Edward Bass: All the world’s a stage

Hollywood maverick Edward Bass takes a cue from revered writer William Shakespeare when it comes to using his life as inspiration for his work. “All the world’s a stage” is the saying that begins a monologue from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” and Bass has taken that to heart.

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His independent films, all of which have been highly acclaimed, have at some point or another been influenced by Bass’ experiences in life. His childhood pains and the myriad of challenges, experiences, and even trials he has gone through in life have all given him an edge in all three aspects of his Hollywood career. After all, he is a director, producer, and writer in one package.

Edward Bass Photo Credit: Alephbet.com

Edward Bass is known for being driven and frank, and for standing up for his beliefs. These are some of the many reasons why he has earned the respect of his peers in the film industry. Early in his childhood, he learned firsthand from behind-the-scenes encounters with Hollywood personas such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Hinton Battle, the Nicholas Brothers, Milton Berle, and Toni Tennille.

Edward Bass Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Prior to concentrating on filmmaking, and releasing works such as the heart-wrencher “Bobby,” he was also a manager whose talent roster was so diverse that it included performers such as ballerinas and athletes such as boxers.




For more information on Edward Bass, visit www.edwardbassfilms.com.

Edward Bass: Three-way wonder

Edward Bass, a Golden Globe nominee, is known for his driven, frank nature. It is these very facets of his personality that helped him immensely in achieving the remarkable feat of having financed five independent films in a span of two years.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

Facing life’s challenges head-on has helped to further shape his outstanding character. It also contributes greatly to his creativity, drive, and insights. Throughout his motion pictures, documentaries, and plays, these experiences are sprinkled with complex and diversified elements to mirror his real life.

Another side of Bass involves leadership. His extraordinary managerial skills have led to his having managed a range of talents, from ballerinas to boxers. Among Edward Bass’ talents was Julio Caesar Chavez, who under Bass’ wing went on to become the highest-paid super middleweight boxer in the history of boxing.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

On top of all that, Bass also pioneered the breaking of the AIDS stigma among the United States. It was the acclaimed filmmaker who arranged a public meeting between Ronald Reagan and Ryan White, a young man who had been expelled from school after being strained by the HIV virus. This move by Bass led Reagan to publicly support AIDS research, which subsequently pushed the Iran-Contra news to the back pages.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

For more information on Edward Bass and his films, visit his website at EdwardBassFilms.com.

Edward Bass: How a dark character makes a film extra fun and challenging

Edward Bass’ approach in making films is like preparing an Indian dish served on a Japanese platter for the German to taste. He makes odd combinations out of different elements to create a superb and unique film project. Applauded by his peers for his eccentricity, Bass has never ceased to try different filming styles to make his works more artistic and original.



What sets Bass apart from other filmmakers is his fearlessness to use characters that are less kind-hearted, emotionally volatile, controversial, and therefore, more interesting. Additionally, he doesn’t really care about the superstar who would represent his characters. What he deems important is the ability of the actor to effectively portray his or her assigned role.



The following are two of the most recognized real-life dark characters that Edward Bass wants to serve as his main film subjects:

Edward Bass Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Charles Ponzi (March 3, 1882 – January 18, 1949) was a businessman and con artist in the U.S. and Canada. Born in Italy, he became known as a swindler in North America for his moneymaking confidence trick known as the “Ponzi Scheme.” The con game is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization from running a business.

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Belle Sorenson Gunness (November 11, 1859 – April 28, 1908) was a Norwegian-American femme fatale who killed most of her suitors and boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. Her apparent motives involved collecting life insurance, cash, and other valuables, and eradicating witnesses. According to reports, Belle has killed between 25 and 40 people throughout her lifetime.

From Edward Bass

More information about Edward Bass can be found at www.edwardbassfilms.com.

Life spectacle: Edward Bass and his filmmaking pursuits

From Edward Bass

Edward Bass developed his strong sense of attachment to the movie industry at a young age. When going to New York for ski trips or Las Vegas for theatrical shows, his family would arrange for backstage visits for artists like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Harry Belafonte, and Milton Berle, whom he later managed when he ventured into talent handling. Brushing shoulders with these legends has always been an honor for Bass. This proximity to show business led him to pursue his dream of becoming a seasoned filmmaker.




During his years at Beverly High School, Bass’ home would usually serve as an impromptu get-together venue for friends and for events like private concerts. Today, he has already established his own film school and produced high-quality motion pictures from his own production efforts.

From Edward Bass

Edward Bass enjoys countless accolades for his projects, having been credited as a high-caliber filmmaker who has the knack for making films that make it to major film festivals.



Bass' challenging life served as the catalyst that helped him enjoy and excel in the film industry. His full-length feature films, documentaries, and plays have all been as complex and diversified as his real life. He has also been called a determined producer, creating film projects that are both demanding and artistic.

From Edward Bass

More information about Edward Bass can be accessed at www.edwardbassfilms.com.

Belle: Edward Bass’ film on America’s first serial killer

“It's just plain fun. Making films is fun. And making people enjoy, maybe even like, a dark character makes it extra fun and extra challenging,” Edward Bass says on filmmaking.

As a film director and writer, Bass takes on another artistic challenge this year, working on films that are currently in pre-production stage. One of these movies is “Belle,” a true and horrific story of America’s first serial woman killer named Belle Gunness.
The movie takes the viewer to see the life of the Norwegian psychotic woman who takes pleasure in writing love letters to her victims before torturing them and taking their lives. These same love letters opened doors for Bass and his co-writer Eva Meyer to conceptualize this drama. The highly anticipated thriller marks another milestone in Edward Bass’ career, where he shows off his directing skills for the first time.

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The film brings movie-goers back to the early 1900s in La Porte, Indiana when Gunness methodically controls over the murders of around 100 people, including her own children. She does all the murders as she lives and works in her farm in Indiana.
Stars like Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Renee Zellwegger are among Bass’ top picks to play the character of Belle. This is one of the most uniquely-themed films wherein a woman is the serial killer, breaking the stereotype that only men are capable of doing such horrific things.

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With a hair-raising script and with Bass’ discriminating taste in choosing the artists to play the roles, “Belle” will surely leave a mark in the thriller genre.

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Learn more about Edward Bass’ works on Live Journal.

Edward Bass, Producer Extraordinaire: Learning a Thing or Two about Directing From the Master of Suspense

Edward Bass, a producer whom many people in the film industry admire due to his remarkable organizational skills (which enabled him to independently finance five pictures in the span of two short years), will soon test the waters with his first stint as a director in the movie, Belle, the eponymous story of America’s most prolific female serial killer, Belle Gunness.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

With the film’s forbidding plot, it is nice to know that Edward may have been taking note of the techniques used by Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, “The Master of Suspense,” (his favorite director) in his films which are mostly in the suspense and psychological thriller genres.

Photo Credit: www.fameball.com

Some of the techniques which Edward Bass, producer extraordinaire, may have looked at are:

• The use of a camera made to move in a way that mimics a person’s gaze—an effective way to engage viewers.

• The use of framed shots—a technique used to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy.

• The use of innovative film editing—a procedure to enhance the thrilling effects of a film.

During his 60-plus years in the film industry, Hitchcock has managed to direct more than 50 feature films. He is often regarded as the best filmmaker Britain has ever produced. In 2007, he grabbed the top position in a poll done by film critics in Britain’s Daily Telegraph, where he is dubbed as “unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge from these islands.”

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More information about Edward Bass is available at www.edwardbassfilms.com.

The Vision of Edward Bass: Producer of an Assassination Fictionalized in an Ensemble Plot

Edward Bass, Producer of the Year in the Vision Awards 2007, follows Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s broken road to the White House in the film “Bobby.” Here, the moments trailing towards his assassination is interwoven in the bits and pieces of the lives of 22 others. Each vignette was carefully crafted to convey the tension of the time: a veteran hotel doorman plays chess with an old-time pal to pass time; a young lady rescues his friend from deployment in Vietnam by marrying him; a singer sinks deeper in alcoholism at the death of her career; a man cheats on his wife; a racist gets fired; and more sketches of daily lives intertwined with that fateful day, albeit fictionally.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

Edward Bass, producer of premier status in the Indie filmmaking scene, also depicts the fires of optimism raging inside the Ambassador Hotel, RFK’s campaign headquarters, and the convergence point of 23 otherwise unconnected lives, as the US Secretary-General and JFK’s brother bids for the seat at the West Wing, sending up flares of hope to the air for the American society in general to witness.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

In the end, each story reflects loopholes in the social order that RFK’s victory could have managed to salvage. It speaks of the twilight (chess players) of a nearing bygone era (racism), the anti-war stance of the entire nation (a marriage plan to permit a man’s re-assignment to a German military base camp), and the future of the United States in RFK’s hands (a singer’s anxiety over her professional future). But there will be bloodshed in the story, and the hero dies.

“Bobby” is the fruit of the labor of love of Edward Bass, producer extraordinaire, and has been critically acclaimed for its ensemble cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Lindsay Lohan, Ashton Kutcher, and Demi Moore, among others. In 2007, it has been nominated for two Golden Globes, for Motion Picture–Drama and for Original Song. Edward Bass’ collaborator was Emilio Estevez, who has been nominated for Outstanding Director at the ALMA Award.

From Producer Edward Bass - Edward Bass' Blog

More information about Edward Bass can be found at www.edwardbassfilms.com.

Hollywood Maverick Producer Edward Bass on a Directorial Debut with “Belle”

Belle is the first film Producer Edward Bass directs and writes in his entire stint at Tinseltown. But what challenge could he not handle? The Golden Globe nominee is often quoted saying, “It is too easy not to be in production.”

The Hollywood Maverick has been setting records in show business for years. Emilio Esteves’ directorial debut, Bobby , which starred an ensemble cast including Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Helent and Lindsay Lohan, was one of his most critically-acclaimed productions. The feat of producing five independent films in the span of two years belongs almost only to him. The Beverly High School alumnus, known to his acquaintances, friends, and peers back in the day as the life of the party, has been strengthened by his life exploits. The insights, drive, and creativity Producer Edward Bass has, he draws from his challenging experiences.

Director Edward Bass is drawn to Belle because of the dark character that dominates the film. Belle is a psychopath drama he co-wrote with Eva Mayer, buyer-owner of the farmhouse where Belle Gunness, from whom the lead character is based, butchered boyfriends and husbands, fed their flesh to her pigs, and still managed to cook a mean pot roast after killing men in cold blood.

The highly acclaimed producer is definitely serving fresh meat in a world where the convention shows women cooking up something for men. To fully depict Belle Gunness is to stray from such conventions and never look back.

More information about Producer Edward Bass can be accessed at www.edwardbassfilms.com.