NORTH CAPE MAY – Glenn Rodriguez’s parents told him hard work would pay off and 20 years later, his drive and tenacity to achieve his dreams is doing just that.
His film, “The Bastard Sons,” will be released exclusively on Amazon July 28.
Filmed in New Jersey and the Poconos, in Pennsylvania, and co-written and produced by Rodriguez, the film is about small-town gangsters who seek revenge on a family after an inside job leaves their boss dead.
The film stars New Jersey actor Kevin Interdonato, who produced it; Ultimate Fighting Champion and New Jersey legend Frankie Edgar and Al Sapienza of “The Sopranos.”
The original script was written by Rodriguez when he was a junior at Cape May County Technical High School.
“It was called something else back then, but I was inspired to write it after seeing Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs,” Rodriguez, 36, said.
Although he specialized in computers while in high school, Rodriguez said he, and his friends and cousins would shoot short films, including many horror films, on digital cameras, and burn them on CDs.
“I learned how to edit video back then and I always wanted to do something in films,” he noted.
Raised in Wildwood and Lower Township, Rodriguez decided to move to Florida “to see what the world had to offer” after a semester at Atlantic Cape Community College.
When things didn’t pan out there, he returned home and decided to move forward with his short film. He held auditions where he met Interdonato, but couldn’t find funding for the project, so he couldn’t proceed.
What he did find, however, was a friend and supporter in Interdonato.
“At the time we met, he had had a couple of small parts in ‘The Sopranos,'” Rodriguez recalled. “He poured his heart into the audition. He was a veteran, and I really respected him. We stayed in contact over the years; I lived with him when I went to LA (Los Angeles, California) for a while, and he is one of my closest friends. I consider him a brother.”
With Interdonato’s connections and support, Rodriguez’s dreams of being a filmmaker became reality.
Just before the pandemic hit, the two reconnected and decided to make the film.
“My first draft was about 80 pages, and we took that version and made the characters more mature, situations more authentic and snappy,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t want it to be a cheesy gangster film. I wanted it to be realistic. We kept true to ourselves and what we wanted.”
They knew who they wanted to act in the film, so Interdonato was able to bring them on board. It was shot in 11 days just before Christmas 2021 and shortly afterwards.
“The cast and crew were just amazing,” Rodriguez said. “They worked hard. Everyone saw our vision and worked to make it happen. This film wouldn’t have been made without both Kevin (Interdonato) and Joe Sernio. I will be forever indebted to them for getting this story on film. Joe Sernio played Dobson in the film and also produced. He was also at the original auditions where I met Kevin, so it really is a full circle moment.”
The Cape May County native noted that filmmaking is a “hard” business to get into.
“I had a lot of heartache over the years,” he recounted. “There were a lot of lonely times out in LA. I’ve been rejected more times than I can count by directors, for funding, but I’ve learned as I go. It’s my tenacity that kept me focused and working on my dream.”
His advice to anyone starting out in the film business is to “not give up. If you want to make a movie, use your cell phone. Today’s technology is incredible and there’s no excuse; just don’t give up.”
“At times it may seem bleak, but keep working hard, and I know it sounds like a cliche, but it’s the truth,” he added. “My parents told me to work hard, and it would pay off, and it does. If you have a vision, just keep at it and people will see it with you and one day it will happen.”
Now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his girlfriend, he’s working on his next film, which he plans to direct.
“When I was in high school, I saw John Carpenter’s movie, ‘Halloween,’ and I wanted to make a movie like that. My next movie is going to be a horror film,” he said.
He also hopes to return to his hometown to help others like him.
“Over the years, I’ve had this love/hate relationship with home. I know many people do,” he admitted. “I’d like to return home and help others like me who have a dream and need support to make it happen. It’s my way of giving back to this incredible area that has shaped me as a writer and producer.”
With his parents and brother living in North Cape May, cousins and grandparents living in Wildwood and throughout the area, Rodriguez also hopes to bring a special screening of his new film to the area.
“It feels good to have gotten to this point,” he admitted. “Would I do it again? Oh yes, absolutely!”
Contact the author, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.
