QUICK CUTS

“CREW” CONNECTIONS

Casey Siemaszko, who made his mark in the late ‘80s in films such as “Three O’Clock High” and has since appeared in John Sayles’ “Limbo” among others, has a supporting role in this week’s release “The Crew,” playing Richard Dreyfuss’ character as a young man. Siemaszko was also in Rob Reiner’s “Stand by Me,” which Dreyfuss narrated, and co-starred opposite “Crew” member Burt Reynolds in the 1989 comedy “Breaking In.”

FINANCED BY LOBSTERS

Friday’s release in selected theaters of Stratosphere’s “Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire” marks a big step in the journey of a $14,000 movie, shot in just 12 days and partly financed with . . . lobsters. The trek began when brothers Derick and Steve Martini wrote a script for themselves to star in, based on their experiences of maturing into young men. The film’s title comes from nicknames bestowed upon the characters by their half-Native American grandmother. The Martini brothers tapped childhood friend Kevin Jordan to direct, and were able to beg, borrow and barter--using Jordan’s uncle, a Maine lobsterman, as a source of shellfish collateral--to finish the film. A glowing review by Roger Ebert at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival helped earn the movie a distributor and the “Smiling Fish” team were on their way.

THE TV TEAM

“The A-Team” marks yet another TV title to be retooled for the big screen. The Stephen J. Cannell action series, which ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987 and starred George Peppard and Mr. T, detailed the exploits of ex-Army commandos who roamed the country working as mercenaries. The feature project had been in turnaround at Universal and was picked up by Top Cow, the third largest comic book company, and set up at Fox 2000. A 2001 release is planned. The story and characters will be updated to appeal to a contemporary audience. The next TV-to-big screen project to hit theaters will be Columbia’s “Charlie’s Angels,” starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, scheduled to open Nov. 3.