r n the new movie "A Guide to Recog nizing Your Saints," opening Friday, actor Chazz Palminten plays Monty Montiel, a gruff fa tber in Queens who doesn't know how to keep his slightly wUd son Oito safe orher than to hold him light'er and tighter until ~ he's squeezing the life out of the kid. ~ "His whole world revolved around his SOri,"cSays Palminlen aboulthe father dewcted ill director pito Montiel's auto biograpl:lical lale. "Even though I had a great relationShip wi.th my dad.</p><p> I under stood it.</p><p> I saw fathers like that.</p><p> Oito's dad is much older than him.</p><p> People thought he was his grandfather ." Whether Palminteri is facing off against the young Oito (played by Shia LaBeouf) or the adult Oito (Robert Downey Jr.) who has returned home to try and convince his ailing father to go to the hospital, he gives it the same intensity that Palminteri brought to the story of his own life, retold on stage and in film. "J felt I knew these people, this world:' says the 54-year-old New Yorker. "It re minded me of 'A Bronx Tale:" the play and screenplay Palminteri wrote about his own upbringing .</p><p> He starred in the 1993 film. "It was like 'A Queens Tale_'" But people who think they know Pal minteri are always being surprised.</p><p> He followed "Bronx" ~ a gasp of air after a long time working blue-collar jobs and writing at night to feed his art -with an Academy Award-nominated turn in Actor'Chazz Palminteri is far-from holy in 'Saints" . ·1I8 ,~I~~A~~ ;~g~~'lJ~ . ;. : " ' '" \' '" .': "". ",,, :;":,;,,'-" ,~, i~'(";,,' Woody Allen's comedy "Bullets Over Broadway." Since then he has done every thing from "The Usual Suspects" to "Ana lyze This" to "Stuart little" and the 1V se ries remake of "Kojak" with Ving Rhames.</p><p> And while it sounds like a "Saturday Night live" skit, Palminteri 's roots in the cover band Razzamachazz are pulling him back toward music.</p><p> He has been de veloping a musical version of "A Bronx Tale" with songWriter Jimmy Webb for several years.</p><p> An upcoming film -"The Dukes" -involves the members of an ag ing doo-wop group that was on the top of the world when they were 17.</p><p> And Pal minteri is premiering his new theatrical piece "My Life in Song" at Lorenzo's Cab aret on Staten Island on Oct. 14. "Music is very important to me," says Palminteri. "This show is very differ ent.</p><p> U's like 'A Bronx Tale' but done in a very different way.</p><p> I'll sing songs from all different eras, songs like George Ben son's 'On Broadway' and Van Morrison's 'Moondance: while telling the story of my life.".</p><p> And until that begins, he'll be helping Montiel tell the story of his life in "Saints." "I love working with young. first-time directors:' says Palminteri . "They're feel ers.</p><p> They'll do anything, try anything .</p><p> They don't know any better!" • DAD OR ALIVE Chazz Palminterl Is a tough father In "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints." ecognizing' his dreams Astoria'S Dlto Montiel tumoo a wild childhood into it movie· KEEPING n' REAL Director Dlto Montiel (I.) with Rob ert Downey Jr., who plays him, on location In Queens. f you made a movie about most people's life, you'd have 10 spice it up to keep things interesting. for New Yorker Diro Monliel, bebad to keep taking things our because nO One would believe iI.</p><p> Montiel was.l.he lead singer of Guttc.rboy ,the selfI described "most su cessfuJ unsucces fal band in the world." (They signed a re.poned $1 million deal with Geffen Records and then gleefully imploded 011 tour.) Then Montiel turned his adventures -gro\ving up in Queens, unwiltingly turning away Am!y Warhol at the Palladium when he was a doorman, hangingwith pho tographer Bruce Weber and poet Allen Ginsberg -into the rambling, kaleidoscopic memoir called "A Guide to RecogniZi ng Your Saints." Now the 36-year-old Montiel has turned thaI book into a movie that focus'es On one key summer of his chlldhuod, and his adult return to the neighborhood to confront his ailing father.</p><p> It stars Chazz Palminteri as Montiel's dad, DIanne Wiest as his morn, Robert Downey Jr. as the dult Dito, Shia LeBeouf as yOW'lg Olto and Channing Tal'um (orlhe summer hit "Step Up") as Dito's volcanic friend Antonio.</p><p> It has already won awards for Dramatic Directing and a SpeCJaI Jury Award for Be.st Ensemble at Sundance.</p><p> The movie, openingFri day, has been a homecoming in more ways than one. "I love Ast.oria," says Montiel, who just moved back into the neighborhood \vilh h.is girlfrienc:l II was r emark ably easy to find a new home.just as it was easy to get the streets to look like the early '80s of his childhooc:l "Besides taking out Some ATM SIgns. ii's a bit of a r.ime"'ss place: he continues . "II reminds me of when 1 wa a kid.</p><p> My friend came out of ja.i\ and I walked hlm around and howed him how everything had changed .</p><p> He said, 'It looks I he same.' Now I've come back and everyone says how it's changec:llt looks the same.</p><p> It's a timeless place to me_I really love il; I always have loved it." Monriel says he used to caU the blocks between 1 <lth St. and 42nd St. in Manhan8'l"the desen." Now it's filled wilh Starbuck.s and Gaps. . ·1 kind of liked the linle shops selling all sorts of dead ly weapons and boo.ks like 'How \0 Kill:" ays Montiel. "Bull know U,e weirdness never goes completely away.</p><p> It just gets pushed around." As for Montiel. he never planned to be in a rock band or work as a fashion model for Weber and Versace; he never expected 10 write a book and he certainly never thought about directing a movie.</p><p> Not surprisUlgly . he has no plans for a "!le.,,! move.' "I didn'l do any of Ihis [0 have a career: says Montiel. "This movie came out exactly like I wanted II to.</p><p> That makes me happy." M.G. ~ a. 91. '§ (1) ~ II> h 0 3 g e z ~ /J> en c ::l a.</p><p> OJ "" en '" >l. (1) 3 C' ~ IV f- IV a a <J) •
