Mark: “I got there late. But the timing was perfect. I walked straight up front and sat down right beside Cary. He was surprised when he looked over and saw I was sitting beside him.” Mark is referring to Cary Solomon Co-CEO of Believe Entertainment. Cary and Chuck Konzelman (also Co-CEO) were the featured speakers this week at the Dallas Hollywood Prayer Network meeting. Mark opened their most recent feature film, “Nefarious.” He played the psychiatrist and sets the tone for the film. As he is leaving his office at the end of a day spooky hints suggest this will be a film about the demonic. Mark leaves his office, gets on the elevator, and then you see his suicide fall as he passes his own office window. Mark DeAlessandro, the personal double/stunt double for Sylvester Stallone in 30 Stallone feature films, the Stuntman/Stunt Coordinator/Actor in 180+ major feature films, over 350 total, in the Stuntmen Hall of Fame, has set down next to Cary Solomon. Cary and Chuck produced the $62 million dollar grossing feature film, “God Is Not Dead.” Mark was their Stunt Coordinator for “Nefarious” and, in addition to acting in the opening scene, was the body falling past the window.
Mark (to me): “I wanted them to film my face like in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” looking up as I fell. We used 2 drones. I had to fall right on the edge of the mat, which is very dangerous. So many things went wrong while we filmed that movie. It was as if we were under demonic attacks.
That’s what Cary and Chuck will describe in detail in a few moments on the stage of Freedom Church in Dallas.
Mark (to Cary): “Are you nervous?”
Cary Solomon: “I’m always nervous. Would you pray for me?”
Mark (He does.): “Father, help us remember that it’s not by might, not by power, but by your spirit. Be with Cary and Chuck tonight as they tell this crowd of prayer warriors about your work. Help the words to just flow, strong and confident, straight into your children’s hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
And the words did flow straight and strong from Cary and Chuck. The hundred or more men and women who had gathered together in the church pews had traveled to hear, some from hundreds of miles away. They were not disappointed.
Mark (to me, later): “Cary and Chuck must be the premiere Christian Movie Producers in the world.” I agreed.
Cary (with Chuck, on stage): “…So we had the first two million dollars we needed for the movie (I’ve arrived late, myself. I’ve brought my 6 year old granddaughter, Laileigh, Mark’s little stunt student, almost from birth. Laileigh has on her brand new pink Cowgirl hat I bought her on the trip, a few hours earlier. I had stopped in Waco at the Texas Ranger’s Museum. Lai had taken the sheet of paper she had been handed at the front desk, when we paid, and had checked off all 12 Texas heroes listed as she spotted them on our exploration of Texas history displays. The new hat was her reward. We’re sitting beside my girlfriend, actress and stuntwoman Gigi Erneta, who is responsible for introducing me to Mark the month before Lai was born. Gigi had invited me to a private “Dinner with Dreamers” Austin, Texas dinner one night, hosted by Kyle Saylors of Saylor Brothers Entertainment and by Brenda Golden, former wife of William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys. I had met Mark that night, guest of Brenda Golden. Life had forever changed. I don’t know which movie Cary is referring to. I missed that part. My guess is “Unplanned.”
“…and we have the top three million we need for our movie,” Cary continues. I have watched the video of Chuck Konzelman testifying before Governor Greg Abbott, of Texas. He testified about all the sneaky, underhanded, one might even go so far as to call it “demonic” harassment he and Cary endured, by powerful entities, as they attempted to promote this very movie, later, once the initial funding Cary is now describing was secured.
“…What we didn’t have was the million in the middle, and we had a deadline. We had the Oreo cookie without the filling. We had the initial funders and we had the finishing funders which was based on our having secured both the initial and mid funders. We lacked a million. We’d lose it all if we didn’t make the deadline. The deadline was almost past. Really close. We had prayed and prayed.” Cary was doing the bulk of the talking on this particular night. The audience was hanging on his every word. He’d turn and ask Chuck, on stage beside him, questions that filled in the story. They worked together seamlessly. Cary continued with a splash of humor… “So I get a phone call. It’s a man. I don’t recognize his voice. All he says - barks, really - is, “What’s your routing number?” I’m not in the habit of giving my routing number out, over the telephone, to complete strangers. “I’m in my private jet, with so-and-so, a female. We are flying right over you at this precise moment (Texas, I guess). What’s your routing number? God just told me to give you the million you need.”
“45665434567” or something like that was Cary’s immediate reply.
Cary: ”We had $13.24 in our account and eight minutes until the deadline (I’m remembering their speech to the Hollywood Prayer Network members last Monday night, now several days ago. I came in late, with Lai, after driving 3 1/2 hours to get there. I missed part of the story. I may have it a bit wrong, but I caught the gist of it and this is it.) “Chuck and I had our eyes glued to our account numbers. Eight minutes. $13.24. …$13.24…$13.24… $1,000,013.24.”
Copyright 2024 Angel Isaacs All Rights Reserved
Written June 7, 2024 at 7:51 pm
To be continued…
…
Mark: “Are you guys up yet? I can call back.”
Angel: “I’m up. I just washed my hair. The mechanic said he’d pick us up at breakfast. He told us how good the breakfast is here at the Holiday Inn. He said he eats here sometimes. I’m letting Lai sleep in.”
Mark had called me to make sure my little granddaughter and I were ok. We had driven from near Austin to Dallas to go to the Hollywood Prayer Network Meeting. Mark and Gigi had met us there. Gigi had driven further than me. I’d sat beside her and she had given Lai the biggest, sweetest hug. She’d been my friend since even before Lai was born, just like Mark. Mark had sat a few pews in front of us but he had given us big friendly pats on the arm every time he’d gotten up and walked past. “That’s my friend who just went to the front to rededicate his life to God,” he’d bent down to whisper to us once as he patted our arms and excitedly rushed by.
Story to be continued… (Lai woke up, we’re still near Dallas, our van broke down, and the mechanic is meeting us at breakfast…) "Tony's Prayer" HERE
Copyright 2024 Angel Isaacs All Rights Reserved
Written June 7, 2024 at 8:03 am