Corbin Bernsen Delivers Donna on Demand

In a not-so-subtle wink to his own trajectory in the entertainment business, the dark comedy Donna on Demand stars Corbin Bernsen as washed-up Hollywood star Ben Corbin (get it?) who gets a chance at a comeback when he gets involved with a mysterious blonde Internet sensation named Donna (Adrienne Frantz). A film with such a premise might not be that funny if the project was put together by a snarky outsider who didn’t appreciate Bernsen’s down-and-out character. But as Donna on Demand was also written, co-produced and directed by Bernsen, it warrants some more serious-minded attention. The film will be released on DVD by Anthem on Sept. 15.

“I’ve always leaned towards dark comedy and I like to make movies on my own terms,” Bernsen told me in a recent phone interview. “Sure, I’ve seen a lot in Hollywood in my time, and with Donna, I can present that view

Donna on Demand is Bernsen’s second film as director/producer/star—the first was the 2005 comedy Carpool Guy. He’s got two more on deck: the recently completed Dead Air and the upcoming Rust, which he also wrote and has just wrapping up filming.

“The intention of my company Team Cherokee Productions (http://www.teamcherokeeproductions.com) is not necessarily to follow the Woody Allen path, but in this moment in time, that’s what I’m doing,” Bernsen said. “My focus is to make movies and then, given what people are viewing them on at home these days, selling these films to people directly. I want to market my films to very specific people that might like that film—people who know me from other work I’ve done and so on.”

Smaller, more personal independent features don’t aren’t necessarily the kind of fare one catches in the movie theaters these days, which doesn’t bother Bernsen as he’s more interested in what he has to say on the screen as opposed to what kind of screen (read: the home theater screen!) it plays on.

“My family and friends appreciate what I’m doing,” he said.. They respect that fact that I have a certain take on life and a style and a storytelling desire that goes a certain way.

I don’t make movies like those B guys on Hollywood Blvd.”

“I can look at a big film that I’m in and say “That’s crap.” I don’t look at my movies and say that,” Bersen added. “They’re everything that I want them to be.”

Posted by Laurence Lerman on August 17, 2009 | Comments (0)