By Pete Allman

In 1995 while working mostly as a gaffer, grip and electrician on huge blockbusters, Settles simultaneously made his debut as a producer with “Mr. Ice Cream Man,” a $5000 low budget feature that was distributed internationally by the now defunct "Dead Alive Productions". “The movie is everywhere. I’m still amazed that this thing I made over ten years ago has brought in over twenty times what I made it for.”

In 1996 Settles founded Guru Productions and followed with the motion picture “Creep”, a Troma Release and finally in 2003 completed his last feature with Guru titled “Trans American Killer” AKA “Switch Killer”, Lions Gate (2005). He also formed Got Films, an innovative full service film and video production company with his wife Rhonda, who markets the business. To date Got Films has clients from MTV, VH1, Court TV and NASCAR, to series like America’s Most Wanted, The Real Wedding Crashers, Ultimate Fighter Promos and Plastic Surgery: Before and After. He has done work for local television shows and local commercials to Red Carpet interviews. More information can be found on www.gotfilms.com .

To date, Cochrane has had four of his original screenplays produced into feature films. Most recently, he has been busy at work on a pair of documentaries, “Boys of Summer”, a two-month, 20,000 mile, 30 Major League Baseball road-trip with his father – proceeds to Michael J. Fox/National Parkinson Foundation, and “Share the Road”, for which Cochrane rode a bicycle 100 miles a day across the United States in a team effort to increase health awareness with Cigna Health Insurance.

Settles and Cochrane met for the first time at the Las Vegas premiere of “Playaz” (held at the Palms’ Brenden Theatres). Their first collaboration took place less than a year later on the award-winning adaptation of Stephen King’s, “Luckey Quarter”. Just two months later, they collaborated on another King project, his Magnum Opus, The Dark Tower”. Their adaptation netted them the Grand Prize from King’s Publisher, Simon & Schuster, and the opportunity to meet King in person.

Cochrane and Settles have also earned awards for their work on the short films “Ego” and “Just Her Luck”.

So why do these two gentlemen persist in bringing Hollywood to Las Vegas rather than moving to Hollywood? “It’s pretty simple,” states Settles, “ Las Vegas is a magical city that can’t be duplicated. This is my city. I’ve shot everywhere in and around the Valley. Why go be another cog in the massive Hollywood wheel when I can run the machine here? That’s why Bobby and I are on the forefront of bringing film projects to Las Vegas.” “Vegas is where people want to be,” Cochrane adds. “It has so much more in locations, crew and talent to offer than most people realize.”

The newest project the duo has embraced is the in-development feature film, "Dark House". Cochrane penned the horror/suspense screenplay that exposes the murderous price of fame. The two also have three new reality television shows that are currently in production.

Tenacity, vision, and creative thinking along with a high level of energy are part of the ingredients for success Settles and Cochrane bring to the set daily. There is no doubt these two are all-in. It is that formula that has helped them shed new starlight on Vegas’ familiar strip and the many undiscovered treasures that surround it.

 Stars Shine at CineVegas and Voice Opinions

Another year has passed with a very successful CineVegas Film Festival. The stars that came out on the Red Carpet for the premiere of "Oceans 13" included, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Frank Trigg from Pride fighting, Wayne Newton, Carrot Top, and the list goes on. Other celebrities who appeared during the festival included Criss Angel from "Mindfreak", Gerry MacCambridge "The Mentalist", George Wallace, Steven Jackson from the St. Louis Ram's (#39), Mark Philippoussis the Australian tennis player who stars on NBC's "Age Of Love", Ladies of Fantasy from the Luxor, Dennis Hopper, Joey Gilbert from "The Contender", Gordie Brown, Bruce Campell, and Maria Menounos.

On closing night at The Palms, Academy Award Winning Actor Sir Ben Kingsley received the Vanguard Award for "You Kill Me", Sir Anthony Hopkins received the Marquee Award, and Charlize Theron received the Half-Time Cadillac Award. The majority of these actors believe it's their job to play a part, but that it has nothing to do with affecting kids who watch their movies. In other words it is really the parent's responsibility to decide what their kids watch on TV. Ben Kingsley tells it like this, " If a child doesn't have love from the parent, that is where the problems start. It has nothing to do with the content of the movie," Kingsley went on to say, "kids that have dysfunctional lives have a much harder life in retrospect." Kingsley does feel however that story telling is a way of ancient healing that is vital to all cultures.

Sir Ben Kingsley

Charlize Theron

Sir Anthony Hopkins is considered to be the best film actor by today's standards. At least that is what Dennis Hopper feels. Hopper happens to be the creative director of the CineVegas Film Festival. Let's refer back to "Silence Of The Lambs" where Hopkins played Hannibal Lector, which won him and Academy Award.

In talking with Hopkins, one can learn just how deep a person he is. In fact, when I talked to him about "Slipstream", his latest film project, which he produced and directed and was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. He told me that it represented his life and that it was a bit of an illusion. Whatever it was, it certainly went back to his earlier years when he was influenced by James Dean.

Hopkins, who was born in Port Talbot, Wales, started his film career some 40 years ago. It was the film "A Lion in Winter" where Hopkins got the part with Peter O'Toole, Timothy Dalton, and Katharine Hepburn. What really got him going as an actor was watching James Dean and also Richard Burton. Disenchanted with school he left at the age of 17 and pursued his acting career. He got his first job in 1955, the same year the local newspaper wrote a story about James Dean passing away from an accident. In 1965 he moved to London and, through an invitation by Laurence Olivier, who could see the talent in Hopkins joined the National Theater Company. In 1967 he made his first film for television, "A Flea in Her Ear".

Sir Anthony Hopkins

The CineVegas Film Festival introduced a lot of new films, some of which are by young directors and producers. The film "The Merry Misfits", which had Maria Menounos as the executive producer and star, presented a lesson about how misfits in our society do have a place. "Merry Misfits" had some great comedy scenes, but was rather slow. The cast consists of Danielle Weeks, Randal Malone, Orji Walflauer, John Comerford, and Joe Gear. All said and done, what are your thoughts about violent movies? Do they influence young people into doing negative things? I'd like to know your thoughts, e-mail me at allman@celebrityscene.com .

Maria Menounos

Brad Pitt

George Clooney

In closing, George Clooney said this about the movie business, "It's a great way to entertain folks and it's made me a great living. I would however enjoy doing family films, I think there is a market for them."

Brad Pitt on the other hand when asked about "Oceans 13" stated, "Hey, the films over and we are going to bury it here in Las Vegas, that's it..."

Wayne Newton, still holds the title of Mr. Las Vegas while George Wallace claims he is the new Mr. Las Vegas. Las Vegas has just begun it's cosmopolitan theme. Newton stated, "We're at the tip of the iceberg and there is a whole new air ready to come to fruition."

Until then, keep your visions positive and keep positive people around you, and above all, know that God is there for you.