Edgy true story hits screens

Rogue Arts, in association with American World Pictures,  premieres "Intoxicating" to the big screen in the Los Angeles region beginning November 5.

The film is set to open at the Loews Beverly Center in Los Angeles, Regal Avenue Stadium 13

in Rolling Hills Estates and Edwards University 6 in Irvine.  

Rogue Arts plans to roll out the film to other cities and markets into the spring of 2005.

Intoxicating is based on the controversial true story of director Mark David's first cousin, a talented young

surgeon with a large appetite for substances and one night stands.  The surgeon's father is dying from

pugilistic dementia after a long boxing career.  The film was shot in a working hospital in Gardena and

in nightclubs and bars around southern California.  CNN and Fox News substance abuse specialist

Dr. Joseph Haraszti called the film "an intense psychological study of the self destructive nature of

addiction".  David says, "I grew up in a family of doctors and I've witnessed first hand the epidemic of

substance abuse in the medical field".

Intoxicating is the sophomore directing effort of filmmaker/musician David.  His first

feature was the gritty incest drama "Sweet Thing" which premiered at the Seattle Film Festival. 

Intoxicating was written by and stars Kirk Harris (Hard Luck, My Sweet Killer, loser). Harris,

a former Golden Gloves champion boxer turned actor, recently was billed by online indie film

magazine Film Threat as "an actor to watch". 

"He is like a young Brando. Incredibly real, brooding with the ease of someone who has actually

lived," says Elaine Wood, program director of The Method Fest, of Harris' performance in the film. 

Co-starring in the film is Golden Globe nominee John Savage (Message in a Bottle, Thin Red

Line, Carnivale), Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (Less Than Perfect, Spun, The Specialist),

Camilla Overbye Roos (White Squall, Titanic), Joanne Baron (Spider Man II, The Prince & Me),

Ron Gilbert (The Usual Suspects, Lansky), and Allan Rich (The Quiz Show, Amistad). The

soundtrack composed by David and William Tabanous features hip hop artists Sen Dog of Cypress

Hill, Coolio, Mopreme Shakur (brother of Tupac) of The Outlawz and MC Eiht of Compton's Most

Wanted.