On the Set of “The Vicious Kind”

By Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo

The powerful light of the full moon on the spring equinox was not bright enough for filming an outdoor scene of “The Vicious Kind,” the Lee Krieger film currently being shot in and around

Members of the film crew set up equipment in preparation for the filming of a scene.

Norfolk. The lights on the set were blinding, transforming the end of Laurel Way into a seeming attraction at Disney World. Even with the bright lights, constant hum of the generator and ongoing commotion, nobody in the neighborhood seemed to mind. Producer Tim Harms commented, “We paper the neighborhood to let everyone know what’s going on and what our schedule is, but I am surprised nobody’s complained.”
Harms was also surprised to see 15 to 20 children appear on the set one day bearing plates of cookies. Brittany Snow, one of the actors on the film, has a lot of young fans after her role as Meg Pryor on the television series, “American Dreams,” so the kids at the day care center across the street were excited to meet her. “We were in the middle of shooting when they stopped by,” Harms said, “but Brittany and two of the other lead actors on the film, Alex Frost and J.K. Simmons, greeted them after the scene wrapped.”
Snow plays Emma in the film, the girlfriend of Peter Sinclair, played by Alex Frost. The two other lead roles, Donald and Caleb Sinclair, an estranged father and son, are played by J.K. Simmons and Adam Scott.
The set is not open to the general public, but people occasionally stop by, most wondering about the possibility of being an extra. The producers will not be using any locals as extras due to Screen Actors Guild (SAG) regulations. The first 30 extras hired on a movie set must be registered SAG actors and none of the scenes in “The Vicious Kind” will require more than twenty extras.
Eleven of the 22 days of shooting took place at a private home on Laurel Way, which served as the home of the Sinclairs, the fictional family depicted in “The Vicious Kind.” That location wrapped on March 22. Upcoming scenes will be filmed at an apartment in the Royal Arcanum Building, the Norfolk Curling Club, a construction site on Sunset Ridge Road, the bowling alley in Torrington, Billy Ray’s in Winsted, a diner in Wethersfield and a motel, the location of which has yet to be determined.

Cast and Crew of “The Vicious Kind” taking a break from filming inside a house on Laurel Way. From left to right: Lindsey Lanzillotta (Producer), Adam Scott (Actor), J.K. Simmons (Actor), Brittany Snow (Actress), Alex Frost (Actor), Dallas Dickinson (Producer).

All of the filming locations were scouted by Candleridge Entertainment, a Los Angeles based Production Company headed by Ryan Horton, Dallas Dickinson and Lindsay Lanzillotta. Lanzillotta previously worked with Krieger on a pilot he directed called “The Wilton.” Krieger gave Candleridge a copy of “The Vicious Kind” script last spring. “We were immediately interested in picking up the project,” Lanzillotta said. “Lee is an amazing writer. It’s rare not to make any changes to a screenplay, but we actually haven’t changed a thing.”
Neil LaBute and Ryan Horton are the executive producers of the film. LaBute, a writer, director and playwright, has worked on such films as “In the Company of Men,” “Your Friends and Neighbors,” and “Nurse Betty.” Horton formed Candleridge Entertainment in the fall of 2006 with Dallas Dickinson.
Krieger’s exemplary writing skills were proven during the filming of the outdoor scene in Norfolk on March 21. He has a true gift for dialogue and the acting was excellent. “The script is so strong and the actors really get the material,” Dickinson commented. “They’re nailing every scene.”
“The Vicious Kind” will wrap on April 10, but Norfolk residents will have to wait until 2009 to see their town featured in the finished product.