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Top Hate

Fred Astoria (Tut Gregory), a beloved Hollywood star and dancer, is receiving bizarre death threats in the noirish comedy TOP HATE -- and all of his celebrity colleagues are suspects. These include his former dance partner Ginseng Roget (Kellyrose Marry), archrival Keane Shelley (Mark Ashin), stalking comedienne Katherine Heartburn (Emma Denson) and simpering British butler Simcox (Ed Altman). While dodging multiple murder attempts, Astoria first seeks advice from his close friends Carmen Miranda-Wright (Jasmine Dorothy Haefner) and Oscar Le Vile (Mark Parsia), then consults with private investigator Tyree Fingerlake (Xander Jackson), before finally visiting Janey Stompanelli (Sean Young), the mob’s top enforcer in the City of Angels. Presented in black and white and set during the Golden Age of Hollywood, TOP HATE is written and produced by Joe Queenan (columnist at THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and author of 12 books including RED LOBSTER, WHITE TRASH AND THE BLUE LAGOON and IF YOU'RE TALKING TO ME, YOUR CAREER MUST BE IN TROUBLE) and directed by Michael Thomas Cain (writer and director of “Eliminated” and “Not Approved For Cancer Treatment”). It features a lush original score by Kinny Landrum, the Emmy-nominated composer, arranger and keyboard player whose talents are on full display in David Lynch’s TWIN PEAKS, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME and WILD AT HEART). To top all that, TOP HATE stars the legendary Sean Young (BLADE RUNNER, NO WAY OUT, and DUNE).

  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Director
    Jordey The Movie, Not Approved For Cancer Treatment, Eliminated, Jazz John, Thumb Wrestler
  • Joe Queenan
    Writer
    12 Steps To Death, Mickey Rourke For A Day, My Fair Hugh, So You Wanna Be a Gangster
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Producer
    Jordey The Movie, Not Approved For Cancer Treatment, Eliminated
  • Forgotten Artist Productions
    Producer
    Jordey The Movie, Not Approved For Cancer Treatment, Eliminated
  • Tut Gregory
    Key Cast
    "Fred Astoria"
  • Sean Young
    Key Cast
    "Janey Stompanelli"
    Blade Runner, No Way Out, Dune, Wall Street
  • Ed Altman
    Key Cast
    "Simcox"
    A Good Cop, The Dog Walker, Thumb Wrestler 2: The Second Thumbing
  • Kellyrose Marry
    Key Cast
    "Ginseng Roget"
  • Mark Ashin
    Key Cast
    "Keane Shelley"
  • Jasmine Dorothy Haefner
    Key Cast
    "Carmen Miranda-Wright"
  • Emma Denson
    Key Cast
    "Katherine Heartburn"
  • Mark Parsia
    Key Cast
    "Oscar Le Vile"
    Eliminated, Thumb Wrestler, Jazz John
  • Xander Jackson
    Key Cast
    "Tyree Fingerlake"
  • Chaz McCormack
    Key Cast
    "Stompanelli's Associate"
    Thumb Wrestler, Jazz John, Eliminated, Not Approved For Cancer Treatment
  • Kinny Landrum
    Music
    Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Wild At Heart
  • Joe Queenan
    Executive Producer
  • Docepas Productions LLC
    Executive Producer
  • Rob Weiss
    Executive Producer
  • Kim Qvistorff
    Executive Producer
  • John Rezek
    Executive Producer
  • Maryann Marshall
    Executive Producer
  • Ed Altman
    Associate Producer
  • Chris Hart
    Director of Photography
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Editor
    Jordey The Movie
  • Kalsang Rinchen
    Sound Recordist
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Production Designer
  • Gifford Elliott
    Production Manager
  • Gifford Elliott
    Script Supervisor
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Casting
    Eliminated, Not Approved For Cancer Treatment
  • Joe Queenan
    Casting
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Line Producer
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Production Supervisor
  • Chris Hart
    Gaffer
  • Ed Altman
    Location Manager
  • Charlie Vancil
    Makeup Artist
  • Charlie Vancil
    Hair Stylist
  • Kristy DiPalma
    Props Department
  • Gifford Elliott
    Props Department
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Props Department
  • Kristy DiPalma
    Costume Department
  • Gifford Elliott
    Costume Department
  • Michael Thomas Cain
    Costume Department
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Big Apple Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 12, 2025
    New York City Premiere
    Official Selection
  • LA Neo Noir Novel, Film, and Script Film Festival
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    January 31, 2026
    Winner-Audience Choice Favorite Film Award
  • LA Underground Film Forum
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    Honorable Mention
  • Manhattan Film Festival
    New York, New York
    United States
    June 17, 2026
    Official Selection
  • The Dark Fest
    Antioch, California
    United States
    June 21, 2026
    Finalist
Director Biography - Michael Thomas Cain

Michael Thomas Cain is an award winning and critically acclaimed writer, director, and producer for film and theatre working mostly in and around New York City. Recent films written and directed by Michael are "Not Approved For Cancer Treatment" (Austin Revolution Film Festival, Chelsea Film Festival, Indie Gathering International Film Festival, etc.) and "Eliminated" (Chelsea Film Festival, Indie Gathering International Film Festival, etc.). Michael is the founder of Forgotten Artist Productions (a full-service production company), and in the last few years, this production company has produced several film projects that have been screened at prominent international film festivals and collected numerous film awards and nominations at these festivals. In May of 2022, Michael wrote and directed the play version of “Not Approved For Cancer Treatment” in the New York Theater Festival. In 2017, Michael directed and produced FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH ELLEN written by Andrew Selig as part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. In recent years, Michael wrote and directed WHERE ART LIVES (performed at UNDER St. Marks Theater) and “Eliminated” (performed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre) for the stage, and he directed two Marlin Thomas plays titled “I Never Heard Such Silence” (performed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre and the 13th Street Repertory Theatre) and “Germaine and Diane” (performed at the Jewel Box Theater as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival). In 2012, Michael wrote, directed, and produced ENOUGH’S ENOUGH! at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club as part of the NY International Fringe Festival, and in March 2023, ENOUGH’S ENOUGH! had a staged performance by the UR Here Theater Company in Fresno, California. Michael has earned an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Adelphi University and a B.A. in Communications/Theatre from Augusta College. In addition to his creative pursuits, Michael is a college/university educator in and around New York City (including New York Film Academy) and is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

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