Written By: Michael D. McClellan |
Michael Lombardi is used to laying it all on the line. Whether charging into a burning building as firefighter Mike Silletti in the critically acclaimed FX series Rescue Me, or rocking out as the lead singer for Apache Stone, the ruggedly handsome multihyphenate has built his career by going full throttle. His latest project – as a producer and star of the heart-wrenching Sno Babies, which depicts the grim realities of addiction and its effect on a middle class town – brings into full repose this unmitigable fact: The opioid epidemic in the United States is no longer relegated to places like Atlanta’s Bluff neighborhood, notorious for its gangs and its open air heroin market, where dealers swarm unfamiliar cars looking for new customers. Opioids have rolled through Middle America, decimating entire towns and snuffing out some of our best and brightest, killer drugs omnipotent in their reach and godlike in their sway over the addicted.
Into this crisis steps Lombardi, the creative force behind the first feature from Better Noise Films, a new venture from entertainment mogul Allen Kovac. Together, Lombardi and Kovac – whose storied career includes managing such artists as Bee Gee’s, Luther Vandross, Blondie, Meatloaf, Mötley Crüe, and The Cranberries – have crafted a gritty, character-driven film that peers voyeuristically into the descent of Kristen, the quintessential girl next door whose addiction starts with one oxy pill.
“The film is about a beautiful young girl from a very well-to-do family, a high schooler with the brightest future in the world ahead of her,” Lombardi says. “She has the full support of her parents, who have hired an SAT tutor and who dream of their daughter going to a great school like Princeton or Harvard. All of that changes when she goes to party and she’s introduced to an opioid by an injured football player. From that moment forward, this bright, rising star who is so full of potential morphs into someone quite different. Sno Babies shows us how her life spirals out of control after that dark turn, so the film is really about her demise.”
Directed by talented filmmaker Bridget Smith, Sno Babies is fictional only in the sense that the characters are representative of what’s happening in towns across the country. Smith’s research, which includes time spent with several current and recovering addicts, gives Sno Babies serious street cred. Visiting the Philly neighborhood of Kensington, the largest open-air narcotics market for heroin on the East Coast, provided Smith with a glimpse into the abyss: Dealers out in the open, calling out brand names, some even handing out free samples; addicts injecting heroin needles into their arms, their necks, and the skin between their toes; zombies everywhere, some of them limp and nodding off, others laying on the ground looking dead.
Smith walks down this dark road with Kristen, brilliantly played by relative newcomer Katie Kelly. We can’t help but ache for her character, from an early scene when Kristen is violated at a party, right through to the closing credits. The critics are going to love Kelly’s performance. Audiences will be chillingly reminded how one bad decision can change everything.
“Bridget spent a lot of time with both young co-stars, Katie Kelly and Paola Andino, before shooting this film,” Lombardi says. “Bridget is a wonderful director, and she’s also naturally warm and supportive. I think these were critical elements when it came to making this film, because they were willing to take that risk with her. If you trust the director, then you are willing to go there. Bridget really nurtured these two young ladies, earned their trust, and got the best performances out of them as a result.”
None of this would have been possible without the one-two punch of Lombardi and Kovac. Sno Babies is a product of their shared vision, Lombardi smitten by Mike Walsh’s script and Kovac drawn in by the subject matter.
“Allen continues to put his time, energy, and money into fighting Substance Abuse Disorder, especially where artists and actors are concerned,” Lombardi says. “We’re losing talents like Prince, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Heath Ledger to this epidemic. Allen is doing everything he can to stem the tide.”
For his part, Lombardi continues to lay it on the line. He’s now the Vice President of Production for Better Noise Films, and will star in the company’s second major release, The Retaliators, scheduled to drop in 2021. The William Esper grad is a dad now, a tennis fanatic, and a hard rocker who still jams onstage with his band. His 93-episode run on Rescue Me continues to open doors to new opportunities. Sno Babies is just scratching the surface.
“This is a phenomenal film with a powerful message,” Lombardi says. “I’m very proud of the way it turned out, and I hope we’ve done our small part in this battle against the opioid crisis.”
Sno Babies will be released on Sept. 29.
What attracted you to the script?
In part because there’s a stereotype that still exists in people’s minds. There are a lot of people who still think that opioid and heroin addicts are only those who are homeless and living on the street. I was just as guilty of that same false judgment at times, because, as a young man, that was what I saw. Everything is different today. This epidemic isn’t confined to the inner city. It’s affecting every corner of the world in which we live. It has forced us to reconsider every assumption we’ve ever made about addiction. These are real lives being destroyed – human beings that have a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a home. The threat is real, it’s unprecedented, and it can literally affect anyone. What I loved when I read the script is this: Here’s a young girl who you would think this could never happen to, not in a million years. She has so much going for her; she’s smart, attractive, and popular…and yet one bad decision changes the trajectory of her life forever. It is quite a journey, and it gets dark at times, but I don’t think that there is any other way to tell the story of this horrible crisis.
Did you start out as a creative producer on Sno Babies?
I got into this film as an actor first, and then ended up as a producer. I took the role because I really enjoyed the script, and because it was being shot in Philadelphia. My character and my storyline weaves in and out of the two high school girls’ lives who are the center of this film. He certainly crosses roads throughout – in in a big way – as the film progresses.
How did you meet Allen Kovac?
Our kids go to school together in Connecticut. I’ve had several bands, and had a record deal back in the day with MySpace Records, so we had a natural connection because of music. Then, on the acting side, for seven seasons I was a series regular on a television show called Rescue Me. My band was actually written into that show, so there was that hook as well.
We met at a charity event that I did at our kids’ school. My band performed, and I hosted it like a late night show – I even had an opening monologue [laughs]. We had this shared a love of music, and he knew that I was a musician and an actor, so we hit it off immediately. At some point that evening he said, ‘Hey, maybe we can get involved in a film together some day.’ If you know Allen, when he says something he means it. He also talked about his other passion, which was bringing art education to the kids in our small town. He felt that the kids growing up there weren’t exposed to a ton of art, and thought that it might be a nice opportunity to start an internship program tailored to the arts. That way kids wouldn’t have to travel to New York City or other places for that kind of exposure. We just kept throwing ideas around like that, and I could tell that Allen had an open mind about a lot of things. I quickly recognized that he was the kind of guy that I could work with.
How did Allen become involved in Sno Babies?
Allen already had a long and successful career managing acts like the Bee Gees, Blondie, and Mötley Crüe. Then, in 2006, he started Better Noise Music, which became an immediate success. Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, and The HU are part of Better Noise label today. His next move was to jump into film and original content by starting Better Noise Films, which is part of the Better Noise Entertainment shingle.
Well, I happened to be at dinner one night with Allen and [Mötley Crüe bassist] Nikki Sixx, and they were talking about the heroin epidemic and this opioid crisis. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m doing a film about this exact subject matter!’ So I told Allen about Sno Babies. We talked a little bit and then he said, ‘Look, come over to the house on Sunday and let’s talk some more about this project.’
I went over to his house, and we chatted for close to four hours in his den. The guy just works so hard – his little boy had to come in at one point and say, ‘Dad, let’s go. It’s Sunday.’ [Laughs.] He sat with me and I told him all about the film. He had so much interest in it – and so much passion for it – that I could tell that he was all in. That really jumpstarted where we are today. I got a sizzle reel together for him, and then, after several meetings and many months of consideration, Allen ended up selecting this small, independent film to be the first project in the Better Noise catalog. Not long after that I was asked to come onboard as the Vice President of Production. So that’s basically how we started Better Noise Films, and how Sno Babies became our venture’s first movie.
How hands-on was Allen?
Allen immediately rolled up his sleeves and immersed himself in the writing, the rewrites, the pick-up shots, the reshoots, and a lot of different things in order to help the story crystalize and deliver its message, which is deeply personal to both Allen and Nikki Sixx.
Allen Kovac has long believed that the industry needs to better support artists, helping them to maintain their health and take responsibility for their “bad deeds.” This film seems to fall in line with that philosophy.
Very much so, and that is such a great point. The mission of the film is to save lives. In fact, both Allen and Nikki Sixx are so passionate about this cause and hold it so close to their hearts that Better Noise Films will be donating its share of the profits to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation, where both men are new board members. All of the artists’ royalties from the soundtrack are also being donated to the fund, and Allen is going to match their contributions. The soundtrack includes two tracks from SIXX:A.M., and Top 10 hits from Country/Rock star Cory Marks (Outlaws & Outsiders) and from chart toppers Bad Wolves (the #1 hit Sober). There’s also new music from Eva Under Fire, From Ashes to New, and Escape The Fate.
The message wrapped inside of Sno Babies is indeed powerful stuff.
People can look at this film and say that it’s Hollywood, that it’s fiction, that it’s just a made up storyline with made up characters who aren’t real addicts. Sno Babies is a film based on facts. The writer, Michael Walsh, has really done his research on the subject matter. The thing is, this film is a representation of what is really going on in our country. The fabric of small towns is being torn apart by this crisis, and promising young lives are being destroyed every single day.
You don’t have to look very far to find someone who has been touched by the opioid epidemic.
There is a very small town in Connecticut, and every single person that I’ve spoken to in that town has been affected by this crisis in some way. Whether it’s an aunt, an uncle, a brother, a sister, a parent, or a friend…everyone you talk to has a story. I was having a conversation with the high school ice hockey coach in this small town, and he told me that one of his players died of a heroin overdose at home, in his own bedroom. This is happening in Middle Class America. This is happening to kids living in good homes with good, hardworking parents. That’s the other thing I wanted to express to you about this movie and why it appealed to me. The parents care. They care so much, but they are working all of the time in order to provide for their families. Because they’re not as connected, things like this slip right under their noses.
The film really makes that point so well. So many of these victims come from loving homes.
That is so very true. You can’t watch the movie and not get it. The parents are extremely busy with work. They are under financial stress, and they are trying their best to provide for their two daughters. The mother’s boss is putting pressure on her to meet quota, which causes stress on the marriage, which in turn is another reason the warning signs are missed.
Let’s talk about the cast, specifically the two leads.
Sno Babies is a film that’s completely character-driven. The lead of the film is a girl named Katie Kelly. I think she is going to break out from this film. She hasn’t done a ton before this, but her work in the film is really spectacular. You can’t take your eyes off of her, from a promising beginning through her descent into darkness. Her best friend in the film is Hannah, played by Paola Andino. Paola is very young, but she’s done a lot. She was on was on a Nickelodeon show, Every Witch Way, for a long time.
What impressed me the most about these two young ladies was their dedication to the script and their work ethic. The subject matter is very intense, and the script is dark. These two characters go on a journey together, and I have to say, I was so impressed with how Katie and Paola jumped off that cliff as actors. And then, when I saw the rough cuts, I was blown away. They are both fantastic. They carry the film. Without them, we wouldn’t be talking right now. They are so good, and they really tell the story beautifully.
Better Noise Films has several other projects in the works. Please tell me about The Retaliators.
I brought the script to Allen and he really liked it. It’s a great script – it’s unique in that it’s a psychological thriller with horror elements and heart. It touches upon morality. Religion. Justice. Like Sno Babies, this film is character-driven. Bridget is actually co-directing this film with Samuel Gonzalez, Jr., which makes for a great pairing: Bridget is such a wonderful storyteller, and she relates so well to the characters, and Samuel Gonzalez brings such great skill as a director of thrillers and horror. He is so stylized in visual – his shots are incredible. His work is David Fincher-esque. So, the two of them really complement each other. It’s not like one of them is stronger than the other. The combination of them both in this film is spectacular.
Where did you find the script for The Retaliators?
It goes back to when I had my record deal. I used to write with these two brothers, Darren and Jeff Allen Geare, and we became friends. I hadn’t spoken to them in a while, but I needed some help with a song that I’d written for that charity event, a song called Heaven and Hell Collide. So I called them up and we started talking about all of the scripts that they had been writing over the past several years, and one of them in particular caught my attention. I immediately asked them to send it to me, and that’s how I found The Retaliators.
What does the cast look like for this film?
It stars Marc Menchaca from Ozark and Stephen King’s The Outsider. We also have Joseph Gatt, who is a veteran actor who had a really nice role in the show Banshee Origins, as well as roles in Game of Thrones and Tim Burton’s Dumbo. So he’s been around, and he’s fantastic in it.
Here’s the wonderful thing: The musicians that we were able to use for the Sno Babies soundtrack, we were also able to put them into cameo roles in this film. I’m really proud to say that it is not gratuitous in any manner. If you were watching the movie, and if you didn’t know they were musicians, you would think that they were actors. Five Finger Death Punch plays a motorcycle gang, and you couldn’t cast better actors to play the part. They are fantastic in it. I could go on and on. The musicians also came ready to play. They were prepared, and they brought it big, every one of them. So they were phenomenal with their cameo roles, as well as supporting the soundtrack for the that movie.
Let’s talk about Michael Lombardi. You attended the prestigious William Esper Studio in New York. There have been some notable alumni go through that program, including Jeff Goldblum, Patricia Heaton, and Larry David.
Another great – and I love this guy – Sam Rockwell went to Esper. I love that school so much. It was such a wonderful foundation for me. Marc Menchaca, who is one of the leads in The Retaliators with me, is also an Esper grad. He and I have a lot of great scenes together in that film, which is another reason I can’t wait for it to come out. Esper was really special. It’s an actor’s school, in that it’s all about the work.
You were a musician at the time, but you transitioned over to acting.
I was a young guy in New York City, playing in several bands and pursuing my career as a musician. Then, one summer, I took an acting class at William Esper. It was an intro class, and I really fell in love with acting. Not long after that I started to produce small plays. One of them was John Patrick Shanley’s Danny in the Deep Blue Sea. It’s an intense, two-person play. We did it in a small little theater, with barely 100 people in the audience. That play was as if you were looking through a window into someone’s life, but you shouldn’t be watching. Such a raw story.
I enrolled at William Esper not long after that and went there for two years. From there I landed my first professional acting gig, as a bartender on Saturday Night Live. Kate Hudson and Radiohead were the guests, so that was really cool. I got to watch Radiohead rehearse, which was an awesome experience because of my love for music.
And then you landed a pivotal role on the short-lived ABC crime comedy The Job.
I played ‘Manuel the Cabana Boy’ on an episode called The Vacation [laughs]. That happened because I met a guy named Denis Leary, and we became friends. One day, he was like, ‘Mikey, here, read this,’ and he threw me the script to a show called Rescue Me. I went in and auditioned for Sony, Fox, and FX, and ended up getting the part.
You worked with Denis Leary on a mockumentary just before joining him on Rescue Me.
It was a Comedy Central show called Project Searchlight. This show was basically a spoof on Project Greenlight, which was created by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to give first-time filmmakers the chance to direct a feature film. I played a young guy who gets to make his own TV show, but everything falls apart. It was really funny. Every single thing that could go wrong goes wrong.
Rescue Me is the show that really put you on the map.
Absolutely. I read for Rescue Me and got the part, and then I went on a seven year, 100-episode journey as a series regular. It was life-changing. Looking back, I realize now how much I learned from Denis. He was not only the star of Rescue Me, but he was also the producer and co-creator of the show. Being around him on that show for seven years, I learned so much that has come into play for me now at this point in my career. It helped prepare me for my role with Better Noise Films, and my new life as a producer. I think you’ll see the results with Sno Babies. It’s a great film with an important message.