Will Feast be a bounty for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck - 9.25.2006.2

Fans of horror films, Mr. Wes Craven and Project Greenlight rejoice. Yes after 2 years of waiting the movie has finally arrived. I am referring to Feast, the film by first-time director John Gulager, and first-time writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. The Bravo network television program Project Greenlight gave these individuals a chance to make a film and filmed the process from start to finish.

Some may recall the show. It was quite interesting to see Mr. Gulager slowly break out of his shell and win over the cast and crew with his unique vision for the script. Rarely do we get to see the intense travails it takes to make a film, especially for those who have never done so before. In the bits and pieces of the film you get to see being made, curiosity and understanding mix to compel a desire to see the finished product. Or at least it has for me. The fact that in watching Greenlight I gained an appreciation for the director makes me want to root for this underdog all the more.

The film was supposed to be released back in 2005, but was delayed. It seems that it needed more work in post-production. That of course costs money, which was beyond what Greenlight could provide (even though Mr. Matt Damon and Mr. Ben Affleck are producers), which is the reality all filmmakers run into from time to time (like Mr. Spike Lee’s Malcolm X). But in this case the Maloof brothers stepped in and provided almost ¾ of a million dollars to finish the film. As I recall the original budget was 2 million, so this infusion was quite significant. The fact that it was made on the basis of a rough cut of the film has to say something to its overall quality.

Sadly the film will have a mere 200 theatre release, but a massive DVD campaign is being launched. This could be better if part of the outtakes include some of the material from the Project Greenlight program, or hopefully new scenes. While the cast may not be household names, Mr. Henry Rollins and Mr. Jason Mewes should sound familiar.

So if you don’t mind watching something you are not expecting, I’d suggest buying the DVD. If you do, let me and the other readers know what you think.

This is what I think, what do you think?