October 25, 2011 at 3:34pm
DEAR CITY'S JEFF STILLWELL BEGINS FIRST FEATURE FILM >>>
Did I go to Wendy's twice yesterday?
Comedian Jim Gaffigan jokes that lofty contemplations like the one above eventually creep into his brain during church services. If make that noble pilgrimage every Sunday, you probably from time to time can relate to Gaffigan's spiritual ennui.
Even as a youngster, Jeff Stillwell could sense restlessness in his fellow parishioners. "It was one of those churches where everyone seems pretty bored," he recalls. But while others passed the hour by mentally balancing their checkbooks or doodling on donation envelopes in the pews, Stillwell's imagination soared.
"I always wondered, ‘What is going on behind the scenes at this church? Why would people keep coming back to this place?'"
Out of these simple questions comes his first feature-length screenplay, Henryk (pronounced "hen-REEK"). Stillwell (also acting as director and co-producer with Alex Flenniken) describes the story as neo-noir. And Henryk includes an essential character from that gritty genre: the cop-as-antihero, in this case named Julian Grey. Set in Hoquiam, what begins as an investigation into the disappearance of his friend's fiancé unravels into a most unholy battle against the satanic cult lording over this seemingly quiet coastal town.
Barely a month into production, Stillwell has already put together an odd little teaser for the movie. It immediately draws you in by juxtaposing a golly-gee-whiz-sunshine Christian hymn with a man wearing a goat's head prowling around suburbia. Either it's autumn, or David Lynch's shadow has descended over the Northwest. I think both.
Though he shares his musical talents as the one-man band Dear City, Olympia resident Stillwell has also dabbled as a film actor, earlier this year starring with Ashley Cozine (A Perfect Life) in the Tacoma short Dessert and Suicide. Now he feels ready for that quantum leap forward into calling the shots on a feature film set.
"I've really prepared for this project, Henryk, by being an actor ... just because I've spent so many hours on set, and I've figured out how it works and where time gets wasted and things like that," Stillwell says.
Keep tabs on the film's progress by visiting www.henrykmovie.weebly.com.
News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.
Thanks for posting! But I want say that Walkie Talkies are really required while organizing fun...
Really nice album. I have already purchased Vedder's Album. Listening to the song of this album,...
about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit
Your post contains very beneficial content. Kindly keep sharing such post.
Vedder's album is really nice. I have heard attentively
about Eddie Vedder’s "Ukulele Songs" available today - and I don’t hold a candle to that shit
amazing information for getting the new ideas thanks for sharing a post
about 5 Things To Do Today: Art Chantry, DIY home improvement, "A Shot In The Dark" ...
446th Airlift Wing, 5 Things To Do, 62nd Airlift Wing, 7th Infantry Division, Air Force, All Ages, Army, Arts, Awards, Benefits, Best of Olympia, Best of TAcoma, Bobble Tiki, Books, Business, Camp Murray, Ceremony, Chainsuck, Classical Music, Comedy, Comment The The Day, Community, Concerts, Condemn or Allow?, Contest, Day Tripper, Deals, Defense Department, Deployment, DJ/Electronica, Events, Facebook, Fashion, Federal Way, Fife, Fircrest, Food & Drink, Future Things Are Coming, Games, Gay Rights, Genius, Gig Harbor, Green Crush, Happy Hour Hug, Health, History, Holidays, Honors, I Corps, In Their Words, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Judging by the Trailer, Keeping Up With The Coffeehouses, Kids, Lacey, Lakewood, Legislature, Madigan Army Medical Center, Marines, McChord Field, Media, Memorial, Military, Milton, Morning Joe, Music, National Guard, Navy, Nerd Alert!, New Beer Column, News To Us, Night Moves, Not Cool, Olympia, Outdoor Addict, outdoors, Photo Hot Spot, Podcast, Pop Culture, Poster of the Day, Puyallup, Radio, Rangers, Retail, Rocket Science, ROTC, Ruston, Schools, Screens, Sex, Shout Out, South Sound Sidekick, Spanaway, Special Forces, Sports, Steilacoom, Strykers, Summer Tip, Sumner, Tacoma, Talking Shop, The Mouth, Theater, Tightwad, Tournament of Burgers, Tournament of Mac and Cheese, Training, Travel, Twitter, University Place, USO, Veterans, Video Hot Spot, Volunteer, Web/Tech, Word, Wounded Warrior
Read Comments