Filmmaker cheers for the underdog

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- Dave Sperling always cheers for the underdog.

His David-slew-Goliath mentality is evident in his Mission Viejo garage,

which he converted into a production facility. Draped on one of his walls

next to news articles about his work is a poster of “Rocky,” the Academy

Award winning film that turns a small-time boxer into a heavyweight

contender.

The film’s title character doesn’t win the fight. The same can be said

for one of Sperling’s real-life subjects he has followed. He parlayed his

efforts into a short documentary called “Drunk in Public.” Along with

another short called “Crime Scene Cleaners,” the two films were shown

over the weekend at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

“Drunk in Public” is the more widely known of the wavy-haired filmmaker’s

work. The film, which was shown at the festival in 1997, tracks

38-year-old Mark David Allen, who has tallied more than 100

alcohol-related arrests in Newport Beach. Sperling, 31, came across Allen

at the police department where he works as a jailer.

From Hawaii to California, Allen has racked up hundreds of arrests.

Recently, Allen entered a rehabilitation program. He lasted only 11 days.

He was picked up by police less than 24 hours later for public

drunkenness. He is serving the remainder of a nine-month jail sentence.

Sperling said working as a jailer gave him a chance to see a cast of

characters Hollywood producers would drool over.

“The premise needed in a film is conflict,” he said. “When someone comes

to jail, the situation inherently has conflict in it. There is

unquestionable drama there.”

Sperling was compelled to tell Allen’s story because he was a true

underdog who was faced with major obstacles. Allen has promised police

and even Sperling he would quit his drunken ways, but every time he

hasn’t lived up to his promise.

“The odds against him are so stacked that if he bucks them it will be

tremendous,” Sperling added. “He’s a walking tragedy. But if he does get

sober, I want to be there.”

The film was well-received when it was shown in its updated format

Friday. Many of those in attendance had learned about the film through

word-of-mouth.

“There is such a strong human element in this film it makes you cry,”

said Michelle Nelson, who lives in Fullerton. “This guy seems like a lost

cause, but you hope that he might turn it around.”

Sperling is gaining more exposure these days compared to the last several

years when 13 of his screenplays went unproduced. His near-best came

three years ago when he wrote a screenplay for comedian Chris Farley. The

script had Farley working as a security guard at Disneyland who wants to

be a Secret Service agent. When the president plans to visit the theme

park, Farley’s character wants to exhibit his best. When a sinister plot

unfolds, the main character gets to bumble and stumble his way to

recognition.

The script finally landed in the hands of Farley’s agents, who reportedly

liked the idea. They planned to show Farley the script, but two weeks

later the actor was found dead in a Chicago hotel room.

“They were trying to get him the script, but he never saw it,” Sperling

said. “Who knows what would have happened, but I think he would have

loved it.”

Despite the prior setbacks, Sperling is making progress in the

entertainment business. He is being considered for a writing position for

NBC’s tele-dramas, “ER” and “Third Watch.” He is currently working on an

edgy hostage drama called “Live,” which may be picked up by a cable

station. The low-budget flick will be shot with a news camera and most of

it won’t be edited, he added.

“Things are going really good right now,” he said. “If I can be part of a

project where a viewer is moved, I’m happy.

FYI

To see more about Sperling’s short films visit www.livingpictures.net .

For today’s schedule and reviews, see pages 4 and 5.