Mark Kassen might be best known as Chris Evans’ partner in the “Starting Point” website, which presents both Democratic and Republican points of view on various issues.
But Kassen is also the actor-producer who dreamed up “PH-1,” a thriller about one terrible day in the life of a besieged political figure.
Not quite a one-man show, Kassen directs, co-writes and stars as Payton Burnham, a politician whose luxe Suite 1 penthouse becomes an involuntary prison as he sees his life and career suddenly in ruins as he becomes a social media target and TV news headline.
“I wanted to do, let’s just say, an entertaining thriller, akin to the thrillers of the 70s,” Kassen, 54, said in a Zoom interview. “One which mimics the cultural moment that we’re in right now with a mistrust in media, in government.
“I wanted to use my perspective from having created a non-partisan political website and watching how the media interacts with government officials. How the government officials oftentimes change, based on how they either react to, or want to get involved with, or be heard from the media.”
While the title stands for Penthouse 1, “If you get into it,” Kassen revealed, “it’s a bit of a double entendre. The crux of the movie is the senator is trying to pass a clean water bill. And pH1 is on the chart in terms of gauging the health of water. Let’s just say it’s a clean water ranking.”
As Payton’s dramatic day evolves, he’s asked to appear live on a newscast. The film pointedly doesn’t flag his televised inquisition as being from either celebrity.land or Fox News. But it is pointing at how it all works.
“The media in general does request of its elected officials — and of all of us — to do things that can help get them noticed. So they can stay on the air, right?
“But if you ask me, the question really is, Who am I really taking a shot at?
“Obviously we know something isn’t going to go well — it’s a thriller. In the beginning, Payton is obsessed with his own self in the media, in social media, in the paper. He’s on TV.
“He’s thinking he’s gaming the system towards what he believes is a good end. His goals are lofty. He is thinking he’s got this whole media winning thing down.
“Until something changes. As soon as that happens, he starts to slowly realize he is not in control.
“That’s really what I’m talking about! It’s more in terms of the dance between those two entities. And how it’s everyone’s responsibility.”
“PH-1” is available on digital and streaming platforms Friday
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bostonherald.com ’
