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Entertainment Weekly: 'Lieutenant Dan?!': Gary Sinise rocks out for the troops in new online documentary

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Image Credit: AP Images

Gary Sinise has played Det. Mac Taylor on CSI: New York for seven seasons. He co-founded the esteemed Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago when he was only 18 years old, directed and starred in a sterling cinematic adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and played larger-than-life politicians Harry Truman and George Wallace in award-winning television movies. But chances are, you know him first and last as Lieutenant Dan. His Oscar-nominated role as a disabled and angry Vietnam War veteran in 1994’s Forrest Gump resonated with audiences, and when he began visiting soldiers with the USO, everyone recognized him immediately as that character. So when Sinise formed a musical band to entertain the troops, there was only one logical name for it.

The Lt. Dan Band, on which Sinise plays bass guitar, performs about 40 shows a year in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, and a new documentary about Sinise’s dedication to the troops is available for pay-per-view online starting today. Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good is the result of nearly two years of trips around the globe, and it documents Sinise’s bond with the men and women who put their lives in harm’s way. For the next 30 days, the film will be available online for $3.99, with a quarter of that fee donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Tonight, the band will be celebrating the nation’s holiday by performing for soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, but the actor recently talked to EW.com about his music, his movie, and his passion for America’s real heroes.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you find yourself flying into warzones like a modern-day Bob Hope?
GARY SINISE: I’ve been involved with veterans groups since the early ’80s, but I think it was what happened on Sept. 11 that was a catalyst for me getting much more involved. Like so many people, I was feeling vulnerable, fearing for the future of our country and what was going to happen, and I didn’t want to sit back and do nothing. So when we started deploying our troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, I began visiting them. In 2003, I did like six handshake tours, and I just couldn’t do enough of that. I finally said to the USO, “Look, the handshake tours are great and everything, but I’ve got some musicians. Why don’t I put on a show?”

What exactly was your band at that point?
It wasn’t a band. I had struck up a friendship with Kimo Williams, a Vietnam veteran who had composed [the music for] a Steppenwolf play back in 1997. He played guitar, and whenever I came to town, we’d get some guys together and just play and get some pizza and hang out. It was just sort of this jam group. And then I said, “Hey, guess what? We’re going on tour.” So we actually had to start rehearsing and learning some songs. So the band got better and better. I’m always out on the weekends performing, [even] when I’m doing CSI: NY.

Had you always played?
I had my first guitar when I was in fourth grade, and I played music in bands from sixth grade all through high school. When you’re a kid, you’re always thinking, “Jeez I’d love to be up in front of that big crowd, playing away, like the Beatles or something,” but I basically put down the guitars [when I started acting] and didn’t play for a long time. 

What kind of band are you?
There’s a curiosity about an actor with a band. They don’t have a very good reputation. [Laughs] But we’re a cover band and we play a lot of great songs. We’ll do anything from ’40’s tunes to Evanesence. It’s all over the map. We can go from “Purple Haze” to “Tuxedo Junction,” you know? I made sure that we put a set together that you know the troops are really going to have a good time with. It’s a high-energy show. When you’re playing all hits! It’s just a series of one great song after another.

When did you think this was something that might make a documentary?
I didn’t. I wasn’t looking to make a documentary or document anything. The director, Jonathan Flora, came to me having heard that I was visiting the troops, and he pitched an idea of following me around. And I had to think about it, because I didn’t want somebody to take footage and do something… You know? I just was worried about how it would be treated. But the first thing he shot was me playing for something called Snowball Express, which is an organization I’ve supported which brings together the children of our fallen soldiers and gives them a great time. So he came down, saw what I was doing with the kids, and interviewed some of the parents, you know, the spouses who had lost either a husband or a wife. I think from that point on, he was absolutely hooked on what I was going to show him.

When you were making Forrest Gump, did you ever imagine your character would become such a part of your life?
No. No, I didn’t. I felt very personally connected to playing the character and just felt like it was such an opportunity. It just felt right. But who would’ve known Lt. Dan would connect to so many military people and that it would become something that would just kind of live with me, you know? I didn’t know that.

I’m guessing you hear a lot of “Lt. Dan?!” wherever you go, whether it’s Iraq or the local supermarket.
Always. Always. From the moment Forrest Gump came out. They do that all the time. You know, I played a lot of characters since then, but people kind of knew my face as Lt. Dan. They didn’t really know what my name was. So they were calling me that all the time on these tours. You’ll see in the documentary, some soldier says, “Hey, Lt. Dan!” When I go into the hospital and I see a guy who’s lost a leg or something, we start talking about Lt. Dan, a guy who goes through a lot of anger but overcomes and perseveres. He’s standing up at the end of the movie. That’s a positive story for a lot of our wounded veterans. They seem to connect to that, and a lot of these soldiers and marines have seen this movie. If they want to call me that, I don’t care. I’m just there to try to make them feel better, so if that makes them feel good, let them do it.

Did the band every toy with other names?
When it was just a jam group, Kimo and I would call it the G&K Band. Gary and Kimo, of course.

Lt. Dan Band is a much better name.
Yeah, I just went with it. And it’s turned into a big part of my mission to give back to [the troops], and to make sure that they see me coming back time and time and time again. They know that I’m in it with them, and I think that’s a good feeling for me to know that I can do something for them. I meet service members all the time who’ve seen the band now in five different places around the world. They know I’m supporting them.

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Actor's new documentary raises money for U.S. troops every time you watch it. – FOX NEWS

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Gary Sinise played double amputee Vietnam War survivor Lt. Dan in the Oscar-winning drama “Forest Gump.” Eight years ago he formed a band of the same name, a band that has supported and performed for U.S. armed forces all over the world.

On July 4th, Sinise’s love of music and country can be seen in the new film “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,” a documentary celebrating America’s heroes and chronicling the Academy Award-nominated actor’s band of patriots.

“I’m on the advisory board for the G.I. Film Festival in Washington, D.C . Five years ago we gave Gary our Spirit Award. That’s when he and I first started up a friendship,” the film’s director/producer, Jonathan Flora, told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “He found out I was a veteran of the 82nd airborne, and I started finding out about the things he does to support our troops. Of course I had no idea whatsoever, because he doesn’t do it for accolades or for self-promotion. I just remember being so inspired by his example of giving back that I wanted to share that inspiration.”

“Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” is being promoted with a unique, cause-driven marketing scheme designed to directly benefit the troops, and enable anyone and everyone to watch the film.

“The heart of this movie is really giving back to those who are willing to lay down their lives for this nation. Even the act of streaming the movie [which costs $3.99]. One out of every four dollars is going back to the Gary Sinise Foundation, so that he can continue doing what he’s doing,” Flora said, adding that Sinise’s foundation honors our nation’s defenders through an array of programs and projects, in addition to supporting several charities including the USO, Operation International Children and Snowball Express.

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Gary Sinise and 'Lt. Dan' Back On Duty Just In Time for the Fourth of July – FOX NEWS

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Gary Sinise and ‘Lt. Dan’ Back On Duty Just In Time for the Fourth of July

During World War II, most of Hollywood put on a uniform. Disney built models to train pilots for their bombing runs. Actors enlisted. Ronald Reagan entered the Army enlisted reserve in 1937. Studios started cranking out patriotic films before the first bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. When Warner Brothers released “Sergeant York,” Sen. Gerald Nye of North Dakota held hearings to accuse the studio of warmongering.

But Hollywood has been on the sidelines of America’s wars ever since. They became just stuff for backstory. Take the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” the story of an Alabama simpleton whose redeems the faith of everyone he touches, including his disgruntled former commander Lieutenant Dan, the epitome of the burned-out Vietnam vet.

“Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?” growls legless Lt. Dan to the clueless Forrest, who replies, “I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.”

Gary Sinise, who played the iconic Lieutenant Daniel Taylor, could never shake off the role. Even as he picked lead rolls in other movies, people on the street would give a shout-out to “Lt. Dan.”

Sinise never shook off his brush with war, service and sacrifice either. Retired Marine Captain Dale Dye, who trained Gary to act like a soldier for Forrest Gump recalls in a new documentary that when the film wrapped, he told Sinise, “You could have done it — you could have soldiered.”

While Sinise never served (though many in his family did), since 9/11 he has given back to our men and women in uniform and their families like almost no one else in Hollywood has, playing more than 40 USO tours and concerts. The new documentary “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,” which premiers online on July 4, chronicles the band’s journey from pick-up jam sessions to funding-raising concerts for veterans and first responders.

The film is a lot like the real Lt. Dan. Though it features Sinise and the band on tour, as the story progresses they fade into the background. “Lt. Dan” is really about true heroes — fireman who lost their lives on 9/11, fighter-pilots who never came back to their wives and young kids, soldiers who beamed at having their photograph taken with a movie star — who never lived to share that memory.
Starting on the Fourth of July, the film can be seen online at www.ltdanbandmovie.com. Part of the proceeds from the film go to the recently established Gary Sinise Foundation, which will support programs for soldiers, veterans, first responders, and their families.

Hollywood may not be back at war. But at least Lt. Dan is out there soldiering.

James Jay Carafano is Deputy Director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Director, Douglas and Sarah Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation.

by: James Jay Carafano
Deputy Director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
and Director, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies

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So How Cool is Gary Sinise? By: Michael Starr – New York Post

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“CSI: New York” star Gary Sinise will launch The Gary Sinise Foundation on July 4 in conjunction with a documentary about his band, The Lt. Dan Band, which has entertained US military personnel worldwide.

So how cool is Gary Sinise?
The “CSI: New York” star, who’s headlined the CBS series since (believe it or not) 2004 now, is devoting a lot of time and attention to The Gary Sinise Foundation, which officially launches July 4 with the mission to “Serve Our Nation by Honoring Our Defenders, Veterans, First Responders, Their Families and Those in Need.”

As part of that mission, Sinise’s foundation helped raise money to build The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance in KeySpan Park — honoring those who both risked and gave their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks — and helped raise funds for The Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, County, Va., dedicated to the 184 people killed in attack on The Pentagon on Sept. 11.

The launch of Sinise’s foundation will coincide with the release of “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good,” Jonathan Flora’s documentary about Sinise’s band (named after his “Forrest Gump” character), which has entertained military related organizations worldwide (among other groups). Flora’s doc will be released online for 30 days (ltdanbandmovie.com); when someone streams the movie, one out of every four bucks will go to The Gary Sinise Foundation to support its many programs (including relief for wounded warriors, school supplies for children where US troops are deployed and scholarships for veterans).

Sinise, by the way, is also the spokesman for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which broke ground last November in Washington, DC.

* * *
Either I’m getting old(er) now, or I’ve just about had it with cutesy marketing terms (probably a little bit of both), but a new one crossed my desk yesterday: “bookazine.”

Don’t know what that is? Neither did I when the news was sent to me touting an “exclusive ‘MasterChef’ bookazine” in a partnership between Taste of Home magazine and “MasterChef” producers Shine Group and Reveille. Turns out a “bookazine” is “A publication combining elements of books and magazines,” according to Wiktionary. Good to know.

Anyway, the MasterChef bookazine, which is launching the first week of July, will be 147 pages in length and includes over 60 recipes featured on the Fox show and interviews with show judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot. Monday night’s “MasterChef,” by the way, tied ABC’s “The Bachelorette” in the top-rated slot for adults 18-49.

The bookazine (there’s that term again) will retail for $9.99 and will be available at major retailers, grocery stores and Mario Batali’s restaurant Eataly (200 5th Ave.) for two months.

In a related vein, after doing this for many years, and reading plenty of ratings releases, I think I can say with some authority that, in the Publicist-to-English dictionary, the words “fan favorite” translate into “little-watched.”

Trust me on this one.

Last, but not least:
* Chris Dinan, late of CBS News, has joined ABC’s “World News” as a senior producer . . . Thanks, as always, to Chicago-area publicist Linda Shafran (who reps Jerry Springer and TV/radio host Dr. Ian K. Smith, among others). . . “Squidbillies: Volume 4″ (Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim) is out on DVD (10 episodes) . . . Congrats to Grand Communications (Alison Grand), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary . . . Dorothea Donnelly is taking her PR talents to Starz . . . I pulled a wrongo yesterday: Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”) wasn’t sampling the Nitrogen cocktails at the Joseph Abboud Watch Launch the other night at Sunset Tower in LA. Sorry about that, chief.

By: Michael Starr – New York Post

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California filmmaker wins 'Santini' Award – by Patrick Donohue

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A familiar face helped make a California filmmaker and his documentary the big winner of the 5th annual Beaufort International Film Festival on Saturday night.

Jonathan Flora, a Northridge, Calif., filmmaker and producer with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, was honored twice for his documentary,

“Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” during the film festival’s awards gala at the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Performing Arts Center.

The film, which spotlights actor Gary Sinise’s 13-piece Lt. Dan Band and its work with the military, won the festival’s award for best documentary, and earned Flora the inaugural Santini Patriot Spirit Award which was presented by Academy Award Nominee, Tom Berenger.

Named after the title character in Pat Conroy’s novel “The Great Santini,” the award will be given annually to a filmmaker whose work honors American veterans or their families, according to organizers.

Flora honored servicemembers in a pair of short acceptance speeches for both awards.

“(Servicemembers) answer the call in such a valiant way,” Flora said. “They’re America’s sons and daughters, and they come from every walk of life.”

Sinise named his ensemble after the Vietnam vet and double amputee he portrayed in the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” parts of which were filmed in Beaufort the year before.

In a short video message to Flora before he received the Santini award, Sinise said it was appropriate that the filmmaker was being honored in Beaufort.

“You’re there in Beaufort where Lt. Dan was born,” Sinise said in the message. “It’s come full-circle that you’re being honored there tonight with this wonderful award in Beaufort.”

Flora’s documentary was among 204 films entered in this year’s festival, according to organizers.

“This year was the best festival we’ve had,” said Ron Tucker, the festival’s executive director.

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Lt Dan Band: For The Common Good – By: Scott Hopkins

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Given May is National Military Appreciation Month I thought this week would be the perfect time to talk about the most moving and patriotic film I’ve seen this year.

While attending the 2011 Sedona International Film Festival I had the great pleasure of viewing several excellent films but none more inspiring or deeply affecting as director Jonathan Flora’sLt. Dan Band: For the Common Good.

At first blush Flora’s documentary is a simple, nicely structured chronicle of muti-talented actor/ musician Gary Sinise and his gifted band mates on their seemingly never-ending USO tour but, as the film unfolds, it quickly becomes clear this movie is about something much more than just Sinise’s band on the run.

At it’s heart, Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good is about America and our relationship with the brave men and women of our armed forces. It is, in many ways, a celebration and tribute to the best of our best and, to the filmmaker’s great credit, it’s all presented in a completely non-partisan way, honestly and free of bravado or jingoism.

Flora’s documentary provides a rare glimpse at the inner workings of Sinise’s heart-felt commitment to our troops as we follow the actor/ musician and his band to several military bases around the world. The behind-the- scenes look at how a USO tour is put together is as enlightening as it is fun and, with interviews of the soldiers and military personnel interspersed, Flora does an excellent job of showing us the “how” without ever losing sight of the “why”.

Oh, and did I happen to mention- thank’s to Gary and his accomplished collection of musicians- the movie also happens to ROCK?! Seriously, at times, this is one helluva concert flick and really has me hoping I’ll get a chance to see Sinise and his band live at some point. Should the opportunity ever present itself, I can assure you I will!

At a time when it seems there’s a new super hero flick invading our multiplexes every other weekend, Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good shines a welcome spotlight on the true heroes of our very real and often dangerous world. They don’t come from the planet Krypton or Gotham City, but rather Illinois, Ohio, Texas and Arizona. They are our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, cousins and neighbors and they deserve to be remembered and celebrated more often than simply on our designated national holidays.

It should be noted both the director Jonathan Flora and Gary Sinise were awarded the Sedona International Film Festival’s Humanitarian Film Award for Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good. From the audience reaction at the screening I attended, it was an easy and much deserved win for the filmmakers.

So, when do you all get to see it? Well, the big news is, this flick will be available to watch in the comfort and privacy of your own homes beginning on July 4th! By logging ontoLtDanBandMovie.com you’ll be able to stream the movie and one of out of every four dollars will be donated to organizations that support the military and their families such as the USO, Snowball Express, Operation International Children and more. For more information and all the latest news be sure to visit LtDanBandMovie.com!

– By: Scott Hopkins

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Breitbart: Big Hollywood Interview: Director/Producer Jonathan Flora on ‘Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good’

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By: Christian Toto

Actor Gary Sinise didn’t jump at the chance to be the subject of a documentary feature.

The “Forrest Gump” star works relentlessly on behalf of the troops via his rock outfit the Lt. Dan Band, but he’s much less willing to toot his own horn.

Director Jonathan Flora convinced the humble star that a documentary could help spread the word to people and places Sinise would otherwise never get the chance to visit.

Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” hits streaming devices everywhere July 4th. People who want to screen the film can pay a $3.99 fee, with $1 going to The Gary Sinise Foundation which continues his work on the troops’ behalf.

Flora had met Sinise several years ago, but he recalls the first time he saw the actor’s band on stage: “I was on pins and needles,” he recalls, echoing a common fear about actors who pick up a guitar. “You hope they don’t stink.”

Flora quickly learned what soldiers, sailors, and their loved ones have over the past eight years: The Lt. Dan Band rocks.

“They play songs everybody knows. [Audiences] can reflect back and remember where they were when those songs were a hit and forget where they are for a while,” Flora says.

But he didn’t want to make a straightforward rock music documentary.

“We used Gary and the band as a vehicle to introduce viewers to other people who support the military, like the first responders,” says Flora, a veteran himself.

It’s not enough that Sinise gives so much of his free time to the troops. He also travels to places other entertainers wouldn’t, hot spots where real danger lurks.

“Our military, they’re pretty perceptive. They know who’s there for a photo op and who’s got their back,” he says.

Flora recalls accompanying Sinise on a trip to entertain some troops. Sinise met the soldiers, shook hands with them, and posed for snap shots. Two days after Sinise returned home from the trip one of the soldiers who had had his picture taken with the actor was killed by sniper fire in the area where they formerly stood.

“Gary treats the last guy [he meets] just like he treats the first guy. He knows that tomorrow’s not promised for some of these guys,” he says.

Flora says he could have released “Lt. Dan Band” in theaters, but he eventually decided to go the streaming route.

“As a filmmaker you always want to be on the big screen with that perfect Surround Sound,” he says, adding the film will be released on DVD later this month for people whose movie rooms sport top-notch speaker systems.

And, he adds, the movie doesn’t have to live or die by its first weekend grosses.

Flora hopes the film’s investors will be rewarded by the streaming method, and that other filmmakers benefit from its potential success. Streaming doesn’t limit the number of cities the film can be shown in. Even big name documentaries often find themselves restricted to art house venues.

Other films have debuted online before, but Flora can’t think of another documentary like “Lt. Dan Band” which hopes to both entertain and inspire others to action. Should viewers be moved by “For the Common Good,” they can simply surf over to the Sinise Foundation website and make a contribution

“This movie is all about giving back,” he says. “When people watch this movie, something we found in all of our screenings, they’re right away motivated and want to do something.”

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Gary Sinise Documentary Raises Money For U.S. Troops Every Time You Watch It Read – By: Hollie Mckay FOX NEWS

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Gary Sinise played double amputee Vietnam War survivor Lt. Dan in the Oscar-winning drama “Forest Gump.” Eight years ago he formed a band of the same name, a band that has supported and performed for U.S. armed forces all over the world.

On July 4th, Sinise’s love of music and country can be seen in the new film “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,” a documentary celebrating America’s heroes and chronicling the Academy Award-nominated actor’s band of patriots.

“I’m on the advisory board for the G.I. Film Festival in Washington, D.C . Five years ago we gave Gary our Spirit Award. That’s when he and I first started up a friendship,” the film’s director/producer, Jonathan Flora, told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “He found out I was a veteran of the 82nd airborne, and I started finding out about the things he does to support our troops. Of course I had no idea whatsoever, because he doesn’t do it for accolades or for self-promotion. I just remember being so inspired by his example of giving back that I wanted to share that inspiration.”
“Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good” is being promoted with a unique, cause-driven marketing scheme designed to directly benefit the troops, and enable anyone and everyone to watch the film.

“The heart of this movie is really giving back to those who are willing to lay down their lives for this nation. Even the act of streaming the movie [which costs $3.99]. One out of every four dollars is going back to the Gary Sinise Foundation, so that he can continue doing what he’s doing,” Flora said, adding that Sinise’s foundation honors our nation’s defenders through an array of programs and projects, in addition to supporting several charities including the USO, Operation International Children and Snowball Express.

And Sinise isn’t the only Hollywood face in the film. Academy Award winners Jon Voight and Robert Duvall, actress Raquel Welch, singer Connie Stevens, and others have supporting roles in the film.

“It’s really our men and women that are the stars of this movie. We’re taking that spotlight of celebrity that society will put on someone like Gary and turning it over and putting it on our men and women in uniform, whether they’re military or first responders, or family,” Flora said. “This isn’t a praise piece about Gary. This is following Gary and the band, using them as a vehicle to meet the men and women in uniform.”
The filmmakers behind “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good” also made it their mission to capture as many different branches of service as possible, and as many different environments.

“We were at a boot camp for the Navy and Army, we were at Great Lakes Naval training facility, and I got to go to Fort Leonard Wood, where there is all the basic training going on,” Flora said. “And we went to Iraq and Kuwait. In Iraq, Gary didn’t want to go in a big group. He said, ‘I want to go out to some FOBs,’ forward operating bases, where they just simply don’t get visitors. For a lot of the trip, it was just four of us, going around to these places and often Gary did hear that he was the first celebrity guy to come out there and just visit. Our men and women, their B.S. meters are finely, finely tuned. They know who’s there for a photo op and they know who has their back.”

Flora hopes the film touches the hearts of all Americans, and shows our servicemen and women that their sacrifices haven’t been overlooked.
“Not only have we not forgotten them, but we’re saluting them and we have their back,” Flora said. “You’re laughing, you’re crying, you’re clapping. More importantly, you’re motivated to want to go and do something. The more people that do something, the more people that will benefit.”

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Interview: Director riffs on Lt. Dan Band documentary – FOX NEWS

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Some people crave the spotlight with the things they do in life, while others tend to avoid it. Gary Sinise is the latter in this case, but Jonathan Flora passionately felt Sinise deserved a token of recognition for his tremendous act of patriotism. After viewing “Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,” one couldn’t agree more.

Now the first name you probably recognize. Sinise is an accomplished actor who was nominated for an Oscar thanks to his combustible, yet endearing, performance as Lt. Dan in “Forrest Gump.” He’s won an Emmy, Golden Globe, and is constantly lauded for many of his efforts in the film & television. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment though, is what he started doing ten years ago with his touring cover band, as they venture all over the world performing for out brave men and women, who train and fight for our precious freedom. And strangely, only a portion of the country is aware of it.

Enter in Jonathan Flora. Flora is currently a producer for Walt Disney Studio’s home entertainment department. Any time one sees promotion for a live-action Disney Blu-ray or DVD product, Flora is the man running the show. The guy has also won his share of accolades with his creative marketing work on trailers, TV, and radio spots for the studio. He was once the Director of Marketing for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he began dabbling in filmmaking while producing television spots and vignettes. Now, he and his wife Deborah have created Lamplight Entertainment. Even with his impressive resume, Flora is most proud of one thing in particular…

“Within the entertainment business, people aren’t necessarily going to know who I am. But, I’m a veteran and I like to hang my name on that” says the former sergeant of the 82nd Airborne Division.

With all that said, Jonathan…readers; readers…Jonathan. And here’s why I’m yapping with him…

Flora is the director of the Lt. Dan Band documentary, which will be releasing appropriately on July 4th. However, it will not be a traditional release. Lamplight Entertainment decided to forgo dealing with typical studio distribution. Therefore, they developed a streaming option via the official web site, so anyone with an internet connection can pull up and be a part of this special film. Ironically, they’re executing a style that many bands are doing today with their respective albums – release it on your own and control your own destiny – to reach the maximum amount of people. Flora elaborates a bit more on why he chose this approach, even though they did have talks with distributors about a possible theatrical release plan…

“This isn’t like Transformers as you know. This is a documentary and we didn’t want to get limited (literally) to a theatrical release in a handful of cities.”

His main reason for this strategy is a noble one; for every $1 out of the $4 it costs to view the feature, goes back to the Gary Sinise Foundation. Enabling Sinise to continue what he’s doing to support the USO and other institutions such as Operation International Children and Snowball Express. Plus, the troops overseas want to see it!

“We know exactly who our target audience is and we want to be sure this reaches them.”

“At the end of day, accolades are nice, but we want the consumers to see it, we want them to like it. We found from all the screenings that we’ve done is that people are motivated to want to do something. And we’re not going to stir up that emotion and not have somewhere to send them. And so for a movie like this, the more we can keep that emotion going, the more people are going to do something.”

Anyone wondering how a guy like Flora and Gary Sinise came together?

“I met him at a film festival a few years ago and then met him a few months later at the G.I. film festival, where I’m on the advisory board. I felt so inspired about what he’s doing; I wanted to share that inspiration.”

It’s that simple folks (it’s not like Jonathan and I were doing an Inside the Actor’s Studio thing). Flora has been going all over the country – on his own vacation time – promoting this 4th of July release. And since both our names end in a vowel (chatty Italians), we were mindful in trying not to babble so we can get to all the topics yours truly wanted to cover.

The most recent above quote though is the feeling he hopes others will receive after seeing this documentary, because it urges people to want to help in a variety of ways. Flora talked about the special screenings he has started doing with this film and the reactions he’s been personally seeing via emails and face-to-face. One particular email stated that after watching Lt. Dan Band, a father, who was with his 5 year-old son, went up just to shake a soldier’s hand. The father reflected how proud he was to have his son see his act of graciousness.

Flora told a quick tale on how they had a private screening with Basketball Hall of Famer Pat Riley, President of the Miami Heat. Flora revealed that as soon as the doc ended, Riley turned to him and said he “felt so inadequate.” Flora thoughts based on that situation…

“You know, no matter how much you might be doing already; no matter how much you have whether its notoriety, money or celebrity status, you can always do more.”

From there the focus shifted to the physical filmmaking aspects of the documentary. Being his first doc, what challenges did Flora have transitioning from a structured script to a raw, uninhabited production? Was he in over-his-head at times? At this point, I bit my lip and just let the guy roll on with his experience. Which is coincidently a practice he had to implement on himself multiple times during this project…

“You start rolling the cameras and then real-life takes over. People start talking and bring in their experiences and their emotions. And it’s like, WOW, there is all these incredible, incredible stories being told. And I shot hundreds of hours of footage; and to edit that down to 90 minutes was one of the most painful things I ever had to do. My editor (Jeffrey Doe) and I, we could be sitting there watching an interview, where we’re either laughing or crying, but the story could have taken an exit ramp and gone way over here in different directions.”

Basically, there are so many avenues Flora could have drove down with all the footage he amassed that it becomes a heavy responsibility on how he handles each segment. He never felt in over-his-head per se, but…

“It was pretty overwhelming on making decisions on whose story is told and whose makes the bonus DVD features.”

One segment, in what became the last shot of the doc, is a heavy, emotional question to Gary Sinise while they’re on their way to another gig. This both tested Flora’s guile as a filmmaker and a human being…

“You know I really like your questions, because you’re getting into the filmmaking aspects of it.” (Well thanks my man, you’re a cool cat as well)…

“I didn’t want to make a movie with a bunch of ‘thank yous’ to Gary. I wanted to present things to Gary that I knew meant the world to him.”

This said last question revolves around how a widow of a fallen solider, who Sinise met a few times over the years, thought of the actor. His reaction, coupled the bravery of how the shot was executed, is extremely powerful to behold…

“He went speechless even longer than what I kept the camera on him for the final cut of the film. Gary felt undeserving hearing certain praise.”

Joe: How were you able to maintain your composure and not chime in during this seemingly awkward moment?

Flora: You’re responsible for where you take them emotionally. And I knew that I had taken Gary where he was very moved and touched by it. And it took everything I had to not help bail him out. You want to crack a joke or say another line. I’m just very proud I kept my mouth shut and just let that emotion ride out with him.

And with that, we fade to black.

But there’s always extra footage in the credits folks. With that said, here’s this articles version of footage…

Jonathan and Deborah Flora’s purpose of Lamplight Entertainment is to celebrate the hero, not the anti-hero. They strive to produce movies that are inspirational and entertaining; encompassing characters that we care about; and want to follow on their journey.

WATCH LT. DAN BAND: FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Interview by Joe Belcastro

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