Midnight Movies

Based on his 1993 novel of the same name, “Cracktown” features four stories that present a gripping and realistic view of the inner-city desolation caused by increased usage of crack cocaine.

Giovinazzo based the book on his experiences living in the drug-infested neighborhoods of New York City’s lower east side and has always wanted to return to the material for a film adaptation.

While the film has been having problems getting into film festivals due to its content, independent distributor Lightning Media is set to release the film, with the Los Angeles premiere scheduled for June 26.

Giovinazzo had been trying to adapt his novel into a feature film for years and finally was able to shoot the film in 2008 thanks to interest from rising Hollywood talent.

According to an interview posted on YouTube, Giovinazzo was contacted by Kerry Washington, the star of “Ray” and “Last King of Scotland.” Her interest in the script helped get things moving.

From that point on, Giovinazzo was able to cast the characters “piece-by-piece” and ended up with a very impressive roster of talent.

Washington appears in the film as Marybeth, a pre-op transsexual with an addiction to heroin who turns tricks for her good-hearted criminal husband, Benny (Desmond Harrington).

“40 Days and 40 Nights” star Shannyn Sossamon and Victor Rasuk of TV’s “E.R.” also star in the film as Concetta and Manny, a husband and wife just trying to get out of the desolation of the urban cesspool to raise their family in a pleasant suburban area.

However, Manny dropped out of high school early to take care of their first child and now is forced to work high-risk jobs such as security at a tenement building and the graveyard shift at a late-night convenience store.

In the same tenement building where Manny works, a young boy named Willy (Ridge Canipe of the recent “Bad News Bears” remake) is suffering through a rough family situation.

His mother (Illeana Douglas of “Goodfellas”) and her abusive boyfriend are both addicted to crack, and their income mostly comes from a small welfare check and using their children to beg for change on the street.

The only friends Willy has is a heroin junkie who hangs around his building (played by “Superman Returns” star Brandon Routh) and a young girl named Melody (Elena Franklin) who has been forced into prostitution at the young age of 12.

Completing the series of stories is that of gang youth Romeo (Evan Ross), who wants to rule the streets and avenge his younger brother who died due to gang violence.

After drug dealer Sammy (RZA from Wu-Tang Clan) offers Romeo a golden-plated gun to take out one of his rivals, Romeo quickly learns that he’s not quite as street savvy as he thought.

Rounding out the already impressive cast is Lara Flynn Boyle and “American Pie” star Thomas Ian Nichols.

If the film adaptation of “Life is Hot in Cracktown” is anything like the book, audiences can be sure to expect a depraved and very dark film that takes them to a place they’d never want to visit in reality.

Giovinazzo’s first film, the dark Vietnam-veteran character study “Combat Shock,” has been lauded as one of the most brutal films to come out of the ’80s grindhouse scene in New York City.

His second film, “No Way Home,” was released in 1996 and starred Tim Roth, James Russo and Debra Unger. The film gained positive reviews but mostly went unnoticed by U.S. audiences.

However, Giovinazzo gained an impressive following in Germany and has spent most of the past decade overseas directing various crime dramas for German television.