QUOTES & COMMENTS
Barbara Carrera, ‘Never Say Never Again’, interested in the role of Angelina
Email in regards of 2nd draft of screenplay, August 8, 2016
“Dear Roger. Just read the second draft received yesterday...can be a very funny film! I like it so far! I look forward to staring in it. I wish you success, as always!”
Gerald I. Wolff, veteran Hollywood casting director
Quotes from phone conversation with Roger Steinmann, June 5, 2017
“Having known you [Roger Steinmann, by casting your ‘Illusion Infinity] 20 years back, I am thrilled having read another one of your ingenious screenplays. … ‘PhonY’ is the closest I may be involved to a Quentin Tarantino-quality. Out of so many, ‘PhonY’ is my pet-project!”
Burt Reynolds, five times nr. 1 world-star, cast in lead-role as ex-astronaut Richard Carlyle before his untimely death
Quotes from video-call with Roger Steinmann in presence of Reynolds’ agent Todd Eisner from his Florida-home, November 13, 2017
“PhonY shows an ingenious concept… I love my feisty, well written character-role… See it Oscar-nominated-worthy… I hate flying, but I will when invited to the Cannes-festival, as it will be my first time… Will recommend my partner-role [of Catherine Whitterspoon] to my former co-stars Goldie Hawn and Sally Field…Talia Shire would be of course as well perfect…”
Tom Sizemore, ‘Saving Private Ryan’, evaluated for a role in PhonY
Message on WhatsApp, December 1, 2017
“…I love it [the script], Roger. … Your film is a wild ride … I feel I will give an Oscar-worthy performance if you were to hire me. I mean that. It’s a complicated and fully fleshed out [script]…”
Talia Shire, ‘Rocky’, interested in the role of Catherine
Quotes from phone-conversation with Roger Steinmann from her Los Angeles-home, December 8, 2017:
“…now spoken as a mother of three: this is a top current topic, worthwhile to be told! … I’m gladly considering to participate in this picture!”
Sukan Saengthi, production supervisor of principle photography Thailand
Note, February 25, 2018
“I think that the story-line of PhonY itself is already intriguing. But even more so, when seeing how the different segments are waved among each other: the one we are going to shoot next month here in Thailand, the ones already shot in Switzerland, and the ones coming up in Los Angeles with Burt Reynolds and Talia Shire. No wonder our low-budget film attracts star power, as our concept is fantastic and fresh.”
Basil Childers, B-camera of principle photography Thailand
Comment during shoot in Phuket, March 16, 2018
“...am thrilled to participate in PhonY! … truly unusual storytelling … I love how the story opens up the ‘fourth wall’ … Can’t wait to see how everything is compiled together.”
Brian D. Goff, A-camera of principle photography Switzerland and Thailand
Comment during shoot in Phuket, April 2, 2018
“Roger [Steinmann] is one of the few directors I’ve ever worked with in my 25 years who knows what he wants. This clearly originates from his detailed shooting script, naturally based on his precise writing.”
Seraina Bauert, Art Director of PhonY
Conversation with Roger Steinmann in Zurich / August 13, 2018
“I like the unusual interweaving of segments; the unusual edgy characters; the unusual locations from snow to tropical, and everything in-between. In short: I like unusual films of this kind! And then, there are certainly not this many around like PhonY.”
Gilles Tschudi, Swiss character actor, cast as Sir TT
Message on WhatsApp, January 29, 2019
“PhonY shows a truly unusual concept. My role, isolated in the snow mountains, will be interacting with scenes from entirely different locations. This is what I call a surprising form of storytelling - totally new and fresh!”
Sylvia Love Johnson, producer, London,
Message on LinkedIn, July 1, 2019
“Your screenplay is Genius, Roger”
Raoul Meier, editor, Zurich, about the first raw-edit of PhonY
Email, July 5, 2019
“…well shot footage… the images are well conceived… the location, foremost Thailand, are beautifully exotic… the protagonists give their bests and act very well, as far as I may judge it… I must admit you [Roger] have worked a whole lot on this film, and you show a lot of ambition. Compliment!”
Carl Ikemoto, executive producer, Brazil
Message on LinkedIn, July 10, 2019
“Hello Roger. I read your script and found it very interesting, I could not take my eyes off it. I found very good the reflection that you propose about our addiction in sex, and cell phones and the related degradation of human relations caused by that. I liked it when it shows that love, nature, real human relationships and the simple things in life make people happier. I liked the rhythm of the film, the turning points, the doses of humor, greed, hope, naivety, illusion, sex and massive manipulation that the plot shows. The mixture of comedy and sci-fi is a good combination, as well as the stereotype of the characters: Terrilynn, Angelina, Oskar, Richard, Catherine, Oy, Aun, Stacy, etc. In short, I think it is good to take this kind of reflection to the big public.” Best, Carl
Markus Imthurn, Production Designer of PhonY
Email, November 13, 2019
“PHONY is an unusual story that unfolds through several little stories. Each one illuminates a different facet of the basic theme. I think it's very good that in every story are identical characters. One can orientate faster, the whole film is given continuity. The criticism of the digital society is pleasantly reserved, packed in a comedy. Fortunately, the comedy is not clumsy, but subtle and deep with a story complex enough to make one think. And at the same time simple enough to be simply consumed. The PHONY-project bears great potential.”
Norbert Preuss, veteran producer, Munich
Email, November 21, 2019
“PhonY is a very special concept; I truly hope it comes together. Its ‘intercontinentality’ is a burden to get backing by European governmental funding but on the other hand bears a tremendous plus as it appeals to a wide, possibly world-wide audience. The most unusual of a ‘Swiss’ film I can think of.”
Pascal Ulli, Swiss character actor, cast as Oskar Dummermuth
Email, November 22, 2019
“Dear Roger. I’ve read many scripts and yours was one of the best I read in recent years. Your script convinced me immediately to play the role of Oskar. PhonY is very well written. That the story takes place in so different countries with this unique connection between the stories and characters worldwide reminds me of Babel from director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Phony is a comedy with an important message in “Babel” style. I am very happy to be part of this film project.”
