press kit - doghouse films.

a gun to the head.
a blaine thurier film
PRESS KIT
contact info:
oliver linsley
producer
5792 dunbar street
vancouver, bc
V6N 1W9
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
tag line
good times on the road to hell.
synopsis
A reformed criminal escapes his wife’s dinner party for a quick beer with his cousin and
former partner in crime. Over the course of one wild night, he is dragged back into a
world of drugs , women, guns and gangsters, endangering the lives of those he loves the
most.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
blaine thurier | writer & director
Blaine Thurier is best known as the keyboard player for internationally acclaimed
rock band, The New Pornographers. The videos he has directed for the band have been
praised by The New York Times, Spin Magazine and The Village Voice. Born in
Estevan, Saskatchewan, his first foray into writing and directing led to the feature film
Low Self Esteem Girl, which appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival and
won Best Narrative Feature at the SXSW Film Festival. His second feature film
appeared at Toronto, Slamdance, SXSW, Vancouver and many others.
Blaine just wrapped the crime comedy A Gun to the Head and is currently moving
forward with the sex comedy Teen Lust. When he’s not on the road with his band, he
can be found at home in Vancouver with his wife and three year old son. Blaine also
speaks fluent Japanese.
filmography
a gun to the head - 2009, 86 minutes, feature
male fantasy - 2004, 78 minutes, feature
low self esteem girl - 2000, 96 minutes, feature, winner - best narrative feature sxsw
director’s notes
With a yawning chasm of development in front of me on another project, I needed to get
behind the camera, like, tomorrow. I started writing a story that had been burning in
my brain for years. I wanted to make something fun. Something with thrills and
comedy. Something with guns, girls and drugs but wasn’t, you know, stupid.
Something with a little of my own experience thrown in. The character of Sam the
gangster , for example, is based on a real guy I knew, a guy who carried a pistol and
wore a bullet proof vest. He told me a lot about his life and adventures, adding, “If you
ever write about any of this, I will find you and kill you.” I wrote it anyway.
I wrote A Gun to the Head, brought wild man cinematographer Craig Trudeau on board
and prep began. Producers Oliver Linsley, Greg Milton and Katherine Hazen joined in
and prep ground to a halt. Rightly so. They asked for much needed rewrites and a little
bit of planning before we leaped in head first. Eight weeks later, we all leaped in head
first.
The result is a movie which I hope is funny and exciting and even a little meditative.
Through the lead character, Trevor, the movie explores the universal urge to escape
domestic reality, the search for something else. Of course taking action on this urge
will have consequences, sometimes horrible consequences. As these consequences are
played out, the movie becomes a comment on escapism itself.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
tygh runyan | trevor
Born in Vancouver, Canada, the critically acclaimed young star has established a
reputation for taking creative risks and his versatility. Starring roles in Independent
feature films such as, Emile, opposite Sir Ian McKellen, Various Positions,
(garnered Runyan a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award), Jacob Tierney’s Twist
(Genie Award winning film), Come Together, My Father’s Angel, Kitchen Party, Carl
Bessai’s Unnatural & Accidental, Mort Ranson’s Touched, co-starring Lynn Redgrave,
Sook Yin Lee’s Toronto Stories (premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film festival) and The
Immaculate Conception of Lizzie Dizzle (premiered at 2009 Sundance Film Festival),
Monte Hellman’s Trapped Ashes and the upcoming The Road Nowhere.
Memorable roles in Snakes on a Plane, K19: The Widowmaker with Harrison Ford and
Liam Neeson, Antitrust alongside Ryan Philippe and Tim Robbins, the thriller 15
Minutes, with Robert De Niro and Disturbing Behaviour with Katie Holmes and Nick
Stahl.
Recurring roles in Showtime’s The L-Word and Dead Like Me. Other credits include
USA Networks’ mini series Traffic and he will next appear in the SyFy series Stargate
Universe.
Runyan plays guitar in the Vancouver indie rock band, The Awkward Stage. A twice
Leo nominated composer, Runyan has scored the films Various Positions and Red Deer.
Runyan studied art at the Emily Carr College of Art in Vancouver and he also
established a theatre company in the early 1990s.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
paul anthony | darren
Paul Anthony is the inaugural recipient of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Award
for the most promising newcomer and has been lauded by both the Vancouver Sun and
the Georgia Straight and the up-and-comer to watch. He has performed in over thirty
film and television projects, including Blade Trinity and the Emmy Award winning
Traffic. He has also starred in several feature films including Richard Bell’s Eighteen
opposite Alan Cumming and Ian McKellen. Rob Stefaniuk’s upcoming rock ‘n roll
vampire comedy Suck co-starring Malcom McDowell, Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper. Paul
also co-wrote the critically acclaimed play, The Death of Comedy and currently
produces and hosts his own Vancouver based cable access television variety series,
Paul Anthony’s Talent Time.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
marnie robinson | grace
Born in Vancouver BC, an avid writer as a child, Marnie Robinson made her foray into
acting in junior high, and made a detour after high school to play bass in the Vancouver
band The Dirtmitts. Her various TV and film credits include: CBS’ Flashpoint, The L
Word, recurring on Jeff Ltd., Ving Rhames’ Saving God, Reg Harkema’s A Girl is a Girl
(TIFF ’99), notable mention in Variety! For Moving Malcolm (2003 VIFF Official Selection). She currently resides in Toronto.
benjamin ayres | dwayne
Most recently, Benjamin was nominated for a Leo Award for his portrayal of the chain
smoking, sex addict who is morbidly obsessed with death, ‘Casper Jesperson’ A.K.A.
‘Cancer Cowboy’. Cowboy was one of the lead characters in the critically acclaimed,
cult hit CBC TV series ‘JPod’, based on the Douglas Coupland novel of the same name.
Benjamin worked with the CBC again on the co-produced mini series ‘Diamonds’, shot
in South Africa, England, and Canada, starring Judy Davis, Derek Jacobi, and James
Purefoy. Currently Benjamin is working in Atlanta on the WB’s new TV series ‘Vampire
Diaries’. When finished he will be heading to Toronto to begin filming, as a series
regular, a new CTV series called ‘Dan for Mayor’.
sarah lind | audrey
Sarah Lind is a Vancouver based actress with many credits in film and television. She’s
won awards and has done some other stuff too. Look her up.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
sarah edmondson | karen
With a versatile career spanning film, television, theatre and voice, Vancouver born
Sarah Edmondson recently starred in the Lifetime TV movies: Killer Hair, Hostile
Makeover and My Name is Sarah. On the indie front, she garnered two Leo nominations
for her roles in Awkward and another festival fave, Sparklelite Motel.
ben cotton | kurt
Ben Cotton recently co-starred in CBS’s “Harper’s Island” and can be seen in the soon to
be released comedy “Stan Helsing” starring Kenan Thompson and Leslie Nielsen.
Previous TIFF entries include “Mothers & Daughters”, “Edison & Leo”, “A Simple
Curve”, and “The Cabin Movie”.
ali liebert | jill
Raised in Duncan, British Columbia, Ali Liebert had a keen interest in performing from
a very early age. After graduating from high school, Ali attended the Canadian
College of Performing Arts in Victoria for two years before moving to Vancouver to
pursue her dream of becoming a successful television and film actress. In just a few
years she has gone from playing bit parts to being the Guest Star and Recurring Cast
on popular television series such as “Psych”, Intelligence”, “Robson Arms” and many
others. 2008 proved to be a busy year for Ali. She starred in Sook-Yin Lee’s film “Year
of the Carnivore”, had recurring roles on CBS’s “Harper’s Island” and ABC Family’s
“Kyle XY as well as juicy roles in the films “Hardwired” and “The Break Up Artist”.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
oliver linsley | producer
Founder of Doghouse Films, Oliver Linsley has been working in film in Vancouver for
nine years. Starting as a production coordinator on commercials, his experience as a
producer now ranges from independent film, commercials to music videos. Working for
a wide range of filmmakers is what keeps work interesting for Oliver, but making films
is still the driving force behind his ambition to have the most successful career in the
industry as possible.
Currently he has just completed two feature films: “MACHOTAILDROP”, a Corey Adams
and Alex Craig film, a dark comedy set in the world of skateboarding, “A Gun to the
Head” the latest Blaine Thurier film, in addition to “Big Head”, a short film by Dylan
Akio Smith. All three are premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.
In addition to these projects, Oliver is producing “Beyond the Black Rainbow” a psi
thriller which will shoot in late summer.
Formerly, Oliver was an accountant, and holds a degree in Art History with a minor in
visual arts. For some reason, film is more fun than that other stuff.
katherine hazen | co-producer
Katherine moved to vancouver in September 2008 by accident, and had the good
fortune to be adopted by the Doghouse family. Previously, she worked as an assistant
director on a variety of projects, including Dylan Akio Smith’s Big Head, Jeremy
Podeswa’s Fugitive Pieces, and the Gemini award winning CBC series Triple Sensation.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
craig trudeau | cinematographer
Craig Trudeau lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. As of August 2009, Craig has
completed two feature films, Machotaildrop and A Gun to the Head - both of which will
premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. The third film, a documentary with Jean Beniot, the last living parisian surrealist, is currently in production.
Trudeau sleeps with a Super 8 under the pillow, loads Aaton mags blindfolded, and
should be considered armed and ready to roll. Prone to relentless documentation, he is
known to shoot subjects from Moscow to Regina.
nicholas shepherd | editor
Nicholas Shepard has been a film editor since 1998, when he completed the Film
Foundation program at Vancouver Film School. Nicholas’s recent credits include the
television series “Bodog Battle of the Bands,” and the feature film “A Gun to the Head,”
a new project by Blaine Thurier which is premiering at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival.
In 2008, Nicholas was the senior editor for the Liberal Party federal campaign, and also
edited Michael Dayan’s award winning documentary “Glimpses of Heaven.”
Nicholas has edited music videos for artists such as Sarah McLachlan, GOB, State of
Shock and Josh Martinez, and has cut a wide range of commercials and corporate
video. A lover of animation, Nicholas has edited on Sextant’s “Aargh, It’s the Mr. Hell
Show!”, and Bardel’s “Edgar & Ellen” and “WordWorld,” after returning to the
Vancouver Film School to complete the 3D Animation & Digital Effects program.
Nicholas owns and operates Revolution Media Inc., which specializes in post-production
services. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Socio-Cultural Anthropology, and a
Masters degree in Business Administration.
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796
credit list
writer / director
blaine thurier
trevor
darren
sam
grace
dwayne
audrey
kurt
karen
zach
jill
amber
tygh runyan
paul anthony
hrothgar mathews
marnie robinson
benjamin ayres
sarah lind
ben cotton
sarah edmondson
craig anderson
ali liebert
christine sutcliffe
producer
co-producer
co-producer
oliver linsley
katherine hazen
greg milton
cinematographer
editor
composer
sound recordist
sound supervisor
colourist
music supervisor craig trudeau
nicholas shepard
b camera operators
jonathan cruise
peter hagge
art director
jeffrey halladay
ja pace
2nd unit director
stunt coordinator
stunts
spfx
props
brett chan
ken tran
andrew chin
fraser aitcheson
brant mcillroy
warren zieper
costume designer
wardrobe assistant
hair & make up
hair & make up assist
kathi moore
jen pirie
briana scott
kendall packman
production assistants
marlowe antonucci
andrew barkman
stefan udell
john hazen
nicholas shepard
jennifer lanchart
doghouse films | www.doghousefilms.ca | 604 418 0796