April 29, 2002 - Before we began our brief chat, Jack wanted to share some great news regarding one of his more recent projects.  He recently completed the score for an upcoming film 'This Thing Of Ours' which was one of the featured films at the recently held Back East Picture Show Film Festival in New Jersey.  The film won awards for Best Feature Film: Drama (written and directed by Danny Provenzano) and for Best Feature Director which went to Danny as well.  In addition, Frank Vincent, one of the actors in the film was honored with the Back East Lifetime Achievement Award.  This award is presented to someone who has shown excellence in film, serves as an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers and actors, and lastly has an affiliation professionally or personally in New York or New Jersey.

 

 

A little more about the film and yes, there are a few Aerosmith ties. The film is about a 21st Century breed of gangsters who use technology to their advantage as they steal millions of dollars from American banks by rigging satellites and computer systems. 'This Thing Of Ours' is a film about hustling for the big score, doing the right thing, broken thumbs, taking care of your friends and family, bullets to the head, loyalty, honesty and dishonesty.  It’s also about the Feds, moving up in the world and grabbing a piece of the action, but, ultimately, and with no hard feelings, it all boils down to business. It is a mob picture with some of the most realistic dialogue and situations that we'll ever see.  It stars Danny Provenzano (who also wrote and directed), Frank Vincent (Casino, Goodfellas), Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy - The Sopranos), a cameo by James Caan (The Godfather) and even an appearance by Aerosmith’s guitarist Brad Whitford.  Word has it Brad gets a bottle smashed over his head in a fight scene.

 

Thirty-eight year-old Danny Provenzano's 44-count racketeering indictment hasn't hurt his movie-making career. Provenzano, a great-nephew of mob boss Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, is one of nine people charged by New Jersey prosecutors with using kidnapping and beatings to extort $1 million from their victims. He even used various elements of his own indictment in his picture. For instance, the court papers charge that he strong-armed $182,000 out of a businessman, a scenario he's put in the flick, with the exact same dollar amount. And, after prosecutors said he smashed someone's thumb with a hammer, he wrote an identical scene for the movie. Of the similarities, Provenzano says, “There were certain glaring things in the indictment that I thought were ripe for Hollywood."

 

Not sure what music will end up on the final soundtrack (forgot to ask) but Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry scored and performed some for it, as did Slash from Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and the band Skindive, last I heard.   The film should be out in the fall of this year.  Now onto the more general conversation with Jack. Please note, this is not a professional interview - just a candid conversation with Jack with a few insights for fans included here and there.

 

 

TR:  What about a favorite moment during the show?

JD:  My favorite moment was when Joe (Perry) gave a nod to Rick (Dufay).

 

TR:  Was there anything that went wrong during the show?

JD:  I dug the show actually - it came off great there.  The sound was much better there versus on TV.

 

TR:  Now a few questions about the upcoming VH1 Behind The Music special on Aerosmith that you just did your interview for while here in L.A.   First, what do you hope for sure gets included from your interview?

JD:  What I hope isn’t mentioned so much is same old boring drug stuff.  Hope they use everything else, especially about how there would be no Aerosmith without me (laughs).  No I didn’t really say that.

 

TR:  What did you think of the VH1 producer who interviewed you?

JD:  He was really good and he really knew his stuff.  I liked him.

 

TR:  How much editing do you think the band will do to the taped interviews after VH1 is through with them?

JD:  Yeah, they’ll edit out a lot of course.  Steven gets really…well…ya know…he wants it to be the same old fairy-tale.

 

TR:  Who do you want them to be sure to include comments from that perhaps the band does not?

JD:  I think they should have Leber and Krebs.  They have already contacted David.  Let’s just see what happens when Steven sees what David has to say though.

 

TR:  Any thoughts on Brad’s comments in the non-aired portion of his MTV interview about not being included in the writing process anymore?

JD:  Brad and I were talking about that just the other night.  He was at the film festival awards dinner and we sat together.  He told me what he had said and that he knew none of it would get included.  (TR:  Told Jack how it had made its way out there to fans via the internet anyway which he will likely pass on).

 

JD:  Regarding songwriting, the band should write by themselves again.  We used to be able to take a wreck and turn it into something.  Steven is just too concerned about what Columbia Records thinks instead of….  He’s got these guys writing cartoons of and for him.  (Mimics) “Wow, here’s what Steven should be writing about”.  Steven is not writing about what he feels.  I mean WHAT THE HELL does 'Girls of Summer' have to do with how Steven feels?  

 

TR:  So….what did you think of ‘Girls Of Summer’?

JD:  I think it’s awful.  

 

TR:  Have you heard Climbing The Walls or any of the other new tunes yet?

JD:  No, haven’t heard those yet.

 

TR:  Do you think it is more Marti’s input or Steven’s on these songs?

JD:  It’s more Marti’s input and the record company loves it.  Steven was just saying the other night “Wow, what’s his name (Columbia Records President) loves this song (Girls of Summer).  Maybe I shouldn’t say his name but…well…Donny Ienner.  “Yeah Donny loves it!”  Donny doesn’t know his ass from his elbow about what’s a hit single from Aerosmith.  Click on the link below to go to Page 2 of this Q&A with Jack.

 

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