Aspen Daily News - ‘Cougar Hunting’ shot down

[Pat Donnelly]

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/133301

Writer:

Brent Gardner-Smith

Byline:

Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

<!--paging_filter-->The Pitkin County commissioners are not into “Cougar Hunting.”

The commissioners on Tuesday were leaning toward granting permission for a film company to shoot in and around the county courthouse on Main Street in April until they learned what the movie was actually about.

County staffers Tuesday first presented the question about a film company using the courthouse as part of a film shoot and the commissioners, except for Michael Owsl ey, thought it sounded like an OK idea. It might generate some economic stimulus and perhaps might put the historic courthouse in a good light, they mused.

Then the staffers told them the title, “Cougar Hunting,” and the plot synopsis.

“The film tells the tale of three 20-year-old buddies who come to Aspen sick and tired of girls their own age and overeager to catch the attention of Aspen’s infamous ‘cougar’ population,” states a letter to Pitkin County from Suzanna Lee, a producer at Aspen Entertainment Group. “The young men’s ‘Cougar Hunting’ quest, though, turns into one hilarious disaster after another — especially as they fall into awkward relationships with Aspen’s most elite and eligible elderly vixens.”

“The title just killed it for me,” said Commissioner Rachel Richards.

“There is no door open,” said Commissioner Jack Hatfield after learning about the film’s content.

The film company wanted to shoot exteriors of the Pitkin County Courthouse for one day on April 10 and the interior of the building for another full day on April 11. The scenes at the courthouse were to revolve around a plot twist where the young men barge into a divorce proceeding, according to a county staffer.

At one point in the meeting, a majority of the five commissioners were agreeable with the concept if all security and maintenance issues were taken care of, if the county was reimbursed for any staff time involved, and if the film company made a donation to a local nonprofit, perhaps the Aspen Historical Society.

“I think it is good to support economic development,” said Richards early in the discussion.

Commissioner Owsley didn’t like the idea from the get-go.

“I just don’t see the advantage to the county,” Owsley said. “What’s the point?”

Lee of Aspen Entertainment Group wasn’t at the commissioners meeting Tuesday and is hopeful she can still win them over.

“We were hoping to celebrate it and showcase it,” Lee said of the courthouse. “We’re going to continue to try and see what we can do.”

Valerie Macdonald, special event permit coordinator for Pitkin County, is still working with the film company to help them secure a permit to shoot at some other locations in the county, including on Highway 82 near the Northstar Nature Preserve and at a private home toward Independence Pass.

Macdonald said Aspen City Clerk Kathryn Koch has also been working with the film company on permits for shooting in and around downtown Aspen.

Lee said her company has gotten permission from Aspen Skiing Co. and the U.S. Forest Service to shoot on Aspen Mountain during the first three days of April. The film company plans to shoot “on and around the gondola” at the top of the hill, at the guest service center at the summit and at the top of the Buckhorn trail. Cast members are to be filmed on skis and presumably skiing as the application mentions using “trained skiers.”

Lee said that outside of the county commissioners, she’s gotten nothing but positive feedback on the movie.

“We’ve got such local support,” Lee said. “People have been so gracious. The town has been wonderful to us.”

“Cougar Hunting” is a self-described “low budget” independent full-length film, which likely means its budget is under $15 million.

Robin Blazak is the writer and director of the movie. Blazak’s film credits include playing “Cyndi the drive-by hooker” in the 1999 movie “Just A Little Harmless Sex,” which is not nearly as racy as it may sound. The movie is actually a fairly good comedy, albeit one about messy adult relationships.

bgs@aspendailynews.com

[Michelle]

:lol::lol::lol:

That's hilarious!

[boarderboy]

There just has to be!!

BB

[Pat Donnelly]

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/133342

Brent Gardner-Smith

Byline:

Aspen Daily News Staff Writer

<!--paging_filter--> “Cougar Hunting,” the movie, is holding an open casting call today at the Fly Lounge on the Hyman Avenue mall from 2 to 6 p.m.

“We’re looking for different types of Aspen people,” said Robin Blazak, the co-writer, director and producer of the independent feature-length film that is slated to start shooting in and around Aspen on April 1 for four weeks.

Blazak said she needs people to play waiters, bartenders and ski coaches in both speaking and non-speaking roles.

“We have roles for hot guys,” she said.

And yes, there are background roles for “cougars,” which Blazak defines as independent, attractive and confident women over the age of 35 (all of which she is).

“We’re enthusiastic about using as many Aspen locals as we can,” Blazak said.

Earlier this week, the Pitkin County commissioners balked at letting Blazak’s film company, Aspen Entertainment Group, shoot several scenes at the historic Pitkin County courthouse because of the movie’s title and the way the plot was described to them.

The movie is about several young men in their 20s who deliberately seek out older attractive women — cougars — whom they are interested in dating.

The male characters have been cast with young up-and-coming Hollywood actors, Blazak said, but she is still working to finalize contracts with professional actresses to play the cougars in the movie.

The movie includes stories of three women, including a single 40-something “working cougar” who has dedicated herself to a real estate career, a “housewife cougar” who is separated from her husband, and an “uber cougar” who is a former swimsuit model and is “definitely comfortable dating younger men.”

Blazak said it was unfortunate that the county commissioners rejected the use of the courthouse based on the title and an outdated synopsis of the movie, because she said the comedy she has written will actually put older women in a good light.

“I don’t see why portraying any woman who is beautiful and successful and independent can be construed as a negative,” said Blazak. “I’d like people to walk away from this film feeling that the women are empowered and not that we are degrading anyone. It is supposed to a positive film.”

Blazak said she has been working on the script intensely for the last year.

“I took a lot of time to make sure we put heart in the movie and that we made the people real,” Blazak said. “It is not just a dumb sexual comedy. The guys find out that these cougars are people with hearts and real situations. They end up respecting and really enjoying these woman and find that age doesn’t matter that much.”

She also said that “hot intelligent women” like Demi Moore and Jennifer Anniston who are known for dating younger men are getting increasing levels of positive media attention and that being a “cougar” is no longer taboo or “classless.”

“They feel great about themselves,” she said. “They are sexy. They look great.”

The growing popularity of “cougars” has been spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” in its “Cougar Den” segment; there are Web sites dedicated to meeting and dating “cougars;” and Blazak refers people to Valerie Gibson’s book, “Cougar, A Guide for Older Women Dating Younger Men.”

Blazak graduated from USC in 1994 and has experience in marketing with Anheuser-Busch and in production with MTV’s “Beach House” and “Singled Out” shows and on CNN’s “Showbiz Today.” She’s also worked as a consultant for production, development, marketing and financing on a number of independent films. She moved to Aspen about five years ago from Los Angeles and formed Aspen Entertainment Group.

She said she has put together a growing team of creative people to work on “Cougar Hunting,” including some from Los Angeles and some from Aspen.

“We have found a lot of talent in the valley,” she said.

bgs@aspendailynews.com

Synopsis of ‘Cougar Hunting’ as provided by Aspen Entertainment Group

“‘Cougar Hunting’ tells the tale of Tyler, Dick, and Tom ... three post college boys who are over their individual failed relationships with girls their own age. They are persuaded by a friend to road trip out to Aspen, Colorado in pursuit of new and fresh experiences — particularly in the form of love from older women.

“They hope that Aspen will be their saving grace, with clean slates, new reputations, and the proverbially golden paved streets of amorous, sensual, wealthy older women. Instead, what they find is a unique set of experiences and an eclectic assortment of women who teach them a thing or two about love and relationships.

“Our film is not only the tale of three young men in pursuit of these older women, but also that of a variety of so called ‘cougars’ who carry with them their own set of experiences, expectations, and prove far more mature and independent than the boys had anticipated.

“We highlight an array of women in various stages of life, all ultimately searching for their own unique senses of fulfillment. Whether a domineering dominatrix, a new divorcee, or a liberated new-age hippie, the boys discover “cougars” to be so much more complex than anticipated.

“With all the comical mishaps of any surefire hit, the script has the boys paralyzed by their own awkward youth and naïve expectations. They learn that they know little about females or the delicate art of finesse, but ultimately each comes to a more sophisticated understanding of what he is truly searching for — true love.”

[Erik J]

You know, I lived in Aspen for a few years, starting at the age of 21...and I'll be damned, I could not find a sugar-mama. This movie is a lie!

[dantheman0177]

Sounds like Gilmour managed to sell his script after all