Callback: The Unmaking of Bloodstain MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -4

Jeff Parise, Michael Degood, Kate Orsini, Johnny Moreno, Jennifer Hall. Comedy/satire. Written by Michael Degood, Erick M. Wolfson. Directed by Erick M. Wolfson. In limited release.

FILM SYNOPSIS: This dark comedy has to do with a film production going terribly wrong in the first days of shooting. The actors and director examine the chain of events that caused the film to go spiraling out of control.

Marci McFadden is an up-and-coming director helming the production of her first feature. Unfortunately, shes got three strikes against her: her actors. Tony is a recovering schizophrenic, with a dynamic but dangerous alter ego. Carl is a reluctant thug with no talent whose uncle is financing the film. Peter is a classically trained actor making his living working at a phone sex line. Through frequent flashbacks, we discover that these men have a shared history, one that threatens to overtake the entire production.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Its a creative premise, one done in mockumentary fashion as it lampoons the filmmaking process and those who seek stardom with no awareness of their limitations. Theres some funny stuff, and as I said, its creative. For me, however, it was hampered by a low budget and the incessant four-letter word dialogue.

DVD alternatives: The Mouse That Roared or The Lady Killers, both from Ealing Studios and both starring Peter Sellers.

The Mouse That Roared. Every time I see a film that attempts satire, I come back to this Peter Sellers classic. This English comedy has a small country declaring war on the U.S. in order to get federal relief from the conquering America.

The Ladykillers. The 1955 British version with Alec Guinness, Herbert Lom, and Peter Sellers has a satirical bite. Lacking the crude language of the remake, it settles for wit and snappy storytelling. Here Alec Guinness and his gang are more eccentric than outlandish, and just as hysterical.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Jaffle Productions