Shot and produced in Port Townsend, Washington, RELEASE THE HEAD is a story about a new-age drifter (played by Steve Gillard—CHETZEMOKA'S CURSE-DOGME #10, THE HIGDEN MAN,) who returns to his home town where his ex-wife still resides, to try and start a new religion, called “Sol-Luna.” Because he can talk-the-talk he’s able to convince a gullible young man (John Barnum, co-lead in THE HIGDEN MAN), to join his cause. Inadvertently, the young side-kick does some actual good as he circulates around Port Townsend, Washington, preaching “the word.” He becomes an eager ear for various towns people, hearing real-life stories about setbacks, family pain, and miracles, helping us to remember that “we are all our own messiahs.
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RELEASE THE HEAD was a three-way collaboration between myself, Stephen W. Gillard and John Barnum. It holds a lot of great memories of Port Townsend, Washington, USA, where we shot in 2002. So many amazing people and musicians helped us pull it off. It was finally cut and released in 2004. And for those who desire more behind-the-scenes info, I gave it a good nine-page description in my book "Extreme DV" (Penguin/Random House Books, ©2004).
So here's a list of the PORT TOWNSEND collaborators; musicians and actors/non-actors who made this movie possible. Please let them know you appreciate their fine efforts (find them on fb, or..?):
MUSICIANS
Before I get to thanking CAST, I want to highlight the work of Marc Gizzi, singer, songwriter and performer of the title track, "Second Coming's Coming." His assembled band included Bret Pemberton (drums), Todd Fisher (bass), my son Marlon Schmidt (organ and piano solos), plus beautiful vocals by Sylvia Heins in the end credit melody. "Like a Ship" and "Very Best Night of the Year," by legendary duo Robert Force and Albert D'Ossche, were a great gift, as was the original poem-songs by Jabez Richard and Silas Holm serenading tourists (and our co-lead actor John Barnum) out on the PORT TOWNSEND, WA pier.
CAST
Katrina Eggert (AMERICAN ORPHEUS), performed beautifully as a perfect disaffected maid at the Waterstreet Hotel. Desk Clerk there, Mary Hewit, and other hotel maid Janice Streitler were lovely additions, as was cashier Kalya Hubbard at the Wandering Wardrobe clothing store. Also, thanks to Karen Graham for letting us shoot at Insatiables Bookstore. John and Anchalee Sheehan at Dogs-a-foot Cafe, showed the secrets of their great dogs, and Benson Davis read from an 'enlightenment' pamphlet. Bob Varteresian talked about his 80 foot wooden schooner from the 1880s, and how he attained it against all earthly logic. Susan McKinney at the Port Townsend Antique Mall, told how she became "an ambassador for herself.' Chris Hook joined in at Steve Gillard's small (and mysterious) gathering to 'expand consciousness' as did the Cesmet family; Michelle, father Roger, and Christa (THANKS ALL! A lot of laughs there!). And the Gillard family went all-out again for me (as they did for Chetzemoka's Curse). THANKS AGAIN Joe, Jessica, Steve and Sue Gillard, plus Jennifer and Margaret Rickard!
OPENING PARK SCENE
For our 'release the head" scene at Chetzemoka's Park, thanks to our cheerful and attentive audience of Vernon Jarvi, wife Delores Jarvi, Thomas E. Swanson, and Cheryl Berry. So sweet of them all, to play our game with Steve Gillard's pontificating, on that sunny video-making day!
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“Thirty-five plus years after his 1975 feature filmmaking debut, American Independent Rick Schmidt remains a free-wheeling derring-do filmmaker holding fast to the notion that people’s real lives are more truly dramatic, hilarious, exciting and as exasperating as those manufactured by Hollywood’s minions. Most everyone falls in and out of love, rejects and gets rejected, contends with failure and success, hatred, ambition, the death of loved ones...It’s all there.
To capture real life on film, Schmidt fashions a creative weave out of the threads of narrative, documentary, and docu-drama film forms. His actors draw on their own experience enabling him to create a unique blend of fact and fiction. In the end, Schmidt makes art and life intermingle and imitate each other.
Aware that the American Dream factory financiers would never fund his films, Schmidt, undeterred, remains the maven of low, low-budget feature filmmaking.”
— Vic Skolnick, CINEMA ARTS CENTRE
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