“Welcome to Willits.”
If two movie-making brothers are successful, that phrase could mean more than a friendly greeting to outsiders passing through town on Main Street.
It is the title of a full-length, in-production movie by Tim and Trevor Ryan, who were born and raised in upstate New York, but have lived in California for many years, including Mendocino County.
Tim, who wrote the screenplay, said he lived in Willits off and on while Trevor, who directs it, has lived in Ukiah. They said those experiences contributed to choosing the town of Willits as the namesake for this movie and a short film that preceded it.
“It dates back several years,” Tim explained in a phone interview. “Willits is part of the ‘Emerald Triangle.’ I was talking with friends and we thought this would be a great place for a horror movie.”
The Emerald Triangle refers to Mendocino, Humbolt and Trinity counties, which long have had a reputation for their marijuana-growing culture.
“Welcome to Willits: After Sundown,” the original short, was a “proof of concept,” Tim explained. “It’s something you create to show to potential fans and others in the industry” to develop a following and possible investors or developers.
The plot of the original was essentially about “a pot grower who doesn’t want people on his land,” Tim said. The story evolves into his being visited by real or imagined space aliens and the paranoia that develops.
The short was presented at the South by Southwest film festival where it attracted the attention of backers for the full-length film.
Despite having Willits in the title, the town sees very little screen time.
“We planned to get some shots in the area, but California has become the most expensive place in the world (to shoot movies),” Tim said. “The cost is high; there are no tax incentives. You go to Louisiana or Georgia, they’re very good for providing tax incentives. That’s good for the local economy, not so good for California.”
The brothers said they contacted Willits about shooting in the town but never heard back from city officials.
“We want to make it clear that we wish we could have shot more there,” Trevor emphasized. “We’re disappointed we couldn’t do more, but we hope people will come out and watch.”
Nevertheless, Willits could have more of a role in the movie.
“We’re planning to come to Willits to get some shots, to capture the feel of the town,” Trevor said.
Trevor said most of the film has been shot and some of it has been sent to an editor to begin the process of creating a rough cut.
The movie has little connection to the original short other than a basic theme.
“It’s sort of a throwback to ‘80s horror films with some science fiction thrown in,” Trevor said.
“When Trevor and I were growing up, we watched a lot of movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Children of the Corn,” Tim added. “That really influenced us. We like most genres of film but mostly horror.”
The “Welcome to Willits” plot is summarized on IMDb.com: “Deep in the Northern California woods, in the heart of the notorious Emerald Triangle, lies a remote cabin. The residents struggle to fight off the repeated attacks and abductions by mysterious creatures that have plagued them for years. When a local pot farmer is caught up with a wayward group of campers, the situation quickly escalates into total carnage.”
It’s a cautionary story about drugs like meth, Tim explained. It is meant to get across the message that law enforcement should not focus as much on prosecuting marijuana when “meth is really a damaging drug and should draw a little more attention.”
In his role as director, Trevor gives kudoes to the cast, which includes a number of actors with strong resumes.
“I had the pleasure of working with an amazing cast,” Trevor said. “Bill Sage (“American Psycho,” “We Are What We Are”) did a fantastic job as the lead, Brock. Sabina Gadecki (“Entourage”) played his wife, and Anastasia Baranova from the show “Z Nation” played Brock’s niece, Courtney.
“And we were thrilled to get Dolph Lundgren’s involvement. I can’t wait to see how the audience reacts to his work. I think it’s going to be a really special film thanks to all the talented people involved.”
Distribution is uncertain at this point. Trevor Ryan said a deal is in the works with Event Films, which is likely to coincide with a video-on-demand release.
They also said they intend to have one of the first screenings in Willits. “We’d like to reach out to Noyo (Theatre),” Tim added. “We haven’t done that yet.”
Lois Hoover, Noyo owner, said she would be interested in seeing what the filmmakers have in mind.
“I wouldn’t commit to it yet” Hoover said. “I would like to make sure it has a certain level of production value. I’d like to know what they have in mind – a premiere, do they want to make an event of it.”
While the “Willits” films have an attachment to horror and drugs, Tim added, “We think it will get a favorable reaction. It wasn’t meant to reflect negatively on Willits.”
Posted: 07 Feb 2016, 12:25
