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Blue Hill Avenue, Cahoots Movie Scam/Mike Erwin, Max Kirishima, Rand Chortkoff, Mark Holdom, Sam Braslau Years later, scammers still profiting from movie investment fraud Jacksonville, OR/Los Angeles, California
This is taken from my blog posting at http://bluehillave-cahootsscam.blogspot.com
Please feel free to add your comments there as well as post your experiences with these individuals here at Rip-Off Report.
You read about scandals and schemes almost every day in this country, where people are deceived into believing they will realize huge returns on their investment only to learn that their deepest desires and hopes of finally hitting it big have been betrayed by unscrupulous, greedy dogs who would stop at virtually nothing to fleece the public, sometimes specifically targeting the most vulnerable in society - the elderly and disabled.
Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima are two despicable individuals whose behavior was/is disgustingly predatory. They used others to do their dirty work for them in contacting and collecting the five million they raised for the movie Blue Hill Avenue, while deceptively giving the impression of being available to the investors to voice concerns and being there for them. Rand Chortkoff was the primary individual who headed up the venture capital thugs to siphon the victims' money. He was given the title of "producer" as well as his minions who would do cold calling and use high pressure sales tactics to sell "units" in their movies. They would sometimes call a second time to solicit more funds by indicating that they needed it to "seal the deal" with Artisan films, or whatever their fabricated story was at the time. A witness to these calls stated that the minions would laugh upon hanging up and chide each other that they should have gotten even more out of the
victims - many of whom were the elderly and disabled.
The movie, Blue Hill Avenue, cost approximately one million to make. It had a very short release in theaters, I believe, to stifle the profits intentionally to the investors. It did win several independent film awards. Instead, it was simply easier to tell the investors the movie did not make any money and then simply pocket the four million that was raised. (Ever seen the movie, "The Producers?") The movie has been available to rent and is for sale on the Internet as well as having been
shown on various cable TV stations from time to time. In addition, Mark Holdom, another "producer" is currently residing in Rome, Italy; and when I spoke to him about a year or so ago by phone in Rome, he indicated that he became involved in marketing efforts for Blue Hill Avenue, etc., as a result of his conversations with his neighbor at the time, Rand Chortkoff, in Los Angeles. His job was to sell Blue Hill Avenue, as well as other films produced by Erwin and Kirishima, in Europe, thus bypassing the investors yet again.
So, as we speak, the movie, Blue Hill Avenue, is producing income, only not for the investors. As part of my mission in creating this blog, I/we intend to post any and all information as to profits that may be generated from Blue Hill Avenue on an ongoing basis.
I invite everyone who has had an experience with any or all of these individuals to post their story, even if it involved one of their other movies such as Anacardium, etc. This is an open forum for investors or others who were victims or who may have worked with these individuals and suddenly realized they were crooks, etc. The full story must be told. These individuals are no less guilty than a figure such as Bernie Madoff, and they need to be exposed.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Bette
Minneapolis,Minnesota,
Michael B. Erwin - Address Change
#5Author of original report
Sun, March 16, 2014
Note that there is an address change for Michael B. Erwin as
noted in the address box associated with my reports.
Jay
United States of AmericaYou're Nuts!
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, December 12, 2012
Whoever you are, you are nuts!!! Really nuts!!! You write the same things over and over again, but you never seem to move forward.
Bette
Minneapolis,Minnesota,
USA
To Agitator Minion, Jay
#5Author of original report
Thu, November 01, 2012
I'm sure you're probably associated with at least one if not all of the individuals responsible for ripping off hundreds of people with their movie scam involving the production of multiple films designed merely to extricate money from vulnerable victims, some of whom were very savvy investors by the way,
Mr. Jay. Who are you to judge this situation? What they did was a CRIME and they should all have been charged and penalized for their actions as many others have been who were/are involved in this type of movie scheme. My experience will always remain visible to the public in order to warn them not to get involved with any of these individuals for any reason and also to help ensure that these individuals will never be able to commit the same type of crime again due to their exposure. So, why don't you crawl back under your rock and keep your nose out of other people's business. You don't know the HALF of this tragic story.
Jay
United States of AmericaTime To Let This Go...
#5Consumer Suggestion
Thu, November 01, 2012
After reading your complaint, I felt compelled to way in on your situation. I did a search and it looks like that Blue Hill Boulevard movie was made over 10 years ago. To b*tch for as long as you have about losing money in a movie shows that you are a poor person in mind and money. You don't understand about money and if you did you never would have invested in a movie in the first place. Risk comes with business and risk comes with investing and the more prudent an investor is, the better is an investor's chances of success.
You were a fool to invest in an independent movie. The blame should rest squarely on you so that you can let this go and move on and hold on to your money next time instead of wasting it. But, since you don't have any money and don't know how to make money, you are lamenting the little money you once had. Stop b*tching and grow up! Use your energy in more constructive ways and means like coming up with your own product and service which you can sell and make money from. But first, you will have to find investors.