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The year is 1943. The world is at war- and evil marches forth, closer and closer each day. John the exploits of two American Army officers from the rolling shores of an island in the great Atlantic- to the dark halls of a top secret Nazi base.

Lombardi Management is proud to presnet THE ANGELS OF DEATH ISLAND- the new action/adventure film starring Frank Carlopio, Gary Ambrodia and Alex Rouse. Below are some stills from the film and behind the scenes.

When the U.S. War Department intercepts an enemy radio transmission, Sgt. Jake Lombardi (Frank Carlopio)leads the team ANGEL into the heart of elite SS territory- their mission: to stop the enemy from advancing toward the United States. Accompanied by Sgt. Peter Neil (Gary Ambrosia), the two men must complete their mission and evade capture by Lt. Maximillian Kruger (Alex
Rouse), or all hope will certainly be lost for the free world. The classic adventure serial makes an explosive return in THE ANGELS OF DEATH ISLAND.

ANGELS - BEHIND THE SCENES:

Shot entirely on location in the city of Monterey (Central California), THE ANGELS OF DEATH ISLAND came to dark and gritty life during the summer of 1999. Primary locations included the Del Monte Forest (Pebble Beach), The Gorge at Big Sur, and the
former Fort Ord Military Installation.

Permission was granted through the U.S. Army and FORA (Fort Ord Reuse Authority) to use the land as a production base for aproximately a year. During that time, many of the old buildings were retrofitted and disguised to appear as a WWII Nazi Garrison.

"...Fort Ord as such a huge leap for the project because of its enormous production value. Our locations manager STAN COOK, along with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), allowed my crew full access to an eight and a half square mile military base. One side had these great old buildings and military structures, and the other side had miles of lush, beautiful scenery. It was like having our own film studio- for free."

In order to keep the edge of an action film, many stunts were required to bring a realism to the danger and peril of fighting a war- and stunt coordinator JOE THOMAS was given most of the dirty work.

"Joe was great. I could ask him to do any type of stunt, and he'd figure out a way to do it. He gave us some great sequences and always kept it safe for everyone."

Producing a guerilla-type film can often be painstaking. Producers ROBIN SHAW, GARY AMBRODIA, and ALEX ROUSE had to be well-prepared for problem after unexplainable problem.

"As for ROBIN and ALEX, the film couldn't ahve been done without them- and they know this. ROBIN recruited the most of the actors who played German soldiers and technicians. She invested every day she had off of her normal 9 to 5 job. From painting sets to assistant director, she was there every step of the way. ALEX went above and beyond the call of duty. He was hired as an actor, but contributed so much to the project that by the end of the road he was a producer. Building sets, holding lights, dangling off of rooftops to get certain shots- the works. I think he conquered his fear of heights."

Finding a WWII German Kubelwagen in working order was not an easy task. Neither was constructing one from scratch.

"In order to have a car chase in the movie, you need at least one car- thank God that's all we needed."

The Type 82 PkwK1 Kubelwagen was built on the frame of a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. The body was constructed full scratch from
square tube steel framing and 8 gauge steel. The seats and interior were round tube steel frame and cushioning wrapped in canvas. A coat of paint, and the replica car was ready to go. Unfortunately, the engine wasn't in as good of condition as expected. After several breakdowns and repairs, the Kubel had to be pulled on a trailer in order to get certain shots.

"I wanted to keep a fast pace, so the Kubel needed to be jumpy and quick. It turns out that the old Beetle engine had had its day, and wasn't going to hold out for long. We had our stunt driver SCOTT MILLS do several repairs on set, and it worked just enough to get what we needed. I named the Kubel 'Bruce II'- it was definitely my non-functioning shark."

Relative and believable characters is just one of the many aspects of a great film. Actors FRANK CARLOPIO and GARY AMBROSIA give terrific performances as Sgt. Jake Lombardi and Sgt. Peter Neil- the last of the American Commando team ANGEL.

"FRANK CARLOPIO is a wonderful actor. I chose him because he reminds me of my father, and Sgt. Lombardi was actually based on Dad. He's always out for the good of all, bit of a seasoned man- some experience in the field. Always barking at you when you're not doing something right, in that sort of fatherly way. Lombardi cares for Neil in a way that you'd look after your younger brother. But he hides it behind a tougher side of himself. One of the most valued characteristics from FRANK on the set was his oganization. When he showed up, we all worked a little harder. FRANK and I shot for 16 hours a day, and after each day, we walked away smiling- ready to take on tomorrow."

Adding a darker, more twisted side to the film was ALEX ROUSE and his performance as Lt. Maximillian Kruger- a very powerful and slightly disturbed officer of the SS.

"...the first time I mest ALEX ROUSE, I was scared. At first appearance, he can be quite intimidating- and it was that impression that made me cast him as Kruger. It's ironic because he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and I've never met anyone who didn't like him. I had orginally wanted another actor who was a native to our location, but he committed to other things and never called back. Good thing he didn't. ALEX had a great concept for the character. He never passed judgement on him, and everything he did had a reason behind it. The result was this horrific man whom seemed to enjoy every type of pain imaginable- even death."

Along the way, the ANGELS confront several obstacles threatening their ultimate victory. Actors JOHN MICHAEL. JOACHIM HOFMANN and ERNIE ANDREAS prove a force to be reckoned with.

"I got the idea of JOHN MICHAEL's character from the story of David and Goliath, and I shot it from a child's point of view. There was nothing more frightening from my childhood than a huge bully. JOHN is a very talented guy. I met him in a film/video production class hich I used to attend. He is a musician, and he'd been playing in bands for years. I remember right after we'd finish shooting, we'd all go to this little bar called the 'Britannia Arms' for karaoke night. JOHN would belt out Zeppelin adn The Police like nothing I've ever heard. A truly fantastic artist and one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet."

"Originally, Dr. Heinrich Hume (which was the original name of the character) was to be played by another actor who was native to our location. I gave him a script, and he wanted to change it. He didn't like the idea of us killing so many people in the gilm. Well, I didn't like the idea of offering someone a role in a film and having them tell me to change the script, so I droppe dhim. Later on, I was looking for a German translator for the dialogue. A friend introduced me to JOACHIM 'HANS' HOFMANN. HANS translated our script and coached ALEX on his dialect. Upon leaving HANS' house that night, ALEX asked 'Why don't you have that guy play the doctor?' A great idea. HANS was fabulous in every way. His father was an ME-262 pilot in service of the Luftwaffe in WWII. He had vast knowledge of fighter planes and radio communications (HANS did the Morse Code sequence), and he didn't have to be taught German. He was definitely a tropper, and a great actor."

"I met ERNIE ANDREAS when I was working as a carpenter for my father. We were building the clubhouse for the Pasadera Country Club in Monterey, and ERNIE is their Chef Executive. When I first approached him to play the Colonel, he was a bit skeptical. He wanted to make sure it was a professional production with real cameras and trailers and craft services. 'Well, we've got real cameras,' I said to him, which was still stretching the truth. After a while, I convinced him and we shot his scenes. He did very well. One of the funniest guys I know, and a damn fine chef."

Of course, no motion picture would be complete without the everyday problems the creators must face. From weahter, time and money to lack of professionalism- it is a constant battle to keep up appearances.