In 1987, Aaron Russo set up his own entertainment company, Aaron Russo Entertainment with self-financing so they would not have to disclose the participants' contributions to the production kitty. The company had a $100 million budget for 7 films to be made over 3 years. The company was financed by HBO, Viacom, the Rank Organisation and Cineplex Odeon. HBO received video and cable rights to the films and Viacom network syndication rights. Rank were to distribute the films internationally and Cineplex Odeon in Canada. All of the ARE productions were to be distributed by Orion Pictures in the U.S. but they did not provide funding. Rude Awakening was the first film to be produced by ARE.[7] Irwin Russo was named as senior vice president of Aaron Russo Films which was based in Los Angeles. The company set up feature projects by 1988, with record division Aaron Russo Films and Aaron Russo Television being formed later.[8]
In 1998, Russo highlighted his political interests, running for governor of Nevada as a Republican. During the 1998 Republican gubernatorial primary, Russo was attacked by Kenny Guinn’s campaign as "Dangerous for Nevada." CBS News reported that Guinn regained ground after airing an advertisement using 1996 footage of Russo "ranting about government."[10] The Las Vegas Sun reported that the ad called Russo "Embarrassing to Nevada" and "Dangerous as governor"; Russo dismissed the attack as "name-calling."[11]
After placing second in the Republican primary with 26% of the vote to Kenny Guinn, Russo later endorsed the Democratic nominee, Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones, who eventually lost to Guinn.[12] Russo planned to run again for Nevada governor in 2002 as either an independent or Libertarian, but was sidelined when he discovered that he had cancer. In January 2004, he declared his candidacy for the President of the United States initially as an independent, but then as a Libertarian. At the Libertarian National Convention in May 2004, Russo received 258 votes to Michael Badnarik's 256 votes and Gary Nolan's 246 votes, short of the majority required to receive the presidential nomination. Russo lost the nomination on the convention's third and final ballot to Badnarik by a vote of 423–344.
In a February, 2004 interview with Las Vegas Weekly, Russo was asked about the bladder and prostate cancer that had derailed his 2002 campaign, and he replied: "The recovery is over. I did strong alternative medicine treatment."[15] On August 24, 2007, Russo died at the age of 64 after a six-year battle with cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[16]
Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
↑Parker, Jerry. "Star Maker Turns Movie Maker", Newsday, June 5, 1983. Accessed June 20, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Russo, a Brooklyn native reared in Lawrence, was a novice at management, who managed discotheques in Chicago and Detroit."
↑"Russo moves from Midler to movies", Newsday, June 5, 1983. Accessed June 20, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Russo has long had faith in his own instincts, even when others had their doubts At Lawrence High School, he played football, had lots of girlfriends and was no scholar."
