Angry and…obese?
A new horror project executive produced by horror icon Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Robot Jox, From Beyond, Stuck) has hit the crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter, and is seeking a mere $50,000.
Jack Alvino and Garo Setian are co-directing Glutton For Punishment from their own screenplay
Glutton For Punishment is a horror-thriller feature film about an obese man pushed to the edge. A combination of Falling Down, Seven, American Psycho and “Breaking Bad,” the film is a satirical commentary on our weight obsessed culture.
“Just shy of 500 pounds, Jack Sweet, 34, is an honest, passive, funny, genuinely good guy. He works hard and just wants acceptance and love in his life. But in a culture that values the way you look above all else, such things prove impossible for him to come by.
He is the most productive worker at his job, and easily outsells his co-workers 3 to 1. But because of his weight, he is continually mocked by his fellow employees and is always denied the promotion he so deeply desires.
Jack juggles the pressures of his job with caring for his overweight, housebound father, Fred. Fred is ill and can’t get the life saving surgery he needs because his doctor refuses to operate on a man so grossly overweight. It is too much of a “risk.”
To make matters worse, wherever Jack goes, he is subject to the usual prejudices set against fat people. People stare at him, women won’t give him the time of day and everyone he encounters relentlessly picks on him. The hyper-beautiful world around Jack walks all over him, pushing him down…down…down.
But when Jack’s dad passes away and Jack is unfairly let go from his job for confronting his bosses on the promotion he rightfully deserved – Jack snaps! He goes off the deep end and begins a brutal murderous rampage seeking vengeance against all those that have wronged him.
Ironically, these killings give Jack a newly found sense of confidence. He begins to care less about how the world sees him and grows more comfortable in his own skin. He is even able to ask the girl of his dreams out on a date!
Jack even starts to attend pro-active fat pride meetings and learns that he is not the only one who has faced these weight-related problems. He listens to the stories of other tortured overweight people and this only fuels Jack’s fire!
Now Jack’s killing spree becomes a crusade to stomp out the last acceptable prejudice in America – the prejudice against overweight people!
The audience will root for Jack right down to the last scene, as he doles out the justice, super-sized!!! Will Jack get away and find the love and acceptance he so desperately craves? Or will his violent actions have deadly consequences?
Garo is an award-winning trailer editor who has cut over 260 trailers and television spots for motion pictures. He has been nominated for twenty Golden Trailer Awards, and in 2008 won three for his trailers for The Eye 3 (best foreign horror), Drive-Thru (Trashiest trailer) and the Marvel animated feature Doctor Strange (best anime).
Garo is also an award-winning filmmaker. His short film “Partners in Crime” (A children’s film combining clay animation and live action) won seven awards, was a regional finalist in the Student Academy Awards and was screened at thirteen film festivals and Russian television.
Alvino directed and produced numerous short films, including producing the horror short, “Fat”, directed by Garo Setian, as well as the Award winning science fiction short film, The Last Actor, directed by George Krstic. Alvino and Setian reunited as a producer and director team for the horror short, The Drifter, which was just recently featured at the New York City Horror Film Festival.
Alvino then produced the multiple-award winning inspirational drama feature film, Beyond The Pale, starring Malachy McCourt and Roger Davis. This film aired on Showtime and television channels in England and Ireland.
Alvino’s numerous credits include writing for Cartoon Network’s action comedy series, “Megas XLR,” and penning many scripts for Jetix’s animated comedy series, “Pucca,” for which he won a 2006 Leo award for best original screenplay.