By Bellflower is one of the most intense and memorable movies of the last few years, and I have been excited for Coatwolf Productions’s next venture ever since. The film made excellent use of its ridiculously small $17,000 budget, but I was hoping that the team would get to make something with a few more dollars behind it. Well, now I have a chance to be a honest-to-god hypocrite if I don’t donate to the Indiegogo campaign for the new film, titled Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins. The team is asking for $60,000 in order to help out with super-crazy action sequences that involve things like setting people on fire, setting cars on fire, using boats and helicopters (and maybe fire?), and multiple brawls, one of which is billed as “A ten minute long side-scrolling fight scene,” bringing to mind shades of the hallway fight in Park Chan Wook’s Oldboy.
So that’s all awesome, and if they get more than they asked for? Well, they’re just going to add more awesome. It seems to me that the film could get somewhat disjointed if the group behind it starts putting in extra action scenes just because they got the funds to do them, but I think I’m just going to put my trust in Coatwolf until they’ve given me reason not to. Maybe the brilliance of Bellflower was a one-off event, and future endeavors by the group won’t really be able to hit the same sort of chord, but at least Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins is something different (really, really different). You have to admire that, at least a little bit.
My only issue with the whole thing is with the rewards themselves: they just seem too expensive. The cheapest level that allows for a physical version of the film is $75, which is pretty damn high. Perhaps it’s an Indiegogo thing? I dunno, Kickstarter’d films usually have physical copies around the $50 pledge mark. Either way, I feel kind of obligated to give Evan Glodell and co. the $20 to get a digital copy of the film, if only because I still get shivers thinking about how crazy Bellflower is.
Full PR after the jump
Coatwolf Productions Launches Crowdfunding Campaign
For Chuck Hank and The San Diego Twins
Fans Support Proposed High-Octane Action Sequences on Indiegogo
VENTURA, Calif. (February 6, 2013) – Coatwolf Productions, the team behind the 2011 Sundance indie favorite – Bellflower, officially announced today their kick-off crowdfunding campaign for their forthcoming release, Chuck Hank and The San Diego Twins. The full-length feature, currently in pre-production, will bring the same look and grit that fans have come to expect in a surrealist action/drama influenced heavily by ‘80s action films and side-scrolling fighting games. Indiegogo is hosting their efforts live at http://coatwolf.com.
Supporters can enjoy rare and exclusive perks for supporting Coatwolf’s efforts including premiere tickets, walk-on roles and even shadowing the crew during production. Filled with gritty charm, action and irreverent humor this original story features larger-than-life characters, explosive stunt sequences, scenic Southern California locations and custom high-performance vehicles. Written and directed by Jonathan Keevil (Bellflower) the film will feature members of the beloved Coatwolf crew that fans know and love – including actors Tyler Dawson and Evan Glodell, as well as 2012 Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography nominee, Joel Hodge.
“I think crowdfunding is a better way to finance films and hope that eventually all Coatwolf projects will be made this way. I have been a fan of Jonathan Keevil’s creative work for a long time and am extremely excited to be helping him produce his first feature length film,” says Producer Evan Glodell on supporting the crew’s efforts for the campaign launch. Director Jonathan Keevil also comments on his goal for bringing his vision to the big screen through crowdfunding, “We want to create a visually rich world that honors, but doesn’t exploit, a time when a street fight necessitated brass knuckles, chains, cut-off jean jackets, and HUGE Mohawks.”
SYNOPSIS:
A turf war has been raging in Oldtown for generations. On one side, The Syndicate – an evil gang of crank-head misfits, who have been set on muscling the San Diego family out of the parcel of land they own in the center of town. On the other side, the San Diego family: Tony and Johnny – twin brothers – and their sister Salsa are the last of a bloodline that stretches back for generations. Their mother, father and brothers were all brutally murdered in violent clashes with The Syndicate over the years. Now the Syndicate is set on crushing the last remnants of the San Diego family, and taking over Oldtown for good. When they kidnap Salsa and hold her for ransom, all hell breaks loose. The twins and their best friend Chuck Hank must decide whether to hand over the deed to their family’s land in order to save their sister or fight, the Final Fight!