HOLLYWOOD INSIDER
BILLIARD DEALER-TURNED-FILM DIRECTOR VINCE ROCCA STAGES A ROMANTIC COMEDY INSIDE HIS OWN STORE

Long before he opened Breaktime Billiards in October 1994. Vince Rocca wanted to make movies. Now, at the age of 33, he has realized his dream with the release of Kisses and Caroms, a romantic comedy filmed -- where else? -- in Rocca’s own Granada Hills, Calif., store.

The dealer/director sat down with Billiard Retailer to talk about life as a rookie film maker.

BR: Tell us about your interest in making films. When did it start?
Rocca: I wanted to make movies since I was a kid. I remember being intrigued by the editors’ job and how they got to see all the raw footage. The audience only sees a slice. Prior to KISSES AND CAROMS, I had never made a movie, much less written anything.

BR: With your intrest in movies, how did you come to choose billiards over film making?
Rocca: I dropped out of school in the 9th grade, and to be a film maker you needed to go to film school -- so I thought. But to be a salesmen, you just needed to know how to sell. Later, I discovered that to be a film maker, or anything for that matter, you just needed to be a salesman. So, my early years selling pool tables really were just film school.

BR: In the film, you explore every guy's fantasy: a threesome with two hot girls. Why did you choose this subject?
Rocca: Simple, it's an easy sell. Romantic comedies focus on what women want. So why not make a "Romedy" that focuses on what men want-- Except not make porn. Even though we use sex to focus on the guys fantasy, I've found that women like the movie too. They connect with it, or at least get a glimpse into the male mind.

BR: Why is a billiards store was the ideal setting for this film -- other than the fact that you owned the store and it was the off season when you filmed?
Rocca: In truth, the script could have been modified to be a bike shop, golf shop, or even a bowling center. But it needed to be a small independent business, the kind of store you would hang out at.

Employees of small companies usually have a greater connection with each other. There's unique bonds that form between them. It's an odd friendship. Small business employees may not have diner together, they may not chat on the phone, but they spend all day together and know each other very well. Often I've had conversations with co-workers about the most intimate details of our lives. Things you would never tell friends or family, but fit right at home with co-workers.

BR: How much of you is there in the main character, Zack?
Rocca: I'm in all characters. Each character was originally based on people I knew. Then I would take my various personality traits, exaggerate them to the extreme and inject it into the characters. For example Tara's swinging attitude is an exaggeration of my youth, and Jen's timidness is an exaggeration of my shy side. However, my friends and family say Zack is exactly like me. Drew Wicks who plays Zack, studied my mannerisms, then to top it off, I directed him. As it turns out, I was directing him to act like me.

BR: What is it like working with a Playboy model (Nicole Rayburn) and a porn legend (Ginger Lynn Allen)?
Rocca: In a word... Fun! Nicole wasn't a Playboy model at the time we shot. I like to think I discovered her! Since Kisses and Caroms I've become good friends with Nicole and Playboy hasn't changed her a bit. Ginger Lynn is one of the funniest people I've ever met. There are preconceived notions about porn stars -- most that I have found to be untrue, but not more so then with Ginger.

BR: Zack encounters a steady stream of oddball customers who try his patience. Are any of these scenarios pulled from real life experience?
Rocca: Almost all are. If only I had a dime for each time I'm asked if tax was included in the price! A good portion of the script was written at the store. When I'd encounter wacky situations I would immediately type them up. For example, the midget scene really happened. Of course some things were changed and arranged to fit the story, but the core of the incidents happened.

BR: Did you attempt to keep the store open during shooting?
Rocca: The store was "Closed for Filming," but people wanted to come in anyway. Some just wouldn't leave. So between takes I'd let the waiting customers in, and I did manage to sell a few cue sticks. Funny thing did happen during rehearsals. There is a heated scene that has a character yelling "I'm going to kill you!" At that moment a customer walked in, heard the line, turned around and hasn't been seen since. Thankfully he didn't call the cops.

BR: Was the cast at all interested in billiards?
Rocca: We'd have pool tournaments during lunch and the cast would practice while the crew was setting up the next shot. Everyone was a player to some extent. But Nicole had just come off a movie that took place in a bar and had managed to hone many skills on the bar table. The guys would often get upset when she would sink these crazy combination shots.

BR: Zack has no problem probing into the sex life of Tara. So let me ask you, have you ever participated in a threesome? Did it involve billiards?
Rocca: Ahh, it wouldn't be gentleman like for me to kiss and tell, would it? But they do say, "Write what you know."

BR: After this film makes you a multimillionaire and a Hollywood insider, will you still keep your store open?
Rocca: Yes, and I'll expand and open more. I love the billiard business. While I do get some wacky customers, I also meet some of the nicest and friendliest people in the world. I could never give that up.

BR: If dealers want to stock the DVD in their stores when it comes out, who should they contact?
Rocca: The best thing to do is join the newsletter on KissesAndCaroms.com. We keep people updated monthly on what's going on. Currently we're in the midst of hammering out distribution offers, but we'll definitely be showing at festivals all over the world coming in September, and more then likely a wide release will occur by the years end.