Report: The Making & Selling of an INDIE FILM ["KALAMITY"] = Death by “STUPID Pills”

Report:  The Making & Selling of an INDIE FILM = Death by “STUPID Pills”

After the screening of “KALAMITY” (which I’m reviewing separately), writer – director – editor JAMES M. HAUSLER was available to talk to the audience.  Understanding how film-making tends to be a labor-of-LOVE for the people involved, I mainly asked QUESTIONS rather than offer any comments on what I’d seen (since I don’t like to “rain” on people’s “parade” when they seem well-intentioned in their efforts)…

…  After the talk, I looked up info on the internet, & find that “KALAMITY” is Hausler’s 3^rd film:  There was “TRIP OUT” made (starring himself & Chris) in 2005 (= a “black comedic tale…  [about] three adolescent boys and one sinfully attractive cheerleader…  on a hallucinogenic journey”);  & “WILD SEVEN” in 2006 (with James, Chris & Robert), about “a man who breathes nothing but ill will begins a noxious domino effect as quickly as an uncontrollable virus kills.”…

…  With this new film [which seems a bit “akin” to the previous 2 in “tone”], James has been traveling around the country to show it to select groups:  January 6^th in Dallas, January 10^th in Minneapolis, in Nashville on the 11^th, to D.C. on the 21^st (for a week’s run), to Providence, RI on the 24^th, Chicago on the 25^th, & scheduled for Austin, TX on the 26^th & Sacramento, CA on the 27^th…

…  For the Chicago advance (& I’m guessing also for the others), they made an interesting use of SOCIAL MEDIA to publicize things:  on January 7^th, I saw a little “blurb” mentioning there was info on TWITTER re a screening of the film… 

…  I went to that, & it had a link to a FACEBOOK page about the movie, including a button you could “click” advising whether you planned to ATTEND the screening [which implied it was no-charge, tho it didn’t speficially say anything about that], & asking you for e-mail addresses of friends to whom they could send info about the screening…  A menu “confirmed” that you’d stated you would “attend”, & I later heard passes were also offered on the FilmMetro web-site for it…

…  The venue in Chicago was a non-mall old-time theater (tho the showings at some of the other cities seem --  from their names -- like they might be a part of modern mega-plexes)… That’s all fine, & appears a SENSIBLE way of trying to promote an independent film, since you often need to avoid high expenses for holding screenings…

…  It was a COLD day (in the teens or twenties), so the crowd at the Music Box in Chicago was not large (maybe 50-60 or so people), & they wisely allowed people to wait in the warm lobby before the screening…

…  A young man asked people for their E-MAIL addresses, checking them against a list they had from acceptances & the like, with the stated intention of sending “FOLLOW-UPS” to attendees to see what they “thought” of the film…  (So far, I haven’t received anything from them, but it just screened a day ago)…

…  Actor NICK STAHL is around 30 years old, & has been known from his past work in “THE THIN RED LINE” (1998), “BULLY” (made in 2001), & “TERMINATOR 3” in 2003 (+ more recent work in small films & TV)…

…  JONATHON JACKSON (also around 30) had his “breakout” role as the distressed son of Michelle Pfeiffer in 1998’s “THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN”.  He appeared in 2002’s “TUCK EVERLASTING”, & has been highly regarded for his playing Lucas “Lucky” Spencer on the TV soap “GENERAL HOSPITAL”…

…  In the lobby after the screening, Mr. Hausler very agreeably answered QUESTIONS from people, & took photos with some of them…

…  To my asking Mr. Hausler how he chanced to utilize Jonathan & Nick (whose main feature film roles were done some time ago), he said, he was very impressed by seeing Nick’s role in “BULLY”, & had him specially brought into the DC area for filming…

…  He initially wasn’t as familiar with Jon, but, after seeing some of his past work, also very much wanted to utilize his services, & brought him in for the shoot…

…  The other people were often ones he KNEW from living in the DC area.  He told me how almost all the filming was done around the DC suburb of Fairfax, VA…  To my question, he said, the shooting took maybe 4 weeks or so of preparation [for the writing, etc.], & the actual filming was set for like 4 weeks.  But, they’d encountered horribly rainy weather, & it actually took more like 6 weeks to do the filming…

…  I posed a hypothetical question:  if he had the time and / or money, are there things in “KALAMITY” that he would have changed or added to in some way?  He said, well, when you do a film, there are always some things you think about “later” that might have ADDED to its effectiveness.  But, overall, it came out as he’d WANTED it to, so he was satisfied with it as it stands…

…  To a question asked by another audience member, Mr. Hausler said no, the film was NOT based on any “true story” involving his own life…  As to just how he might eventually MARKET the film (such as, would it be in “general” release or put out straight to video or whatever?), he said, NO decision had been made yet about that: it all depends on what “comes up” during their overall special exhibitions & the “reactions” to it…    

…  When I asked about possible FUTURE movie projects, he said he has an idea for a “SLASHER” type movie, which will be funnier & “campier” than the one we just saw…

…  As I stated before, I purposely did not volunteer any of my OWN comments about the movie.  For the sake of information, I want to speak about that a bit at this time:

…  When dealing with very “unusual” incidents and people, it often requires most viewers to be able to have a “suspension of DISBELIEF” to a certain degree.  When the happenings are TOO “outrageous”, it makes it very HARD for a viewer to achieve that --  & that’s a big problem I personally had with this film:

…  After Chris is threatened by angry Jon & then badly hurt by Jon’s bashing his head with a ROCK, Chris acts like “nothing” much happened, supposedly has no “recollection” they’d been arguing (much less that he’d been purposely HIT by Jon), & doesn’t actively try to see a DOCTOR--  talking as if someone might if they’d merely suffered a “paper-cut” or slight skate-boarding mishap or the like…

…  And  then,  when later taken to a hospital by Nick, Chris & Nick just “DITHER around” about what happened, not seeing a clear need to “DO” something concrete about Jon’s actions (much less call the police about the strange things going on to people they supposedly care for)…

 

...  Nick & Chris break into Jon’s place when he’s out of town--  yet the broken-off doorknob & the like seem to be mainly “overlooked” (by Jon when he later returns)… 

…  More importantly, when Chris finds & points out bloody fingerprints on a photo of a girl they know + a bloody cloth,  rather than advise the police that something is very “wrong”, Chris keeps FINGERING the photo & CORRUPTING evidence of likely importance!...

…  The most shockingly “senseless” thing is, when generally “weak” Chris leads Nick to a forested area & they find the bloody BODY of Jon’s ex-girlfriend Ashley (who they’d both liked), they just “TALK” about the discovery in a “detached” way rather than “DOING” something of consequence… 

…  It’s like these (comparatively “with-it”) guys have their own “SCREWS LOOSE”, as if they’ve time & again chugged down a mass of “STUPID” pills.  It’s illogical, ABSURD--  & their failure to do anything really rational leads to more DEATHS in the story…

…  To me, their sudden “idiocy” is just “TOO MUCH” to “accept” in the story line, & just sabotages the scenario & annihilates the audience’s ability to “BUY-INTO” the plot decisions…  It’s a sad thing to see in a film that you’re trying to get people “interested in”, & seems to “cry-out” for the need of getting more “input” from “neutral” 3^rd parties BEFORE going forward with planning the film…

…  Again, it’s just “one person’s opinion”--  but while the postcard “blurb” quotes may well have some accuracy, I feel what I (& a number of others) saw as innate defects will DERAIL a “positive” outcome for the “selling” of such an indie film to a “general” public… I’m afraid that, as constituted, “KALAMITY” IS one…

…  With all the obvious WORK that went into the planning & production, I find that a SAD potential “outcome” for this (& possible future “similar” endeavors)--  & I heartily hope such plot deficiencies are REDUCED in future indie & other projects by Mr. Hausler!…


...  MY RATING on the above:  7.50 of 10 stars