Complaint Review: Inspired Films - Jacksonville Oregon

I am also an 'investor' (sucker) in the Cahoots movie. It has been several years since I have received any reporting whatsoever and obviously no return of capital. I would like to write this off for tax purposes as a complete loss. The general partners have obviously shelved this movie and I certainly don't expect to see any profits let alone the return of my investment (about $64,000). If they had been actively marketing it, there would have at least been some losses to pass on via K-1s. I don't know about the rest of the investors, but when I requested information, the people with the information had conveniently died (my account rep and the main accountant). Has anyone else just written off the investment and has the IRS accepted it at face value considering the GPs don't do what they are supposed to? It will be 10 years this fall since I invested. I'd appreciate anyone else's experience. Thanks, Susan (((ROR redacted))) CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

If you go to www.reelmagicproductions.com, you will note that the bios of Rudy Ruettiger as well as Mike Erwin and Sam Baldoni have been removed, in addition to a couple of other individuals previously profiled as associates in the Reel Magic Productions film company. There is only one individuals profile remaining, Wm. Alan Pezzuto, President. Also, the site, www.inspiredfilms.net, is now completely down and is totally inaccessible. Interestingly, I have run across a site which featured an interview with Mark Holdom, one of the producers of Blue Hill Avenue (go to http://www.blackfilm.com/20031128/features/markholdom.shtml). He provides quite a bit of information on the production background of BHA. Since the interview took place prior to the main distribution of the movie, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions as to the full profit realized from BHA, although he speculates on various potential avenues of revenue. I have attempted to contact Mark Holdom through the website above mentioned to inquire as to the eventual marketing and distribution results; however, he has not responded. Isnt that interesting. Most probably hes concerned about implicating himself should he reveal the truth. My suggestion would be to anyone reading this who has an interest in the profitability of BHA that they, too, e-mail Mark Holdom at the following website address and inundate him with very valid questions: www.zoominfo.com/people/Holdom_Mark_804209288.aspx. I understand that Erwin refers to me as the Lunatic Lady in Minnesota, and has indicated that she will be dealt with. He has indicated that they are gathering their paperwork to sue me for harassment. I think thats very funny. They steal my money from me and then sue me for revealing the truth about them. Obviously, any such lawsuit would be entirely counterproductive for them as it would merely provide me with the perfect platform to present my enormous body of evidence against them, not to mention the negative media publicity which would no doubt doom their filmmaking careers. In addition, since they have stolen all of my money from me, there would be no monetary benefit in suing me; and upon my countersuing them, they could very well be stuck with a very large judgment. They would be much farther ahead by merely providing me with the remuneration they owe me and happily send me on my way.

If you go to www.reelmagicproductions.com, you will note that the bios of Rudy Ruettiger as well as Mike Erwin and Sam Baldoni have been removed, in addition to a couple of other individuals previously profiled as associates in the Reel Magic Productions film company. There is only one individuals profile remaining, Wm. Alan Pezzuto, President. Also, the site, www.inspiredfilms.net, is now completely down and is totally inaccessible. Interestingly, I have run across a site which featured an interview with Mark Holdom, one of the producers of Blue Hill Avenue (go to http://www.blackfilm.com/20031128/features/markholdom.shtml). He provides quite a bit of information on the production background of BHA. Since the interview took place prior to the main distribution of the movie, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions as to the full profit realized from BHA, although he speculates on various potential avenues of revenue. I have attempted to contact Mark Holdom through the website above mentioned to inquire as to the eventual marketing and distribution results; however, he has not responded. Isnt that interesting. Most probably hes concerned about implicating himself should he reveal the truth. My suggestion would be to anyone reading this who has an interest in the profitability of BHA that they, too, e-mail Mark Holdom at the following website address and inundate him with very valid questions: www.zoominfo.com/people/Holdom_Mark_804209288.aspx. I understand that Erwin refers to me as the Lunatic Lady in Minnesota, and has indicated that she will be dealt with. He has indicated that they are gathering their paperwork to sue me for harassment. I think thats very funny. They steal my money from me and then sue me for revealing the truth about them. Obviously, any such lawsuit would be entirely counterproductive for them as it would merely provide me with the perfect platform to present my enormous body of evidence against them, not to mention the negative media publicity which would no doubt doom their filmmaking careers. In addition, since they have stolen all of my money from me, there would be no monetary benefit in suing me; and upon my countersuing them, they could very well be stuck with a very large judgment. They would be much farther ahead by merely providing me with the remuneration they owe me and happily send me on my way.

If you go to www.reelmagicproductions.com, you will note that the bios of Rudy Ruettiger as well as Mike Erwin and Sam Baldoni have been removed, in addition to a couple of other individuals previously profiled as associates in the Reel Magic Productions film company. There is only one individuals profile remaining, Wm. Alan Pezzuto, President. Also, the site, www.inspiredfilms.net, is now completely down and is totally inaccessible. Interestingly, I have run across a site which featured an interview with Mark Holdom, one of the producers of Blue Hill Avenue (go to http://www.blackfilm.com/20031128/features/markholdom.shtml). He provides quite a bit of information on the production background of BHA. Since the interview took place prior to the main distribution of the movie, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions as to the full profit realized from BHA, although he speculates on various potential avenues of revenue. I have attempted to contact Mark Holdom through the website above mentioned to inquire as to the eventual marketing and distribution results; however, he has not responded. Isnt that interesting. Most probably hes concerned about implicating himself should he reveal the truth. My suggestion would be to anyone reading this who has an interest in the profitability of BHA that they, too, e-mail Mark Holdom at the following website address and inundate him with very valid questions: www.zoominfo.com/people/Holdom_Mark_804209288.aspx. I understand that Erwin refers to me as the Lunatic Lady in Minnesota, and has indicated that she will be dealt with. He has indicated that they are gathering their paperwork to sue me for harassment. I think thats very funny. They steal my money from me and then sue me for revealing the truth about them. Obviously, any such lawsuit would be entirely counterproductive for them as it would merely provide me with the perfect platform to present my enormous body of evidence against them, not to mention the negative media publicity which would no doubt doom their filmmaking careers. In addition, since they have stolen all of my money from me, there would be no monetary benefit in suing me; and upon my countersuing them, they could very well be stuck with a very large judgment. They would be much farther ahead by merely providing me with the remuneration they owe me and happily send me on my way.

If you go to www.reelmagicproductions.com, you will note that the bios of Rudy Ruettiger as well as Mike Erwin and Sam Baldoni have been removed, in addition to a couple of other individuals previously profiled as associates in the Reel Magic Productions film company. There is only one individuals profile remaining, Wm. Alan Pezzuto, President. Also, the site, www.inspiredfilms.net, is now completely down and is totally inaccessible. Interestingly, I have run across a site which featured an interview with Mark Holdom, one of the producers of Blue Hill Avenue (go to http://www.blackfilm.com/20031128/features/markholdom.shtml). He provides quite a bit of information on the production background of BHA. Since the interview took place prior to the main distribution of the movie, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions as to the full profit realized from BHA, although he speculates on various potential avenues of revenue. I have attempted to contact Mark Holdom through the website above mentioned to inquire as to the eventual marketing and distribution results; however, he has not responded. Isnt that interesting. Most probably hes concerned about implicating himself should he reveal the truth. My suggestion would be to anyone reading this who has an interest in the profitability of BHA that they, too, e-mail Mark Holdom at the following website address and inundate him with very valid questions: www.zoominfo.com/people/Holdom_Mark_804209288.aspx. I understand that Erwin refers to me as the Lunatic Lady in Minnesota, and has indicated that she will be dealt with. He has indicated that they are gathering their paperwork to sue me for harassment. I think thats very funny. They steal my money from me and then sue me for revealing the truth about them. Obviously, any such lawsuit would be entirely counterproductive for them as it would merely provide me with the perfect platform to present my enormous body of evidence against them, not to mention the negative media publicity which would no doubt doom their filmmaking careers. In addition, since they have stolen all of my money from me, there would be no monetary benefit in suing me; and upon my countersuing them, they could very well be stuck with a very large judgment. They would be much farther ahead by merely providing me with the remuneration they owe me and happily send me on my way.

UPDATE: 4/22/08 - The name of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is listed as one associated with Erwin & Baldoni, etc., at the Reel Magic Productions website (www.reelmagicproductions.com) Reel Magic Productions was a recent film production venture Erwin and Baldoni attempted to get off the ground based in Las Vegas, NV. As background, a feature length movie was made based on the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger entitled "Rudy." When I saw Rudy's bio at the website, I wrote to him to inform him of my experiences with Mike Erwin and the information shared with me by others concerning Sam Baldoni. I then had the privilege of speaking with Rudy when he called me and advised that he briefly met Erwin a few years ago but never has he engaged in business dealings with him. He was very surprised to learn that his bio was listed at the Reel Magic Productions website. I also advised that his picture and bio are at the Inspired Films site under Meet our Team and then Meet our Associates. The website can still be accessed even though it states it is offline if you go to: http://www.inspiredfilms.net/inspired_films_008.htm. Obviously, Erwin and Baldoni intended to use Rudy's stellar image as a draw for investors both in Inspired Films and Reel Magic Productions. Rudy is in the process of having his personal information removed from both sites.

UPDATE: 1/1/08 - Michael "Mike" Erwin and Sam Baldoni (Inspired Films) are now affiliated with a Las Vegas film production company called Reel Magic Productions - http://reelmagicproductions.com/1.html. Note at that site that Erwin talks up Blue Hill Avenue and Cahoots (both of which I invested in) and mentions the various awards they won; yet, they didn't make a dime's worth of profit - yeah, right, Mike. (Note that Cahoots was distributed to foreign markets - what a great additional scheme to pocket money with no accountability to the investors.) Also, be advised that Erwin IS NOT a member of the Producers Guild of America contrary to his claims at that site. His affiliation with the Directors Guild of America is being investigated. The fact that Erwin and Baldoni have associated themselves with Reel Magic Productions has naturally led me to speculate about that company. Their intent as stated to produce low to mid budget movies was the same concept as that of Erwin, et al (birds of a feather), aka Cahoots, Blue Hill Avenue Partnership, Inspired Films, etc. Erwin, et al proceeded to raise enormous amounts of money from investors, beyond what they needed to make the films (unbeknownst to the investors), made the movies for a relatively small amount of money, pocketed the excess investment money and made a profit besides by selling them off here and there without advising the investors of the details of the sales, including to foreign countries, informing the investors that the films didn't make a dime. It goes without saying that if you or anyone you know is contacted by Reel Magic Productions to invest in their film projects, I would strongly discourage it. I would, however, encourage anyone who has lost money due to, has any knowledge of their current questionable activities and/or has had a negative experience with Mike Erwin and/or Sam Baldoni to contact the Board of Directors of Reel Magic Productions to relay their information. Here is the contact information for Reel Magic Productions: Director - Michael A. Pass, 720 Magnolia Avenue, Unit C-5, Corona, CA 92879; President/Treasurer: William A. Pezzuto, 4754 East Flamingo Road, #777, Las Vegas, NV 89121; Secretary: Stephen J. Sallus, 4754 East Flamingo Road, #777, Las Vegas, NV 89121. The phone number for the Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV address is: (702) 496-3456.

Invitation!!! Any additional persons who have been scandalized by and who have information relative to their experiences with Mike Erwin, Max Kirishima, Sam Baldoni, Howard Harris and/or Inspired Films, please come forward at this time. You will have the opportunity of being interviewed and your story included in a documentary which is being created featuring the unlawful, unethical, immoral business activities of these individuals and the devastation it has created in the lives of those they have adversely affected. If you have been involved with them in any way relative to their real estate/land development opportunity, film investment/production, China business deal, etc., regardless of how recently or long ago the fraud took place, please contact me at this time by requesting my e-mail address through this site. This will be a project to educate the general public on the disastrous consequences of investing money in fraudulent schemes. The film will be shown across the nation at various film festivals and will be available for distribution to get the word out about the devious, unscrupulous activities of the above individuals as well as to enlighten people about other potentially devastating investment scams out there. This will be a great opportunity for any and all to relay their experiences in full detail to reveal the vast extent of destructive effects that the activities of the above named perpetrators have inflicted upon the public.

Accurate information has revealed the latest scandal in which Mike Erwin, Sam Baldoni and Max Kirishima, aka Latte Da Productions, aka Inspired Films, have been involved. It only serves as further proof of their despicable, degenerate and depraved natures and manner of doing business. They have no morals, no ethics and no conscience. These individuals were involved in committing forgery in the production of an illegal documentary relative to the inspiring story of an acclaimed athlete. They then exploited the film for purposes of raising funds for their own unlawful financial gain. Fortunately, their illegal activity was discovered and they were forced to face their accusers. Should anyone (news, entertainment media, fellow victims, general public, etc.) desire more information relative to this latest criminal revelation, please contact the Rip-Off site administrator in order to get in touch with me. Thank you. Bette

Have you thought about posting this on the IMDB: internet movie database website?

Correction: The next scheduled airing of Blue Hill Avenue on the BET cable channel is January 5, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. (CST).

Addendum to Corporate Corruptness Reigns: The last sentence of my previous report should read as follows: This fight for justice will NEVER end until I am fully compensated for the funds which were stolen from me by these degenerate rip-off artists. NOTE also that the latest airing of Blue Hill Avenue is scheduled for January 5, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. (CST) on the BET cable channel.

After a brief period of non-airing of the movie Blue Hill Avenue (since October, 2006), it looks like greed has reared its ugly head once again and the corrupt execs have decided to cash in on profits wrongly diverted from the scammed investors in Blue Hill Avenue. I would encourage everyone to write and/or call the money hungry execs who care more about their pocketbooks than sustaining a higher moral standard and doing the "right thing" by themselves refusing to air this film due to the fraud and scandal associated with it perpetrated by Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima, its "producers." This whole project is filled with the stench of greed and avarice with not a thought given to those who lost all the financial resources they had due to the lies and deceit committed by them and their phony "staff." Please write to the collaborating parties of Lionsgate Films and BET cable television to register your utter disgust and profane dissatisfaction at their own lack of moral turpitude and lack of attempt to uphold any kind of decent ethical standard in the movie industry. They should be ashamed of themselves and realize that such conduct will come back on them in very unpleasant ways. Please contact: CEO BET Entertainment 1900 W. Place, NE Washington, DC 20018 B. James Gladstone Exec. VP, Business & Legal Affairs Lionsgate 2700 Colorado Avenue Suite 200 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Let's flood their mail with loud protests and a massive display of disapproval for their obvious lack of moral character and sense of decency not to mention their co-collaboration in the ongoing exploitation of the investors who were totally fleeced in the production of this film. Thank you for your support. This fight for justice will NEVER

Blue Hill Avenue is to be aired once again on the BET cable channel on Sunday, October 15, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. CST. Imagine if you will the exposure this movie has had just within the last few months and the additional movie rentals and sales that the movie's airing has generated. Erwin, Kirishima and Harris claim there was no profit made on this movie which is a blatant lie. Their deception and deceit are twofold in that they not only claim the movie was unprofitable for those whose money actually did fund the movie, but the additional extravagant amount of money they took in above and beyond what was needed was pocketed, or stolen, and attempts were made to launder it by investing it in various ventures to achieve additional potential gain. The activities of these greedy, pilfering thieves is obviously criminal and they are guilty of breaking a multitude of laws. Please contact BET cable channel and Lions Gate Films, the distributor of Blue Hill Avenue, (see web sites) and the perpetrators of the crimes committed, Michael Erwin and J. Max Kirishima, at Inspired Films, 750 E. California Street, Jacksonville, Oregon 97530, as well as Howard Harris, Waterman & Harris, 12304 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046, their attorney, to express your outrage at their purposefully engaging in illegal acts in order to unjustly profit from the victimization of not only the actual investors in the film, Blue Hill Avenue, but also those who thought they were investing in the film but whose money instead was kept and used for other purposes, or the misappropriation of funds. They have committed major crime. This is a black and white case, there is nothing gray or vague about it and they will be made to pay for their unconscionable acts and misdeeds. Bette

The testimony just recently presented by Mark of Los Angeles further confirms the corrupt activities and evil intent of Mike Erwin, Jun Max Kirishima and their attorney, Howard Harris. It is apparent by their repeated acts of fraud that their misdeeds are intentional. They have no conscience and no morals when attempting to make a buck. They use and abuse with impunity and have no regard whatsoever for their victims while they live very comfortable lives at the expense of others whose lives they've ruined. They are no less than criminals and should be prosecuted and punished as such. As a further update on the continued airing of Blue Hill Avenue, please note that it was again shown on Monday, September 17, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. on the BET cable channel. Bette

Bette, I have followed your posts and have taken great deliberation in my choice to come forward here for a long time, for reasons I will detail below, and please excuse the long post, but there is alot to tell! Therefore it is now the time for another big piece of the truth to come out about Max Kirishima, Mike Erwin and Cahoots Productions, Bluehill and their attorney Howard Harris, etc. and - I have much of the inside information you have been searching for these past years as I became involved in this whole situation, but from a different vantage point as you will see. As I will help you, likewise you have helped me to understand in greater detail the larger picture so I thank you for all your vigilant detective work thus far. What I know to have likely happened to your money and that of many others is the following: Mike and Max hooked up with Rand and his investment solicitation crew in the late 90's or 2000, and they began bringing in the investment money for their films by soliciting investors such as yourself, most likely at first with legitimate intentions. Suddenly though so much money came in that they had more than enough to make those movies, and then they had to do something with all that extra cash pouring in the door, and it was certainly pouring in. Their phone and mail solicitation crew were taking deep commissions on those investments, and they weren't going to just stop calling people to solicit investments just because Max and Mike had acquired enough money to make their existing films. In the end greed certainly got the best of them. So since Max and Mike couldn't simply go out and buy a house or a boat with that surplus of money as that would be too easy an asset to locate/find and such a direct diversion/conversion of your funds, they needed to put it somewhere to launder it; to divert it and convert it so it could come back to them in some manner that wasn't directly from you or their other investors, and in a manner that also didn't look like movie profits that they would have to pay back to their investors. So they went and sought some investments that looked somewhat promising to go and dump the money into, not into big public companies on the NYSE of course; as again that would generate publicly accessible paperwork, but instead into local startup business in the Los Angles area, hoping that when those investments paid off and/or those ventures turned a profit or a dividend, that the money would come back to them nice and clean, and in an amount possibly far and above the amount they invested'; an even potentially sweeter deal than having just stuck the diverted money right in their pocket. One of those specific investments was my startup tech business that Max and Mike seemed so eager to invest in after just 2 weeks of having met me when I was looking for investors in Los Angeles in early 2001. But a few things happened they didn't count on: The cease and desists by numerous state governments hampering their continued solicitation of funding from people like yourself (and therefore conversion of funds over to businesses like mine), and of course the big dot-com implosion that dried up a lot of venture capital in general. Henceforth my tech business venture that was funded partially by Max, Mike, and Cahoots imploded along with many other tech companies at the time [yes my business venture had absolutely nothing to do with film making], and then the last thing that happened of course: you Bette and this website. What's sad is that at the time in 2001 when I met them, I thought Max and Mike were so great. It was like winning the lottery. I thought I had found people that believed in me and my business visions and were prepared to fund them to the full extent, and that they were just wealthy Hollywood producers looking to expand their holdings into something beyond movies. It's obvious now they were far far away from that and they were more like swindlers looking for a place to stash extra loot. Also it has now become apparent over time that they had no personal financial ability to provide my company the funding they promised and make good their promises outside of their skimming cash from their various film projects and diverting/converting it over. I can't even count the times their scheduled investment' payments were late, because they said at the time they were waiting for more profits from their movies to come in which of course means now waiting for more investment money from [Bette and whomever else got suckered in]. Some of their checks even bounced! (Losers.) You see they couldn't have spent the full sum of money they duped investors like yourself out of on their films, since then the cost of those films would have been so high on paper that the films would never have made them any money/profit, especially if they actually issued out all those units in the films. I guarantee that a good chunk of the money my company received from Max and Mike came from you Bette, and numerous other individuals like yourself. (I also have some of the names of some of the other side businesses/ventures that were capitalized by this slush fund of cash Max and Mike were throwing around in 2001). I also guarantee that at no time did Max or Mike or their attorney probably call you up (or send you a letter) and say that even though you invested specifically in their movies, they were going to take your money and go invest in numerous other ventures including tech startups that had nothing to do with the film business, and then guarantee you a equal or proportional share in those enterprises as well. The answer is of course not, as thieves looking to launder money aren't going to go and involve the people they stole it from in the ventures they're trying to use to clean it. Unfortunately for Mike and Max, but fortunately for you Bette, I photo copied every single check that Max and Mike sent from the Cahoots bank account [checks signed by Mike Erwin himself in fact] and numerous other film company bank accounts for the purposes of investing in my business, which again had nothing to do with making those movies. We're not talking about a few thousand dollars here, we're talking about HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars here. Some of these were mailed checks, others were wire transfers and I have the receipts for those as well. You can probably add mail fraud and wire fraud to the list of potential charges to be levied here. And since those diverted dollars did not go for the making of the movies: You Bette of course didn't receive proper units in the films (or shares or credits or whatever the proper Hollywood word is). Your money seemingly disappeared into the ether, never to be heard from again. You know it's interesting that I have been contemplating commenting here for a long time, because I dislike conflict and believe it's best to let sleeping dogs lie and I really tried to move on with my life after the whole debacle precipitated by Cahoots. It wasn't until years later when I began my full research and background checks of them I now found the various state sanctions and this website, etc. and found out some other very recent actions by these guys. So anyways I have finally decided to come out and confirm your story here AND (hope you're reading this Mike and crew) send to you the copies of the checks I retained that were made out to my tech company that were drawn from the Cahoots film production bank account in Beverly Hills, CA (along with other Erwin controlled film company bank accounts) starting with the first one for a whopping $60,000 in early 2001. Bette I'm sorry that you lost your money and that some of it belonged to your deceased mother as well. Please understand that on another end many people got hurt badly as well, because the full amount of money promised from Max and Mike never materialized, and my company ended up in dire financial straights, and was forced to lay dozens of good honest people it had hired following the stated investment of funds that the cast at Cahoots promised would be forthcoming, and eventually folded, setting me back literally years in my business progress. If I had known at the time they were diverting funds from their own investors and not telling anyone about it and were going to give my company just enough funding to fail because their own money tree blew over, I would have never gotten involved with them, but it's too late now for that, but not too late for me to send you all the evidence, and I suppose forward it on to the attorney general, secretary of state, us attorney in your district and whomever else should be receiving it. BTW, as a final addition you should know that Max and Mike have a new partner in Southern California in addition to their deadbeat attorney Harris, and that partner's name is John M. Forrester in Los Angeles, CA. and he is now laying claim to the diverted funds I spoke of above as a partner of Max and Mike. Together they are continuing to scheme to this effect and it is with great pleasure that I will be able to assist you in your pursuits of them. I have current and updated information on all of them including Mr Forrester's Social Security Number should you need to track him down yourself. Make sure to tell them all I said hello. I will contact you directly Bette through the address you have listed at your separate website detailing these matters to provide you the materials I spoke of above. P.S. A few years back Mike contacted me and said that because Max had moved back to Japan at the time [he has since returned from what I understand] that Sam Baldoni was his new partner, and therefore our new partner in relation to Mike's supposed investment holdings in my company, that again whose monies came from the Cahoots and various film companies' coffers. So you were quite correct in your posted assumptions tying Sam into the picture here. As far as his exact involvement from a purely legal standpoint related to the timeframe of your investments, who knows, but nonetheless Mike tried to bring him into the picture after the fact. This whole thing just reeks, doesn't it?!

It seems there must be a good response on the part of the public to Blue Hill Avenue in order to continue airing it. Too bad the investors (like me) who made its filming possible got ripped off without realizing one dime's worth of profit. The producers, Mike Erwin and J. Max Kirishima, and their attorney, Howard Harris, will get theirs. Why don't you send them your regards using the contact information I've provided within this lengthy chronicle of events. Sweet retribution...stay tuned.

The third airing of Blue Hill Avenue (the first two occurring on May 19, 2006 and July 17, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. - and there may have been more showings of which I am not aware) occurred on the BET cable channel on July 17, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. yet the investors in this film were told there were no profits made and, therefore, no monies to be distributed to them. Of course, that was an unmitigated lie and amounts to "theft by swindle" as the investigative authorities refer to it. Justice will be served.

I am not aware of any connection. However, I would contact the Secretary of State's Office in the state they are operating out of to find out who their officers are and their registered Agent of Service and also to find out if they are solvent. Get all of the information you can and then contact your state Attorney General's Office and request that they do a check to see if there are Cease and Desist Orders filed against them in the US. They are probably selling unlicensed securities by unlicensed brokers which is a violation of the Securities & Exchange Commission laws as well as violating FCC and FTC laws relative to interstate commerce in their use of the US Mail, phone lines (Blue Sky laws), etc. If there are multiple Cease and Desist Orders issued against them in your state in addition to others, you may find an attorney who would be willing to bring a class action lawsuit. Otherwise, if you have a strong case against them yourself, you may find an attorney to sue on your behalf individually. Don't fail to utilize the IRS and FBI where there is fraud involved. They are very interested in these types of cases and will pursue the perpetrators vigorously, prosecuting them to the full extent of the law including jail time and requiring restitution of investor money. Call the bureau offices located in your state for information on how to proceed. Best of luck and NEVER give up your pursuit against them. These criminals need to be stopped from ever ripping off the public again. The only place their faces should ever be seen again is behind bars.

Hello: I was involved in a movie produced by Tag Entertainment and have not seen a dime in returns. Everything about the investment has been misrepresented. Do you know if Inspired Films has anything to do with Tag Entertainment run by Steve Austin? thanks!

UPDATE: 4/24/06 - On the evening of April 24,2006 at 6:30 CST, the movie which I invested in and which is the subject of this website, Blue Hill Avenue, was shown on the BET (Black Entertainment Television) cable channel. Blue Hill Avenue was sold to Artisan (now known as Lionsgate) in approximately December of 2003 for an undisclosed sum and the terms of the sale were never revealed to the investors nor did the investors ever receive a penny from the transaction. After exactly two inquiries were made on my behalf directly to Artisan to gain information regarding the sale, I received enraged phone calls from Erwin and Kirishima's Cahoots Productions staff. The reason for that outrage is pretty apparent in that there was a very nice profit obtained from the sale which they were attempting to conceal from the investors. Obviously the movie has been making money via video rentals and sales on the internet across the country, airing on cable TV, etc. The original agreement with these crooks was that the investors would receive their initial investment money back first even before the actors/actresses were paid and certainly before Erwin and Kirishima were paid. Again, this is just further evidence of the boldface lies and deceit so rampant in their method of doing business. They have no conscious, no morals, no ethics when it comes to the theft of investor money and stealing their profits, yet they live in palatial splendor from first-hand accounts while the investors are left empty-handed with nothing but broken promises and shattered dreams of the exorbitant profits to be made and enjoyed from this movie. Please call or write to Lionsgate (purchasers of the film) and BET (Black Entertainment Television) who aired the movie on 4/26/06 and express your outrage at the showing of this movie that has cost its investors dearly but only stood to profit the fraudulent "producers," Mike Erwin [Jacksonville, Oregon, now doing business as "Inspired Films," and J. Max Kirishima (now residing primarily in Japan)]. Please do not neglect to implicate their officer attorney for his interest in the movie as well, Howard Harris, Waterman & Harris, located in Los Angeles, California. He also, is just as guilty of all of the fraudulent activity involved in the financing, making and distribution of this movie. That law office should be boycotted by the public for their participation in this scandal. Correction, Mr. Harris should lose his attorney's license and be disbarred from practicing law. Mr. Harris, as a representative of the court sworn to uphold the law serving as an officer in Cahoots/Blue Hill Avenue Partnership as well as acting as the film company's legal counsel, Mr. Harris should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law for all of the fraud and corruption which has been practiced by this film company, which I am preparing to pursue. You may visit my website also regarding the full story behind this movie investment nightmare at

UPDATE: 4/24/06 - On the evening of April 24,2006 at 6:30 CST, the movie which I invested in and which is the subject of this website, Blue Hill Avenue, was shown on the BET (Black Entertainment Television) cable channel. Blue Hill Avenue was sold to Artisan (now known as Lionsgate) in approximately December of 2003 for an undisclosed sum and the terms of the sale were never revealed to the investors nor did the investors ever receive a penny from the transaction. After exactly two inquiries were made on my behalf directly to Artisan to gain information regarding the sale, I received enraged phone calls from Erwin and Kirishima's Cahoots Productions staff. The reason for that outrage is pretty apparent in that there was a very nice profit obtained from the sale which they were attempting to conceal from the investors. Obviously the movie has been making money via video rentals and sales on the internet across the country, airing on cable TV, etc. The original agreement with these crooks was that the investors would receive their initial investment money back first even before the actors/actresses were paid and certainly before Erwin and Kirishima were paid. Again, this is just further evidence of the boldface lies and deceit so rampant in their method of doing business. They have no conscious, no morals, no ethics when it comes to the theft of investor money and stealing their profits, yet they live in palatial splendor from first-hand accounts while the investors are left empty-handed with nothing but broken promises and shattered dreams of the exorbitant profits to be made and enjoyed from this movie. Please call or write to Lionsgate (purchasers of the film) and BET (Black Entertainment Television) who aired the movie on 4/26/06 and express your outrage at the showing of this movie that has cost its investors dearly but only stood to profit the fraudulent "producers," Mike Erwin [Jacksonville, Oregon, now doing business as "Inspired Films," and J. Max Kirishima (now residing primarily in Japan)]. Please do not neglect to implicate their officer attorney for his interest in the movie as well, Howard Harris, Waterman & Harris, located in Los Angeles, California. He also, is just as guilty of all of the fraudulent activity involved in the financing, making and distribution of this movie. That law office should be boycotted by the public for their participation in this scandal. Correction, Mr. Harris should lose his attorney's license and be disbarred from practicing law. Mr. Harris, as a representative of the court sworn to uphold the law serving as an officer in Cahoots/Blue Hill Avenue Partnership as well as acting as the film company's legal counsel, Mr. Harris should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law for all of the fraud and corruption which has been practiced by this film company, which I am preparing to pursue. You may visit my website also regarding the full story behind this movie investment nightmare at

Isn't it interesting that Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima deliberately cut off contact with the investors in Blue Hill Avenue Partnership a couple of years ago and moved to Jacksonville, Oregon (see story under Blue Hill Avenue Partnership Rip-Off Report), hoping to ditch the investors to avoid paying them any profits from the movie Blue Hill Avenue. Interestingly, tonight I happened to turn on the television to what movie??? Yeah, you guessed it, Blue Hill Avenue on the BET cable channel. Funny, Mike, Max and their company officer attorney, Howard Harris, never notified me as a major investor of its purchase by BET for television viewing. Wonder how many other places it was sold to for one showing or another - like maybe overseas, which information I've been privy to by an independent source. These guys are simply crooked operators promoting themselves as professional "movie producers." Hope you all enjoy the movie tonight. Please write to BET regarding the immoral, unethical and unlawful background and circumstances involved in the making of Blue Hill Avenue and how the producers ripped off the investors royally. Oh, and you will find the producers' addresses under my Rip-Off Report entitled Blue Hill Avenue as well. Please write, call, fax them with your disgust at their crookedness. I will NEVER quit exposing them however and whenever I can until I receive my investment money back. Watch for more news and information to come... Bette

My suspicions have now been confirmed as to Howard Harris'(attorney for Cahoots/Blue Hill Avenue Partnership)involvement in the film investment scam. He was an officer with them, I believe as acting Secretary. No wonder he didn't want to produce any ownership documentation to me as it very likely contained his signature. By not furnishing me with that information he was attempting to avoid any liability for acts committed by the film company as an acting officer. He is every bit as guilty as partners Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima. Howard Harris by rights should have his attorney's license revoked, which I intend to look into immediately, for all of the illegalities and improprieties committed against the investors in Cahoots/Blue Hill Avenue films. He not only stood by and watched while Erwin and Kirishima fleeced the public but he was actively engaged in the scandal and cover-up of the truth. As an officer of the court his conduct is despicable and inexcusable and warrants his dismissal from the practice of law.

December, 2005 Update: It appears that the attorney, Howard Harris, is threatening to sue me on his behalf as well as on Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima's for defamation. I submit that revealing the facts of my situation for the public's information, knowledge and protection is not defamation, libel or slander which is rather the deliberate intent to destroy another's good name or reputation for devious purposes. Freedom of Speech under the Bill of Rights is my protected right and allows me to speak out against those who have caused me to suffer loss and brought financial harm upon me. I have spoken to a First Amendment attorney who has assured me that the law is on my side.

This is to distinguish Sam Baldoni from Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima as a new partner with the other two individuals mentioned who now operate under the name of Inspired Films, f/k/a Blue Hill Avenue Partnership, f/k/a Cahoots Pictures. Sam Baldoni was not involved with the investment debacle which is the subject of my Rip-Off Report. www.inspiredfilms.net is the new location where Erwin and Kirishima feature their bios, future, current and past projects which include the two movies I invested in, Blue Hill Avenue and Cahoots. They have chosen to place them at that site. The truth about the films remains, however, and any investor in those two films would automatically view Inspired Films negatively as well due to the involvement of partners Erwin and Kirishima. Bette Anderson

This is to distinguish Sam Baldoni from Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima as a new partner with the other two individuals mentioned who now operate under the name of Inspired Films, f/k/a Blue Hill Avenue Partnership, f/k/a Cahoots Pictures. Sam Baldoni was not involved with the investment debacle which is the subject of my Rip-Off Report. www.inspiredfilms.net is the new location where Erwin and Kirishima feature their bios, future, current and past projects which include the two movies I invested in, Blue Hill Avenue and Cahoots. They have chosen to place them at that site. The truth about the films remains, however, and any investor in those two films would automatically view Inspired Films negatively as well due to the involvement of partners Erwin and Kirishima. Bette Anderson

This is to distinguish Sam Baldoni from Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima as a new partner with the other two individuals mentioned who now operate under the name of Inspired Films, f/k/a Blue Hill Avenue Partnership, f/k/a Cahoots Pictures. Sam Baldoni was not involved with the investment debacle which is the subject of my Rip-Off Report. www.inspiredfilms.net is the new location where Erwin and Kirishima feature their bios, future, current and past projects which include the two movies I invested in, Blue Hill Avenue and Cahoots. They have chosen to place them at that site. The truth about the films remains, however, and any investor in those two films would automatically view Inspired Films negatively as well due to the involvement of partners Erwin and Kirishima. Bette Anderson

This is to distinguish Sam Baldoni from Mike Erwin and Max Kirishima as a new partner with the other two individuals mentioned who now operate under the name of Inspired Films, f/k/a Blue Hill Avenue Partnership, f/k/a Cahoots Pictures. Sam Baldoni was not involved with the investment debacle which is the subject of my Rip-Off Report. www.inspiredfilms.net is the new location where Erwin and Kirishima feature their bios, future, current and past projects which include the two movies I invested in, Blue Hill Avenue and Cahoots. They have chosen to place them at that site. The truth about the films remains, however, and any investor in those two films would automatically view Inspired Films negatively as well due to the involvement of partners Erwin and Kirishima. Bette Anderson