Indie
[BD Review] ‘Whitewash’ Advises Against Drinking and Snow Plowing
But this is where writer-director Eamneul Hoss-Desmarais shifts gears on us. What could be a simple tale of a murder cover-up becomes a brooding character study in which flashbacks clue us in on who the dead man is and why Bruce felt compelled to murder his ass with a bulldozer.
In between these flashbacks, Bruce wanders the snowy forest in search of warmth and food. Along the way we’re treated to his anxious narration, which amounts to him attempting to convince himself that he did nothing wrong. The flashbacks reveal that Bruce is a lonely, alcoholic widower who’s been out of job since he got shit-faced and drove his bulldozer (that he uses as a snow plow) into a chicken joint. The corpse is Paul (Marc Labreche), an opportunistic gambler who befriends Bruce under some drastic circumstances.
How it came to this – Paul’s corpse buried under a blanket of snow in the Quebec woods – is gradually revealed as Eamneul’s comedy-of-errors plays out against the stark landscape. Like most great black comedies, Bruce’s fate is sealed by a sequence of shitty happenstances that completely blindside him. He’s not the most sympathetic guy, but you can’t help but feel for him as providence continues to drop one awful circumstance after another onto his lap. It’s not just the below freezing temperatures either. Bruce encounters vacationing yuppies, inquisitive hikers, and nosy neighbors as he just tries to get some damn gas for the bulldozer.
Throughout it all, Thomas Haden Church delivers a great deadpan performance. I loved the hell outta him in Killer Joe, and while Bruce has a little more brains than his character in that film, there’s still that “awww, dammit, why me” kinda demeanor. Over time, he develops a bizarre relationship with the bulldozer. Stuck out in the woods, it’s his only shelter, but he starts to mistrust the machine on an almost spiritual level. He talks to it and practices how he’s going to blame the murder on it. His inner ramblings combined with the bleak tone of the story make Whitewash a unique and wholly interesting experience. It’s like dark comedy by way of Jack London.
Whitewash is currently available from Oscilloscope Laboratories on all digital platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, and XBOX Live.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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