Independent Film Starts Shooting in March

By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo

Director Lee Krieger (far right) and crew scouting Norfolk locations for shooting the feature film “The Vicious Kind”

Writer and director Lee Krieger begins shooting his screenplay, “The Vicious Kind,” on Monday, March 10 in and around Norfolk. Krieger and his producers have been in town for over four weeks, scouting the area and setting up a temporary home for over 50 cast and crew members.
The mostly Los Angeles based group seems undaunted by the extremes of New England weather they have experienced since their arrival in late January. One of the producers described the weather to a friend back in L.A., “It’s freezing here, like eighteen degrees or something. It’s beautiful.”
The entire cast and crew are staying in town, renting over a dozen private homes. The producers have acquired office space at 10 Station Place and are hoping a Norfolk caterer will prepare their meals during shooting.
When asked why Norfolk was chosen, Krieger said, “We were looking for a small town that was very New England, but most importantly we wanted a town that would be open to the presence of filmmakers. Norfolk hit all three.
One of the producers was a friend of Grady Cooley of Falls Village, who first recommended Norfolk for the film. “Cooley and Star Childs in particular have opened the doors for us,” says Krieger, “but everyone here has welcomed us, and that makes a big difference, especially on a small film like ours.”
The producers also considered Rhode Island, but after just one day of scouting that location, they all looked at each other and said, “I like Norfolk better.”
“The Vicious Kind” is a contemporary drama that focuses on a few days in the lives of a disparate family living in Rhode Island. Peter Sinclair, a junior in college, comes home for Thanksgiving break with his new girlfriend, Emma, who encounters his obsessive older brother, Caleb, and emotionally void father, Donald. Emma’s presence in these three men’s lives dredges up a past that Donald and Caleb previously shielded from Peter.
The role of Peter has yet to be cast, but the other leads are set. Caleb will be played by Adam Scott, who is best known for his role as Palek in “Tell Me You Love Me,” the HBO drama which aired this fall. J.K. Simmons, whose most recent role was Mac MacGuff in “Juno,” will play Donald. Brittany Snow, who played Amber von Tussle in “Hairspray, has been cast as Emma.
The producers are renting a Queen Anne style house on Laurel Way to serve as the Sinclair home. Much of the movie will be filmed inside the house and on the grounds of the property. The script also calls for scenes in a bowling alley, a bar and a grocery store. These scenes will require the use of extras that could draw on Norfolk residents.
There will also be some shots of Collin’s Diner in Canaan and a 250 year-old colonial on Greenwoods Road East that will serve as Emma’s parents’ house. Half of the 22 days of shooting will take place at night.
Everyone involved with the project is hoping Norfolk remains a winter wonderland for the duration of the filming. At least a few people in town aren’t hoping for an early spring.