.
He was also instrumental in setting up a community-based media arts project, SHMU, in Aberdeen. The first of its kind in the
north of Scotland, he mentored groups of young people in film making.
In 2007, prompted by the success of “Harvey Spannos,” Alex relocated to Vancouver, Canada to work alongside Corey in their
first feature film “Machotaildrop.” Alex also recently produced and directed the travelogue/documentary “Riding the Long White
Cloud” for FUEL TV, which broadcast in early 2009.
Craig currently resides in Vancouver, B.C.
ANTHONY AMEDORI - Walter Rhum
Anthony Amedori’s path to skateboarding and acting was paved
with perseverance and a dash of fate.
Born January 31, 1990, Anthony grew up in Baldwin, Maryland.
To expel his energy, he competed in baseball, basketball and
martial arts. At the age of eight, his older brother introduced
him to skateboarding and he found his true calling.
Two years later, Anthony relocated with his family to Southern
California. Now in the epicenter of skateboarding, fate kicked it
up when Anthony's new neighbor turned out to be pro skater
Chad Fernandez. Chad helped introduce Anthony to the local
skateboard scene and offered him an opportunity to ride
alongside some of skateboarding’s best.
Not unlike Anthony’s character in the movie, things took off
when his skate footage caught the attention of FUEL TV
producers. At age 14, Anthony submitted his “sponsor-me”
video to the channel for it’s “Unsponsored” interstitial series,
which offers young action sports athletes an opportunity to showcase their skills to a national television
audience. Anthony’s skills impressed the producers enough to be featured in FUEL TV’s premiere episode
of “Unsponsored.”
As the younger brother of actor, John Patrick Amedori (“Almost Famous”, “The Butterfly Effect”, “Gossip
Girl”), Anthony also developed an interest in acting. In addition to his lead roll in “Machotaildrop”, he has
filmed several national commercials and appeared in both film and TV, sharing the screen with actors
Robert Patrick, Jorge Garcia and renown skaters like Tony Hawk, Jason Dill and Terry Kennedy.
Anthony currently lives in Los Angeles with his family and dog, Poe. He has accelerated his studies and
graduated from high school at age 15 and now spends his free time filming and skating. His sponsors
include Circa, Independent, Creature and Val Surf.
JAMES FAULKNER - The Baron
James Faulkner was born in 1948 in Hampstead,
London and was educated at Caldicott Preparatory
School, Farnham Royal and Wrekin College, Wellington,
Salop. Faulkner also trained at The Central School of
Speech and Drama from 1967 to 1970.
Faulkner has had a prolific and varied career that spans
38 years. His recent theatre appearances include: The
Player in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” for
ETT; CastiPiani in “Lulu” at The Almeida; and Lenin in
“Lenin in Love” at the New End Theatre. He also had
roles in “A Patriot for Me” and “Les Enfants du Paradis”
at the Barbican (RSC), “Dear Antoine,” “Henry IV” and
“On the Spot in the West End.”
Some of his television projects include: Herod in “I Claudius;” Simon Kerslake in “First Among Equals;” Rudi
Lorimar in “Demob;” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
Projects in the U.S. include: Baron Mullens in ABC's “Covington Cross,” “The Martian Chronicles,” “The
Bank Job,” “The Bourne Identity,” “Deceptions,” “Guinevere,” “Highlander,” “McKenna,” “La Femme Nikita,”
“Relic Hunter,” and “The Monkey King.”
Faulkner has worked on many other films including: “Conduct Unbecoming,” “The Abdication,” “Great
Expectations,” “Whispering Death,” “One Take Two,” “Zulu Dawn” (which he also co-produced), and Uncle
Geoffrey in “Bridget Jones' Diary.”
He has been a voice on numerous BBC radio plays and commentaries such as: History Channel, National
Geographic. He’s also done radio commercials for Saga, Alfa Romeo, British Telecom, Euro Disney,
Mercedes, Mercury, Nissan. He has also worked on numerous TV campaigns and 14 audio books.
RICK McCRANK - Blair Stanley
Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Rick McCrank was born on January
23, 1976. He’s an accomplished professional skateboarder, who
in 2000 was voted Best Street Skater by TransWorld
Skateboarding Magazine.
Rick has competed and done very well in various skate contests
around the world throughout his career. He currently holds the
highest score ever in the street skateboarding category with a
99.67 at ESPN's 2000 Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland. He
has also been featured in many skateboarding movies including
“Yeah Right!” and “especial,” as well as, feature films such as
“Harvey Spannos” and “Machotaildrop.”
McCrank is more than just a pro skateboarder, though, and has been involved in the skateboard industry for
years. He founded and owns Antisocial Skateshop. He also co-owns Momentum Wheels. Rick has designed
several pro skate shoe models, including the és Anti-Social and Avers models.
He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia with his daughter.
JOHN J MACKIE - Manwolf Leader
John J Mackie was born in South Africa and at the age of
three was taken to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
where it was ordained that he be trained in the arts of
skateboarding, yoga, kung fu, music, film, and a plethora of
other expertise. John J received a Fisher Price video camera
at the age of 13 and ever since has been creating a secret
library of experimental abstract films, music projects, and art
exhibitions.
It was while attending H.D. Stafford, a small, unassuming
High School in Langley, British Columbia that John knew
acting was one of his strong points. Regularly, he and his
close companions would take over the entire school with
their zany antics, leaving most of the students and teachers
shocked. In the years to come, they would raid the local thrift
shops collecting costumes, props, and various other
instruments, which lead up to the development of a wide
range of characters and unique styles.
In addition to moviemaking, John J began recording rock, rap, country, blues, folk and pop songs. He helped
start the world’s first karaoke band, “The Sogging Pants” and has since written songs for several artists.
John J worked with Friendlyfire Productions and assisted in the co-creation of a 24-short-episode series
called “Swampdonkey,” a human cartoon, where he played an intelligent but unwitting hillbilly named Gerald,
spellbound in a fantasy world of guns, wizards, princesses, dwarves, and magic.
In 2008, John J went on to assist in the writing of, and secured a lead acting role as “Leader” in his first
feature film “Machotaildrop.”
Currently, John J is co-writing a confidential screenplay and the production of his first documentary is
underway. He is also assisting in the development of an upcoming television series.
STEVE OLSON - George
Steve Olson is a legendary pro skateboarder, who in the
70’s and 80’s was a prominent figure in the L.A. and San
Francisco punk rock scene. Olson began his career
skating pools all over California and helped shaped what
became a much more punk-influenced side of
professional skateboarding.
After winning contests and making his mark in the
Southern California scene, he became one of the early
team riders for leading skateboard companies, Powell
Peralta and Santa Cruz skateboards.
Today, Olson is an accomplished artist in Los Angeles.
He creates post modern works that weave narrative
themes of capitalism, pop culture, social decay, and
modern banality with the energy and fun of the early
punk scene.
Steve is still very involved in skateboarding today and has done art collaborations with skate shoe pioneer and
giant Vans, and many other brands. Steve is the father of current-day pro skater, Alex Olson and is one of the
many legends featured in Stacy Peralta’s acclaimed skateboarding documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys.”
VANESSA GUIDE - Sophie
Vanessa Guide is a young French actress. She began taking
theater lessons at the age of 12 and hasn’t stopped since.
After graduating from the Conservatory of Drama and
studying Art History at a university, Vanessa moved to Paris.
When she arrived she continued taking theater, singing, dance
and acting lessons at "La Cuisine" with Justine Heynemann.
Since then she has acted in short movies, TV features, music
videos, sitcoms, commercials and plays. She is represented
by Artmédia Talent Agency in Paris where she was
recommended by director Jean Pierre Jeunet.
Guide is currently performing on stage every night in a play
called "Le Grande Bain.” “Machotaildrop” is her first
English-speaking role in a feature film.
JARED VALENTINE - Producer
Jared Valentine was born in the wilds of British Columbia. Valentine
commenced his profession in the entertainment business at a young
age.
Early in his career, Valentine established himself as a casting director.
His most notable casting is for the critically acclaimed feature, “The
Snow Walker,” directed by Charles Martin Smith and starring Barry
Pepper and James Cromwell.
Since 2004, he served as development executive of Infinity Features.
During his tenure, the company produced a number of successful box
office releases including the five-time Academy Award nominee
“Capote” and the highly anticipated Terry Gilliam project “The
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” starring Heath Ledger.
In 2008, Valentine produced his first feature film, the surrealist
skateboard saga “Machotaildrop.” Directed by visionaries Corey
Adams and Alex Craig, the picture was shot in Budapest, Hungary and
Vancouver, B.C.
Currently, Valentine is producing a feature-length documentary about one of the most violent and infamous
criminals in American history, Griselda Blanco, called “The Godmother.” On this project, he’s working
together with Jim Czarnecki, producer of films such as “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine,” and
Eddy Moretti, the director of “Heavy Metal Baghdad” and “Vice Films & VBS.TV.” The documentary features
interviews with Griselda Blanco herself, telling the story of her ascent from her humble beginnings in the
slums of Medellin, Colombia, to controlling a billion-dollar American Drug Empire.
As an adjunct to the documentary, Valentine is currently developing a biographical dramatic screenplay
about “The Godmother,” having successfully secured the exclusive Life Rights of Griselda Blanco herself
and the legendary DEA agent Bob Palombo, whose relentless pursuit finally led to her arrest and conviction.
Valentine currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
OLIVER LINSLEY - Producer
Oliver Linsley was born and raised in Vancouver. Oliver has
a BFA degree in Art History and Visual Arts, as well as post
graduate studies in Accounting.
Oliver brings a wide scope of abilities to any project he
works on. With years of experience in film and media,
Oliver has produced a myriad of projects covering a vast
array of mediums, formats and genres. As a producer, he’s
the founder of Doghouse Films.
In 2007, Oliver met Corey Adams and Alex Craig, which led
to the surrealist skateboard saga, “Machotaildrop.” The
latest projects that Doghouse Films is involved with
include “A Gun to The Head,” a Blaine Thurier film starring
Tygh Runyan and Paul Anthony, and also making its debut,
“Big Head,” a short film by Dylan Akio Smith.
Currently Oliver is producing “Beyond the Black Rainbow” a psi-thriller written and directed by Panos
Cosmatos, which will shoot in fall of 2009. He’s also developing the HItchcock style project “Non-Fiction”
with Toronto Director Ante Kovac.
Formerly, Oliver was an accountant.
CJ OLIVARES - Executive Producer
FUEL TV’s General Manager and Senior Vice President
Olivares is General Manager and Senior Vice President of FUEL TV, the first and
only action sports network of its kind launched by Fox Cable Networks on July 1,
2003. In this role, he works closely with Fox Networks Group’s advertising and
affiliate sales groups to accelerate FUEL TV’s revenue growth, identifying new
sources of income such as broadband and wireless content distribution, and
liaising with the Fox International Entertainment Channels Group to develop
localized versions of FUEL TV in major territories around the world. Additionally,
Olivares oversees day-to-day operations of the programming, production and
marketing departments.
Before joining FUEL TV in December 2002, Olivares served as CEO of the
Broadband Interactive Group (BIG), the multi-media company responsible for
“Bluetorch,” and also advised Extreme Group Ltd on their expansion across the
action sports genre. He first came to Fox as director of program development and
acquisition for FSN (Fox Sports Net) in 1997, where he developed the action
sports franchise “Rush Hour” programming block before joining BIG in 1999.
A graduate of University of California Los Angeles in political science, Olivares became editor of Triathlete Magazine in 1984,
while also photographing sports, fashion and personalities for Nike, Oakley, Glamour, Sports Illustrated, Sportswear
International and CNN. He became editorial director of Triathlete in 1988 and then director of development for Inclyne Sports, a
pioneer in packaging and producing sponsor-driven television events including ABC’s Foot Locker Slam Fest and Ride of Your
Life Mountain Bike Race.
Olivares, a passionate lifelong surfer, lives with his wife and three daughters in Manhattan Beach, California.
SHON TOMLIN - Executive Producer
FUEL TV’s Vice President of Programming and Development
Shon Tomlin is Vice President of Programming and Development for FUEL TV, a
position he has held since April 2005. He joined FUEL TV as Executive Producer in
2003, prior to the launch of the 24/7 action sports cable network. As VP of
Programming and Development, Tomlin’s key responsibilities include overseeing
the development and production of original series, specials, and films. Tomlin also
supervises the channel’s program scheduling, licensing, and music departments.
Tomlin has developed more than 30 original series including the moto-themed
series “Nitro Circus” and “M80,” skateboarding variety shows “American Misfits”
and “The Captain and Casey Show,” snowboarding series “The Adventures of
Danny & The Dingo,” the two-time Emmy Award winning surf series “FiNS” and
the popular series, “Built to Shred.” Tomlin also created FUEL TV’s first sketch
comedy, late-night series, “Stupidface.”
Before arriving at Fox Cable Networks, Tomlin ran his production company,
Groove Productions, which he founded in 1989. Groove focused on action sports
and youth entertainment which spanned across film, television, new media, and live entertainment. As Executive Producer and
President, Shon directed more than 20 action action sports home videos and lead the development of original series such as
“Kids in the Way” (1995) and “Paved New World” (1999) which are noted as the first action sports lifestyle and comedy series
for ESPN and espn2.
At 23, Tomlin received an Emmy Award for Best Feature Segment for a pro skater profile he shot for NBC’s “Sunday Night
Sports.” Some other career highlights include feature segment producer for ESPN’s X Games from 1996-2000, MTV Sports &
Music Festival, producing and directing the first live music webcast special for Warner Bros. Online (Deftones) as well as
producing and directing music videos and online programming for major recording artists such as Radiohead and Beastie Boys.
As a writer, Tomlin sold his first original script to FOX Family, a single-camera skateboarding series with pro skater Tony Hawk
attached. Other television projects include producing ABC Family’s “Total Access 24/7” and Fox Kids “Prank Attack.”
The FUEL TV Experiment is an extension of FUEL TV's ongoing initiative to inspire and cultivate
emerging storytellers, giving them the opportunity to push the boundaries of action sports
filmmaking. "Machotaildrop" is the culmination of this effort to date.
PR Contact: John Stouffer, [email protected] , 310.444.8564
JEFFRO HALLADAY - Production Designer
Jeff Halladay (Jeffro) is a visionary living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He loves to draw, paint and make clay
sculptures. His music choices are Prehistoric Canadian psychodoolia Death Metal, Gangster Rap, Beer and peanuts.
He has co-directed many low budget films made for TV, including episodic series and the world famous “Bang Master Generals
Warning.” He is the director of the forthcoming feature-length documentary fantasy film “Chains” and served as production
designer on “Machotaildrop.”
He is currently the CEO of Bizzare Styles LTD., a conglomerate of Klown Mag, C.N. Things, El Retardo Design Corp., Ellis Dee and
Suns ltd., Blasthole, Krohelio Designs, Indust Industries and Barefoot Immortal brand, which was spearheaded and inaugurated
by El Destructo and is a division of Delusional Bros Inc.
He’s a self-taught puppet master and a very serious free thing enthusiast. He was born with a full-blown curse of the thrift.
STEFAN UDELL - Music Director
Born in Jasper, Alberta, Canada, Stefan Udell currently resides in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
He was in the Vancouver music group Beans for nine years. Since the band’s demise, he has written music for ensembles,
electronics, art installations and film, as well as, a music theatre piece and a piece for orchestra. This is his fourth film project with
“Machotaildrop” directors Corey Adams and Alex Craig.
CRAIG TRUDEAU - Cinematographer
As of August 2009, Craig has completed two feature films, “Machotaildrop” and “A Gun to the Head” both of which will premiere
at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. The third film, a documentary with Jean Benoit, the last living Parisian surrealist,
is currently in production. Trudeau sleeps with a Super 8 under his pillow, loads Aaton mags blindfolded, and should be
considered armed and ready to roll. Prone to relentless documentation, he is known to shoot subjects from Moscow to Regina.
Craig Trudeau currently resides in Vancouver, BC.
PETER HAGGE - Cinematographer
Peter Hagge is a cinematographer, photographer and gaffer who lives and works in Vancouver, B.C. His projects can be viewed at
peterhagge.com.
JAMES LISTON - Cinematographer
JAKE GLEESON - Art Director