CHATSWORTH, CA, Jan. 13, 2005 - Image Entertainment, Inc., a leading licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming in North America, today announced the March 8, 2005, home video release of the independent film "THE HILLZ," featuring an ensemble cast of Paris Hilton (Fox's "The Simple Life"), Rene Heger, Jesse Woodrow and Jason Shaw. Rounding out the cast is Eric Priestly, James DeBello, Vince Rimoldi, Silas Gaither and a cameo appearance from Trishelle Canatella.
Beneath the tranquil atmosphere of "THE HILLZ," four affluent suburban teens are caught up in a web of spiraling violence, drug addiction and casual sex. After a year away at college, Steve 5 (Woodrow) returns to find his neighborhood radically changed. His best friend, Duff (Heger), has become the sadistic head of a gang that has turned the beautiful suburban hills into an ultra-violent crime zone where drugs and sex are as plentiful as candy. Duff finally has respect, plenty of cash and cool new friends. Finding himself lured into Duff's new life, Steve 5 struggles to stay true to his dream of becoming a professional baseball player and also trying to win the love of the incredibly sexy, but unattainable Heather (Paris Hilton).
Combining the grittiness of "Boyz N the Hood" and the flavor of TV's "The O.C.," the film is a comedic, pulse-pounding adventure on the "hood's" leaf-strewn streets.
Image licensed the domestic home video rights to "THE HILLZ" from Halfway House Entertainment, LLC, the production company formed by first-time director, writer and producer Saran Barnun, whose industry experience includes stints in publicity at Twentieth Century Fox, acquisitions at Miramax Films and various production companies, with Martin Landau and first-time producer Jonathan Bayle, whose industry experience includes a stint with Steven Adams Entertainment and Luna Ray Films.
The 20-something Barnun describes "THE HILLZ" as "a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy ... kind of like `American Pie' meets `Pulp Fiction' with a dash of `Clockwork Orange'." Twenty-something Bayle describes "THE HILLZ" as "The WB network on acid."
On working with Paris Hilton, who co-stars in "THE HILLZ" as Heather Smith, the object of every guy's desire, Barnun said, "Paris Hilton was a pleasure to work with. There was never any attitude with her from the first day that I met her. She worked for me for free; she even did her own hair and makeup. Paris also ate the same Jack in the Box, Pizza Hut and 99 Cents Store craft services as everyone else. I told her she could get her lunch from The Ivy but she just ordered a turkey sandwich with no mayo from Subway."
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PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
