Michele was always fascinated by moving images and started collecting
8mm and Super 8mm films on a regular basis from the age of seven. At
the age of 17 he began collecting 35 mm theatrical prints of all his
beloved films in earnest, whilst attending a screenwriting class taught
by some of Italy's grand masters of cinema like Nanny Loy, Suso Cecchi
D'amico, and Luigi Filippo D'Amico. Under their tutelage, Michele
learnt the art of writing for both the big and the small screen.
After graduation from Law School, the chance of a lifetime was given to
him at the age of 22, when infamous director Andrew White asked him to
be assistant director on the rarely seen Italian slasher epic Massacre.
Working on a film set was a dream come true for the young film
enthusiast, and that first experience as an assistant led to years of
working in movies, TV shows, commercials and documentaries as a first
assistant director, production manager, executive producer and
screenwriter for the likes of Lucio Fulci (his beloved master),
Bernardino Zapponi, Ruggero Deodato, Rolando Stefanelli, Michele
Placido, Bud Spencer, Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava and many, many,
others.
His encyclopedic knowledge of films and filmmaking has seen him been
called upon to collaborate with international film festivals like
Sitges, Fantafestival, Malaga, Toronto, and Edinburgh. After his post
graduated studies in Visual Arts at UCLA, he also ran an art house
theatre for two years in which he screened the rarities, restored
prints and the long lost gems he was always "digging out" of dusty film
vaults. Michele has also written articles for X Files Magazine,
Hustler, Tank Magazine, Psycho, and Video Impulse.
In 1999 he launched the independent video label Pulp Video. The label
soon gathered a reputation for innovation and quality with its
faultless video and DVD releases of long forgotten rarities and bona
fide film classics. Pulp Video was also one of the first companies to
embrace the digital revolution and spearhead the DVD boom in the
Italian market.
Whilst busily releasing films, De Angelis was also working as a
consultant and executive producer, producing DVD featurettes and
documentaries for American companies like Universal Pictures Home
Video, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Blue Underground and more.
In the following years his work in documentary and making ofs, led him
to International recognition when his documentary In The Jungle: The
Making Of Cannibal Holocaust was sold to US, France, Japan, Spain, UK,
Germany and many other countries of the world. The documentary
reconstructed the making of the mentioned cult classic featuring
rediscovered on set footage, never seen before. Another achievement was
the production of The Gofathers Of Mondo in which maverick filmmakers
Jacopetti and Prosperi spoke for the first time on camera about the
creation of the Mondo genre that shook the world.
In 2001 Michele left Pulp Video and joined Alan Young Pictures as
associate partner. At Alan Young Pictures he was responsible for the
creation of a video and DVD label dedicated, once again, to high
quality DVD releases of Italian and American classics. During his
tenure Alan Young Pictures, with twin company Planet Pictures, also
financed and developed such high profile projects like Lars Von Trier's
Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman, Alex De La Iglesia's La Comunidad and
El Crimen Ferpecto, and Vincente Aranda's Juana La Loca and Carmen, and
Von Trier again with Manderlay. He also served AYP as legal consultant
for Zack Snyder's remake of Dawn of the dead. And served as script
reader for high profile Italian companies like Dania Film, Immagine &
Cinema and Surf Film, for those he closed deals with New Line Cinema
and many other companies. Deals that under his suggestions brought to
distribution movies like Willard, Academy Award winner Monster, One
Point 0, and many others.
In 2004 he secured private investment to found an exciting new
distribution and production outfit: Noshame films.
NoShame Films was an ambitious international company that in just over
a year already earned a reputation for quality and attention to detail
second to none with the release of a series of classics and genre gems
on highly praised collectors editions DVDs both in America and Italy.
The US market saw for the first time uncut restored versions of
Boccaccio 70, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Story Of A Love Affair.
With the likes of Fellini and Antonioni, NoShame released restored
versions of cult Sergio Martino's films like The Strange Vice of Mrs.
Wardh and many others giallos and horror from Italy.
In 2006 Michele was voted amongst the ten best North American
distributor by prestigious New York Times (best vault raider) and by
elite cinema magazine Premiere. Followed by enthusiastic reviews from
all over the world.
On the production front, Noshame Films was responsible for co-financing
Tamara, from Final Destination's creator Jeffrey Rednick, Plague, and
Dark Places, starring Lelee Sobieski. NoShame Films handled
distribution of these titles in Italy. NoShame also handled theatrical
distribution of such acclaimed films like Stander starring Thomas Jane,
Sundance winner November with Courtney Cox and critically acclaimed
Asylum with Natasha Richardson and Ian MacKellen.
In spring 2005, Noshame films created, jointly with Medusa Home
Entertainment and General Video, the DVD label Orizzonti, which
released edgy and multi award winning movies from all around the world
including Takashi Miike's Gozu, David Anspaugh's The Game of Their
Lives, Andreas Marshall's Tears Of Kali.
At the end of 2008 at the beginning of the decline of video market,
Michele left Noshame films that ceased operations soon after. He took
the first steps towards fully fledged movie production, securing the
rights to Graham Masterton's best-selling novel Ritual, to be adapted
for the screen and directed by acclaimed director Mariano Baino.
In 2011 Michele set up a new company, Kinoglazorama International, that
will be producing and distributing movies and shorts, creating a
digital platform that will include a Web Television.
