Jeffrey Konvitz (born July 22, 1944) is an American attorney, writer, and film producer. He was raised in Woodmere, New York and graduated from Hewlett High School in 1962. He continued his education at Cornell University (BA 1966) and the Columbia University School of Law (1969). Konvitz is probably best known for writing the novel The Sentinel , published in 1974. It was followed by a film adaptation in 1977, which he produced and adapted from the novel.
32-537: He married model Vicki Peters in 1980, but they were divorced after parenting one child, Kristen Nicole (1983) who is a motion pictures packaging agent with United Talent Agency in Los Angeles. Later, he married actress Jillian McWhirter in 1998 and fathered a second child with her, Katherine Arielle (2002). He is Jewish. Konvitz was Managing Partner of VX119, a financing company in the entertainment industry. Konvitz worked as an agent for CMA, general counsel for
64-399: A props master , had begun directing after working as the props head on Easy Rider (1969), and became involved with the project after the original director dropped out of the production shortly before shooting began. According to star Vicki Peters , the house the film was shot in was formerly owned by Bela Lugosi . Commenting on the shoot, production manager Gary Kent said: "Robert was
96-724: A bank fraud lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Blue Rider Finance Inc., ("Blue Rider") a Konvitz-represented, transactional film finance company, against Harbor Bank and various individuals on allegations of bank fraud. Konvitz oversaw companion cases in Illinois and Maryland while securing a judgment against the defendants in this Los Angeles action. In 2015 Konvitz filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Plaintiff Foreign Language Center Inc. et al v. National Geographic, 20th Century Fox and David Hasselhoff et al. The case, which concerned
128-507: A breach of contract and interference with contract for an ongoing film about the fall of the Berlin Wall, was settled in 2017 before trial. Since at least 2017, Konvitz has represented Malek Media Group LLC (MMG) and Matthew Malek in a business dispute with AXQG Corp. and Anita Gou, among others. Malek is the principal of MMG, and Gou owns AXQG. The two companies had agreed to start a film production company, Foxtail Entertainment, LLC, but
160-526: A busted financing arrangement on the motion picture, Boot Camp . Blue Rider cross-complained. Konvitz successfully filed a summary judgement motion for Blue Rider against GFI in the trial court but Blue Rider's cross-complaint was dismissed. GFI appealed the summary judgement against it to the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate Division. Blue Rider cross-appealed the dismissal. Konvitz was not only trial counsel, but also appellate counsel. The Court of Appeal affirmed
192-420: A busted public merger. The jury found for Konvitz and judgement was entered against Midland and its successors-interest, Merrill Lynch Canada and Bank of America. Commencing in 2002, Konvitz was retained as lead trial defense counsel representing The Ave Maria Foundation and Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, in a motion picture financing collapse wherein defendants Ave Maria and Monaghan were sued in
224-400: A career as an actress. In 1970, Peters appeared in the film Blood Mania , along with fellow Playboy playmate Reagan Wilson (October 1967). In 1971, she had a walk-on part in the horror film The Cult (1971). In addition to several television series.Peters had a successful career in modeling from 1975-1982 with Nina Blanchard and Ford Models. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of
256-436: A doctor whose mistress, an heiress, murders her terminally ill father to help him pay off a debt. Released in the fall of 1970, the film would go on to be featured as a double bill with 1961's Bloodlust! . According to star Vicki Peters , the house the film was shot in was formerly owned by Bela Lugosi . Dr. Craig Cooper, a physician, is caring for his dying employer, Ridgeley Waterman. A wealthy old curmudgeon, Waterman
288-545: A million extra copies. Konvitz dedicated The Guardian to Rufus, who he credited with editing Chapter 27. Rufus was Konvitz’s 170-Pound Great Pyrenese who ate the problematic Chapter, forcing Konvitz to successfully rewrite it. Konvitz rose to become one of the top independent production executives in Hollywood in the 1980's and 90's, leading two Nasdaq-listed Entertainment companies: Kings Road Entertainment, and Communications and Entertainment Corp./Odyssey Entertainment Konvitz
320-642: A potential arbitrator to disclose "grounds for disqualification of which the arbitrator was then aware" . The Court of Appeal affirmed the Superior Court judgement. The State Bar was supplied with all the Appellate Briefs, which were reviewed by State Bar trial counsel. No action was taken. The State Bar closed the file in June 2021. On December 18, 2013, Blue Rider was sued by Geringer Capital Inc. ("GFI") in Los Angeles Superior Court with respect to
352-453: A prop man to begin with. I had no idea he was a director. The next thing I knew he was doing it, and he called me in as a production manager. It was fun. He took it seriously, so you never got the feeling he was just in it for the bucks. I thought it just took him forever to get a shot. He was always fussing over it. It was murder. His movies were long and arduous, but nonetheless I had some affection for Robert." According to star Leslie Simms,
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#1732773269468384-402: A wealthy heiress , and begins seducing her. When Kate realizes Gail and Dr. Cooper have begun a relationship, she dejectedly packs her things and returns to New York. After spending an evening out with Dr. Cooper, Gail returns home, and offers to split the estate with Victoria, who refuses. Gail reveals that she has already offered to help Dr. Cooper with his "tax" issues, and Victoria learns of
416-427: A year after production had commenced, she was called back to complete re-shoots for an alternate cut of the film intended for television broadcast. In order for the film to be shown on cable television, the nudity and violence had to be excised from the theatrical version. In order to remedy this, a subplot was introduced which had Nurse Turner in cahoots with the blackmailer; in place of the murder sequences, new footage
448-589: Is an American model and former actress. She made her film debut in the exploitation film Blood Mania (1970), and was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its April 1972 issue. Peters was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Joseph Blair Peters and Emogene Maybell Taylor. She spent her early life there and in St. Paul . In 1968, Peters relocated from St. Paul to Los Angeles, California, hoping to begin
480-476: Is cared for at home by his daughter Victoria, and a live-in nurse, Miss Turner. Despite several attempts by Victoria, a nymphomaniac , to seduce Dr. Cooper, she has so far been unsuccessful. Dr. Cooper soon learns that an unnamed old connection is attempting to blackmail him for his providing of illegal abortions . The blackmailer is demanding $ 50,000 in hush money . During one of his house calls to examine Victoria's father, Dr. Cooper expresses to Victoria that he
512-400: Is suffering "tax" problems. She tells him that she can acquire the money, and seduces him. Their affair consummated, Victoria proceeds to poison and kill her father with the motive of paying Dr. Cooper's debt with her father's estate . With Dr. Cooper's assistance, Victoria avoids suspicion (Cooper rules the death a stroke ) and her estranged younger sister Gail returns from New York City for
544-491: The Jerry Lewis theatre chain, a production executive for MGM, and as a film producer. As a producer, it would have been usual for Konvitz to option properties and put a package together. Konvitz saw that anything good was being snapped up by studios before it was ever seen by him, so Konvitz set out to create original projects. Konvitz wrote the screenplay for “Silent Night, Bloody Night” which he also produced. Konvitz showed
576-525: The Month for its April 1972 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli . In her interview with the magazine, Peters revealed she had abandoned her acting career and was working at photographer Harry Philmore Langdon Jr.'s (son of Harry Langdon ) studio. she credits Langdon for launching her modeling career. Peters married film producer Jeffrey Konvitz in 1980. She has a daughter with him, Kristen Nicole, born in 1983. They divorced in 1988. Peters married Robert Lieberman in 2010-2023 Lieberman
608-509: The United States District Court, Central District in Los Angeles. The case was entitled Fulcrum Entertainment and Williams v. The Ave Maria Foundation et al. Defendants Ave Maria and Monaghan prevailed on all counts against it. In 2009, Konvitz represented Regent Entertainment and Here Network, the preeminent LGBTQ+ streaming service in a complicated German Tax shelter arbitration before IFTA. In 2011, Konvitz filed
640-410: The budding relationship between her lover and her younger sister. She bludgeons Gail to death with a lamp in the bathroom. Dr. Cooper soon returns to the house and finds Gail dead, with Victoria stoically painting a canvas in the next room with her sister's blood. In the bathroom, he finds Gail's corpse in the shower. Attempting to help cover up the crime, he carries Gail's body to the car, placing it in
672-436: The cinematography for providing a "rich, sensuous look" and also noted the "eerie score." Scott Weinberg of eFilmcritic.com gave the film a negative review, calling it "stunningly drab" and noting that it offers "nothing more than three or four gauzy love scenes offset by a nonstop deluge of "Let's kill so and so for his fortune" schpiel. I instantly and involuntarily tuned out every time the characters spoke." Blood Mania
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#1732773269468704-589: The day. Simon and Schuster bought the rights to The Sentinel in September of ’73 and within six months he received an offer of $ 200,000 for the paperback rights and $ 500,000 for the movie rights from Universal. A first-time author had never before been hired by a major studio to adapt and produce a film from the author's own novel before. The Sentinel would go on to sell over 7 million copies. Konvitz’s sequel to The Sentinel, The Guardian, sold out entirely in 10 days. Its publisher, Bantam, went back to immediately print
736-447: The judgement for Blue Rider and overturned the dismissal of the cross complaint. The cross-complaint filed by Blue Rider is still ongoing. Konvitz is currently Plaintiff's trial counsel on the ongoing Los Angeles Superior Court film finance litigation, among other cases, entitled Trinity Media Financing International Ltd, a film finance company, v. Every Breath LLC et al. Vicki Peters Vicki Jean Peters (born September 9, 1950)
768-443: The picture was released theatrically. Gods and Monsters went on to garner dozens of awards including an Oscar, and became an LGBTQ+ film classic for its portrayal of openly gay film director James Whale. On August 24, 1998, Konvitz as Plaintiff and co-counsel/pro-se, commenced a lawsuit in the United States District Court, California Central District in Los Angeles against Canadian investment bank, Midland Walwyn Capital, for fraud in
800-518: The reading of their father's will . With Gail is Kate, a middle-aged woman who lives with Gail, and who has an unspoken, unreciprocated sexual interest in her. The group meet for the reading of the will by the family lawyer, and much to Victoria's surprise, Gail is the primary beneficiary of the estate. The will leaves Victoria only with the use of her deceased father's house and a small living allowance. Distraught, she becomes bedridden. While caring for Victoria, Dr. Cooper learns of Gale's new status as
832-529: The relationship quickly soured. The parties arbitrated their dispute, AXQG won, and the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed the arbitration award and entered judgement. The arbitration was a JAMS arbitration. Konvitz proceeded to file an appeal on behalf of his client. The appeal of the Superior Court's confirmation judgement of Arbitrator Huebner's final award was partially grounded on the improper exclusion of evidence. The primary challenge, however, arose under Code of Civil Procedure Section 1286.2(6), which requires
864-489: The treatment to the financier on a Friday and told them the screenplay was being typed. The financiers asked to see the script but Konvitz didn't have a script or a writer, so he wrote the script himself in 3 days. Konvitz first pitched The Sentinel as a movie but was turned down by several studios, so he decided to write The Sentinel as a novel, staying up writing until 4am each night while he practiced law in New York during
896-463: The trunk. Returning to the house, Dr. Cooper embraces Victoria just as she sees Gail's corpse standing behind the door. It falls, revealing Dr. Cooper's blackmailer, grinning menacingly as the painting is revealed, showing Dr. Cooper with a skeleton draped across his arms. Blood Mania was shot over a period of twelve days in Los Angeles, California ; director Robert Vincent O'Neill, originally
928-615: Was an American award winning television and film director until his passing July 1, 2023 in Los Angeles. This article about an American actor is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This biography article about a Playboy Playmate is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Blood Mania Blood Mania is a 1970 American horror film written by Peter Carpenter and Tony Crechales and directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil , and starring Carpenter, Maria De Aragon, Vicki Peters , Reagan Wilson , Jacqueline Dalya , and Alex Rocco . The film stars Carpenter as
960-666: Was at the forefront of a new wave of film-financing in the 1980s. This effective new model, structured financing including gap financing, quickly spread through Hollywood and abroad, and remains a popular strategy for independent film production even today. Konvitz was admitted to the State Bar of California on October 27, 1983. He is, and has been, an active member in good standing since 1983. His practice consists of entertainment finance law and business and entertainment litigation. He has also written major articles on tax shelter film financing for various legal publications In 1997, Konvitz
992-440: Was retained by Regent Entertainment as lead finance counsel and the lead litigation council in a dispute with Showtime over the financing of the motion picture Gods and Monsters. The dispute addressed whether or not Showtime could force Regent, under the terms of its domestic license agreement, to release the film directly to television as a Showtime premiere instead of the planned theatrical release. Konvitz and Regent prevailed and
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1024-595: Was shot in which Nurse Turner reports her witnessing of the murders to the blackmailer. Michael Bate of the Ottawa Citizen compared the film to a soap opera , writing that "by skimming over the film's few tense moments, director Robert O'Neill fails to inject his work with any sense of terror." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times deemed the film a "glum and tedious exercise," though he praised
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