Bob Pusateri - a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in Maplewood, New Jersey, has produced and production-managed Back Pocket Productions’ short films. He brings to Back Pocket a background in feature film and commercial special effects, as well as experience in industrials for major corporate concerns. Bob has also been actively involved in the Los Angeles and New York theatre scene, enjoying the challenges of producing, directing and showcasing the acting talent those cities offer.
Bob’s background in business — more than 12 years’ experience in profit and loss responsibility, sales, marketing and business development — makes him uniquely positioned to develop independent feature film projects. Bob has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Theater from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
......................
NOW SHOWING IN MAPLEWOOD THEATRE - OCTOBER 25TH - NOVEMBER 5TH
SPLIT ENDS - THE MOVIE
Manningtree, New Jersey is a little town on the brink of extinction. The 19th century storefronts of Old Town are being threatened by an international development cabal, North Sea Assets. North Sea is preparing to raze Old Town and replace it with a massive mall/luxury condo complex named – incongruously – Cortona.
If Cortona is built, a dozen mom and pop businesses will be bought out and uprooted, and if anyone refuses to sell, North Sea Assets is prepared to use eminent domain law to pry the Old Towners off of their property.
When our story begins, Cortona has a great shot at being approved. Manningtree’s portly Mayor, Tiny Provenzano, has a vested interest in Cortona’s success, and North Sea’s point man, the charming Warren Brown, is determined to remove any obstacle in its way.
That obstacle is Scottish-born Lizzie Munro. She owns and operates The Paisley Set hair salon in Manningtree. Lizzie is over 40, vibrant, witty, and quite capable of attracting male attention. Her salon caters to the locals, and while Lizzie’s not making a fortune in the beauty game, she earns enough to get by and keep three local beauticians employed – worldly-wise Jacquie, bohemian waif Ashley, and a wry Pakistani immigrant, Mehar. They’re a tight group who work together and occasionally meet for a meal at MacIntosh’s, the local pub.
Lizzie’s love life is full of split ends. She has carried on with Len French, the owner of a coffee shop in Old Town, another business slated for the bulldozers. Len’s marriage to mousy DEANNE is on the rocks, or more accurately, on life support, but he is hesitant to pull the plug. His relationship with Lizzie might just be the town’s worst-kept secret. Although Lizzie is an intelligent gal, she has, like many women, settled for less than she deserves. Len has filled a void in Lizzie’s life, but now their relationship is no longer enough.
When Lizzie receives official notice from the Town of Manningtree that the powers that be intend to plop the grotesque Cortona right in the middle of Old Town, Lizzie vows to fight the invasion. Invoking the spirit of her countryman, William Wallace, aka Braveheart, Lizzie enlists the aid of antique dealer Bernie Depper, her Paisley Set staff, Tiny’s Aunt Connie Provenzano, and the whole town, in her struggle to fend off the developers.
Just when the local drama begins to heat up, a new leading man walks into Lizzie’s life. He’s romantic, considerate, passionate … and, unfortunately, the enemy. It’s none other than Warren Brown, under cover – and under the covers – in the service of North Sea Assets.
Is Lizzie headed for heartbreak? Is Old Town headed for the wrecking ball?
