Bully – The Movie films in Long Branch

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr
Long Branch — Machete, the fictional character featured in the four Spy Kids movies, the Grindhouse “fake” trailer, Machete, and Machete Kills, could be seen walking the streets of Long Branch. Danny Trejo, the Mexican-American actor who plays Machete was in the city last week to film a new movie.

Long Branch High School senior John Japiassu and film star Danny Trejo on the set of Bully. Japiassu landed the role as an extra in the movie.

Owner and chief boxing instructor at Gleason’s Gym in Long Branch, Jackie Atkins, pictured at the production table with Joe Campanelli, the writer and producer of Bully.

Trejo has also played key roles in Heat, Con Air, Desperado, and From Dusk to Dawn, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Marked for Death to name a few movies. On television, the X-Files, Desperate Housewives, Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy are just a few of his TV appearances.

Trejo is one of the co-stars of a film called Bully, which also features Tucker Albrizzi, a Disney child star, Ron Canada, who has a tremendous TV resume which includes hit series Star Trek the Next Generation, Spencer for Hire, Cheers, LA Law, Babylon 5, Murphy Brown, Elementary, Blue Bloods, The Closer, The Mentalist, and currently Madam Secretary. Vincent Pastore is best known as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on the HBO hit series The Sopranos.

Bully was written by New Jersey native Joe Campanelli. “It’s about Jimmy, a quiet, heavy set high school student who is constantly tormented by the resident school bully. Tucker is an amazing young actor who plays Jimmy,” said Campanelli.

The plot outline has Jimmy getting bullied one afternoon on his way home from school and happens to meet a former professional boxer named “Action” Jackson, played by Canada. Jimmy decides that he wants to learn how to box and defend himself. So Jackson takes him to a gym where Danny Trejo plays Manny, the boxing coach, who will help change Jimmy’s life.

Digital Thunderdome is the studio making the film. Scott Hansen, CEO of Digital Thunderdome, was excited to be in Long Branch and a part of this production. “Joe is an amazing writer and producer. And his son, Santino ‘Noir’ Campanelli is a very talented young director,” said Hansen.

So why were in they in Long Branch? They were using Gleason’s Jersey Shore Boxing Gym on Pearl Street as the fictional Manny’s Gym for the movie. “I want to keep all my movies in New Jersey and we were looking for an urban look and feel,” said Campanelli.

Jackie Atkins, owner and chief instructor at Gleason’s was excited that her gym was selected. “My gym meets all their qualifications. After meeting with Joe, we realized not only did the gym location meet his needs but the program we run, NJ Give a Kid a Dream, has impacted the lives of kids who experience bullying,” said Atkins. She added that Campanelli called it “divine intervention”.

One of the extras picked to be in the film was 17-year-old Long Branch High School senior John Japiassu. “I’ve been training here at Gleason’s for a few months and very excited to be a part of this movie,” said Japiassu.
One afternoon on the set while the production crews were getting ready to film a scene, Japiassu was working out on a heavy bag when Trejo walked over and gave him a few pointers. Trejo has a real background in boxing and told The LINK about his early start in the movies as a result of that history.

He has spent a total of 11 years in prison, and said that his last time in jail was a five-year sentence at San Quentin Prison. While serving that term, he became the prison’s lightweight and welterweight champions.
“When I left prison in 1972 I vowed never to return to that life and to become a youth drug counselor,” said Trejo.

One afternoon he received a call from someone who was struggling with a cocaine addiction. The caller gave Trejo an address which happened to be a warehouse and the movie Runaway Train was being filmed. The man with the cocaine problem was working on the set.

While on the movie set, Trejo was offered a job as an extra playing a convict in the prison scenes, and the writer Edward Bunker, who himself had served time in San Quentin, recognized Trejo and remembered his boxing skills.
He was offered $320 a day to train Eric Roberts.

Director Andrei Konchalovsky liked Trejo and offered him a small role, the start of his film career. That was in 1985, and Trejo is proud to say that he has been drug free for nearly 50 years.

“I expect the film to be released in six to nine months. I can’t thank the people of Long Branch and Jackie (enough) for the hospitality and friendship,” said Campanelli.
The film crew also shot a few scenes on Wharburton Place and Seventh Avenue in Long Branch .

Photo: 15-49 Danny 1

He is one of the co-stars of a film called Bully