Nobody Goes to Hell for Love...

Wolfclan Productions, in association with Deebo Pictures & Highland Myst Entertainment present: FREAKS Matthew Stephen Tompkins, Chuck Huber, Angela Chase, Jonathan Brooks. Cinematography: Alan Lefebvre. Editing: Steven Baker. Produced by: Matthew Stephen Tompkins. Co-Produced by: Michael Crabtree & Jon Keeyes. Written and Directed by: Michael Crabtree. Running time: 99 min. www.oddmanoutthemovie.com FREAKS – Synopses Short Synopsis:

Are the things that make us freaks on the outside or the inside? For Mike and Matt Turner, two brothers in love with the same woman, Gracie, and crippled literally and figuratively by the demons of sibling rivalry and bone deep jealousy, the answer will have very real and terrifying repercussions. One thing is for sure: NOBODY goes to Hell for Love.

Set against the backdrop of a small town and the largest, most famous, haunted, and macabre antiques store in Texas, FREAKS is an emotionally potent and darkly comedic psychological thriller about the damaged and dysfunctional Turner Family.

Long Synopsis:

Set against the backdrop of a small town and the largest, most famous, haunted, and macabre antique store in Texas, FREAKS is a complicated, darkly comedic, and emotionally potent psychological thriller about the damaged and dysfunctional Turner Family.

Two brothers, Mike and Matt, one able-bodied and haunted by the horrifically detailed memories of his childhood that he can't shut off, and the other wheelchair-bound after a terrible childhood accident. Both of them are crippled in their own way and both of them are in love with the same woman: Gracie, who’s now Matt’s wife.

Matt seemingly has it all. Brother Mike has returned after years away and a lifetime of being overlooked, left out, and pushed aside. He is the dark-hearted Prodigal Son coming home to lay claim to what he thinks is his.

Under the watchful and deeply suspicious eyes of the now bitter, elderly, and largely silent Mother and the strange caretaker of the family business, Orvis Scuttle, Mike moves back in to the big, new family house built on the ashes of the home they grew up in, with all the wrenching memories buried far below.

Orvis is the unofficial “third brother” of the family: an outcast from the world at large, but master of his own special inner world. He will see right away what Mike is up to. Others won’t, until it is too late.

As the demons of sibling rivalry, bone deep jealousy, and maddeningly unrequited love take hold, FREAKS begins to ask a very important question: Are the things that make us freaks on the outside or the inside? Are the Turner brothers ready for the very real and terrifying answer? One thing is for sure... NOBODY goes to Hell for Love. FREAKS– Selected Photos

Mike Turner (Matthew Tompkins) plans a monstrous evening’s “entertainment” for his brother, Matt and his wife, Gracie,

The angelic Gracie (Angela Chase) is Matt’s wife, but also the unrequited love of troubled Mike’s life.

Orvis Scuttle (Jonathan Brooks) will see the “real” Mike long before anyone else does.

Mike (Matthew Tompkins) lays out the deadly “rules of the game” to Gracie (Angela Chase) and his brother Matt (Chuck Huber). Selected Photos (Cont.)

Orvis (Jonathan Brooks) is Mike’s first target in the game for Gracie.

Matt (Chuck Huber) has no choice but to play the game.

Gracie (Angela Chase) is caught in Mike’s sights.

Mike (Matthew Tompkins) makes his move. “The game’s afoot!” FREAKS– Cast Matthew Stephen Tompkins (Mike Turner) has a long list of credits both in front of the camera as an actor, and behind it as writer, producer, and director. He starred, co-wrote, co- produced and co-directed the feature , The Fragility of Seconds (Vanguard Cinema/Princ ), starred and co- produced the feature, Killing Down (Blue Sky Media/Maverick Entertainment Group), and starred and co-produced the feature film, Radiant (Vanguard Cinema/R-Squared Films). Other selected film credits include: Parkland, Spilt Milk, Machete, Missionary Man, Living & Dying, Doonby, Phobia, The Mechanical Grave, and the upcoming Nightmare Box, Bad Asses, and The Harrowing. TV work includes: Prison Break, Chase, Friday Night Lights, The Good Guys, War of the Ewings, To Serve & Protect, In Plain Sight, Logan’s War, some 20 episodes of the Emmy-honored hit PBS series, Wishbone, and 15 episodes in various co-starring roles through multiple seasons of Walker, Texas Ranger. Stage works include his NY Times-lauded performance as Nelson Algren in the Off-Broadway smash, Transatlantic Liaison. He is a seven-time winner of the Dallas Theater Critics Award for Best Actor in such roles as King Henry II in Becket, Lenny in Of Mice and Men, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons, and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the title role in Othello

Chuck Huber (Matt Turner) is an accomplished stage and voice actor, and writer. Branching out, he’s directed and co- written the upcoming comedy feature, Arbor Day: The Musical. He had a starring role in the feature film, The Fragility of Seconds, which he also co-wrote and co- produced. He can be seen in the films, Parkland and The Mechanical Grave. Major voice work includes Z, , Full Metal Alchemist, Yu Yu Hakusho, and many other anime. As writer, he’s adapted the English-language screenplays for many anime. Stage work includes Bolingbroke in Richard II and Hank in Marvin’s Room, both at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.

Jonathan Brooks (Orvis Scuttle) is a stage and screen actor. He can be seen in the films: The Playroom, Phobia, Arbor Day: The Musical, Seasons of Gray, The Retrieval, and The Mechanical Grave. TV work includes the series: Chase and Friday Night Lights. Stage works include Korvin in The Black Monk, Malcolm in Macbeth, and Clov in Endgame. He’s also a musician, and voiced the part of Foxy the Silver Fox in the TV series, One Piece. FREAKS– Cast (Cont.)

Angela Chase (Gracie Turner) is well-known as a radio personality and production director in Dallas- Ft. Worth at the stations 97.1 “The Eagle,” 102.1 “The Edge,” and 102.9 “NOW.” She acted in the short films: Wash, Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over, and the hour-long film, The Life Experiment. FREAKS is her feature-film acting debut.

Gail Cronauer (Mother) is an accomplished stage and screen actor, and acting teacher. Gail is one of three Texas actresses honored by the USA Film Festival for her career. Film work includes Boys Don’t Cry, Beyond the Farthest Star, JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, The Newton Boys, and Dr. T and the Women. TV work includes HEFNER: Unauthorized, Murder in the Heartland, and Walker, Texas Ranger. Stage roles include Maria Callas in Master Class, Lucille in Dividing the Estate, and the title role in the rock n’ roll Shakespearean update: Richard 3.

Trey Walpole (Noakes) is an actor and composer. Film roles include Upstream Color, Phobia, The Mechanical Grave, Takedown, and the upcoming The Harrowing. TV roles include Wishbone, Sons of the Brotherhood, and Big Yellow A-hole. Theater roles include Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Brother Charles in Incorruptible, and Coleman in The Lonesome West. Trey composed the original music for the short film, Odds or Evens.

Laurel Whitsett (Laurie) is a stage and screen actor and acting teacher. Film work includes Radiant, The Overbrook Brothers, Super, Premonition, Splinter, and Dr. T and the Women. TV work includes Queen Sized, Not Like Everyone Else, Everyday Life, and Walker, Texas Ranger. Stage Roles include Phoenix in The Kiss at City Hall, and the Governess in Turn of the Screw. FREAKS -- Production Crew

Michael Crabtree (Writer, Director, and Co-Producer) FREAKS is Michael Crabtree's feature-film directorial debut from his original script after a long career as an actor, as well as writing and producing documentaries and shorts. Film appearances include Temple Grandin, Life of David Gale, Tender Mercies, The Alamo, Fragility Of Seconds, Dancer Texas, Pop. 81, Phobia, The Mechanical Grave, and the upcoming The Harrowing. TV work includes the mini-series North and South, Chase, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Matthew Stephen Tompkins (Producer) Matthew Tompkins founded Wolfclan Productions to develop and produce quality, multi- with high production values for modest budgets. Matthew’s other award-winning productions, screened and distributed world-wide, include: Radiant (Best of Fest, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Fest Favorite-CineVegas Film Festival, distributed by Mystic Pictures), The Mechanical Grave, The Fragility of Seconds (Gold REMI Award (Top Prize) - Best Drama, WORLDFEST, distributed through Mystic Pictures & Vanguard Cinema), Killling Down, (distributed by New Films International) and the upcoming features: Nightmare Box, and The Harrowing.

Jon Keeyes (Co-Producer) Jon Keeyes began his movie career as an entertainment journalist. He’s published over 300 movie-related articles and interviews, and edited two books on the history of horror films. Jon then moved into feature film production as director and screenwriter. Among his credits are American Nightmare (director/writer), Suburban Nightmare (director/writer), Hallow’s End (director), Mad Bad (director), Phobia (director), The Harrowing (director/writer), Living & Dying (director/writer) and Fall Down Dead (director). Living & Dying was released to the European theatrical market through Warner Bros. and domestically by HBO Video. Fall Down Dead had an international theatrical release through Warner Bros., a U.S. limited theatrical release, and a TV release via . 2014 will see the release of Nightmare Box. Jon is also an Academy Award Semi-Finalist with his short film, Angela’s Body. Jon also directed and produced the award winning steam-punk short film, The Mechanical Grave. Production Crew (Cont.)

Alan Lefebvre (Cinematographer). Alan has lensed numerous features, shorts and TV series. Features include the upcoming Infiltrators, plus Spilt Milk, Fissure, Killing Down, and Lebensborn. TV series include the Warner Bros. Web Original: Exposed, and Pink. He’s the owner of Best Film & Video, and has hundreds of credits producing, directing, shooting, and editing for commercials, corporate video, documentary, and theatrical.

Steven Baker (Editor & Digital Colorist) Steve did the editing of picture, sound, music, and Foley, plus digital coloring on the feature films: Radiant, The Fragility of Seconds, and the upcoming The Harrowing. He’s also the editor/colorist and co-producer/co-director of the documentary short, Nick Wells: Golden Gloves, Golden Years.

Orvis Scuttle (Jonathan Brooks) sees the full extant of Mike’s brutal intentions. Production Notes & Press:

This First Time Director Is No Odd Man Out by Tommy G. Kendrick Can A First -Time Director Make A Good Movie? Well, of course. But it is not going to be easy. Every movie director was once a ‘first time director’ so what’s the big deal? Am I using ‘first time director’ as an excuse in the discussion of Michael Crabtree’s FREAKS? Or maybe as a pejorative term? Neither.

In fact in this case I think the tag ‘first time director’ can be viewed as something of a badge of honor. Let’s think about this ‘first time director’ thing. How many first time directors in the indie sector begin a project but never finish? I don’t have a number but I know anecdotally that the number is LARGE.

What steps can the first time director take to help ensure that his or her project will not collapse from the weight or too much responsibility in too few hands? How can the first time director succeed?

Since I have screened FREAKS, I can truthfully say that Crabtree has exceeded expectations for most any director, not just a first time director with his work on this movie. Location, Location, Location

It’s not just in real estate that location matters. The genesis of FREAKS can be traced to a visit first time director Michael Crabtree paid to the Deridder Antiques Store in Forney, Texas. First Time Director Big Time Talent “I was nuts [felt compelled] to do my first film. I’ve written several scripts… I’ve pitched ‘em, I’ve sent ‘em out, I’ve talked ‘em up but never gotten anywhere with them. But this was a smaller story.”

“The ‘genius’ of my film directing was casting terrific actors”

FREAKS stars Chuck Huber and Matthew Tompkins as the two brothers, Matt and Mike Turner, respectively. Add in the beautiful object of desire for both brothers, Angela Chase as Gracie and top off the main cast with Jonathan Brooks as Orvis Scuttle and you have a very strong ensemble indeed. When I asked Michael how long it took to write the script I got a surprising answer. Not only was he a first time director, he was a first time director who began production with what amounted to an outline.

Crabtree talks extensively about the style of shooting which was very improvisational. Michael explained that his actors had experience working in such a fashion and were comfortable with improvisation and developing the script in a sort of piece-meal fashion based on the existing outline.

In hindsight, would he approach the film in this manner again?

“I’m old school and I thought we had to have a script, actors had to have pages. I’d often times write scenes the night before we shot and send them out to the actors the night before or two nights before if possible.”

The Shooting Schedule The film was shot in a total of 18-20 days, mostly on weekends.

“We might have a consecutive three days. But pretty much it was piecemeal…when we could get people together.”

The location became a major player in this story. It adds such a rich texture to the visual. This DeRidder Antiques store is a location Fellini would covet.

Michael told me that the owner allowed the film company great latitude to shoot when they needed to. They mostly shot at night because large portions of the story that happen at the antiques store occur after dark.

The use of this great location is key to the climactic scenes. The art direction came ‘pre- packaged.’ Final Thoughts: What Would You Do Differently I think it’s always interesting and hopefully instructive to find out what a first time director would do differently if they started over from scratch. Here was what Michael Crabtree said about that:

What is it that you know now that you wish you’d known two years ago that would’ve made your life easier along the way?

“I think pre-production. We ran and gunned….there was little or no pre-production really. We just thought that action would breed action and we just needed to jump in the water and start swimming. So, pre-production first and foremost.”

Mike (Matthew Tompkins) is about to make the night even darker as his plans are set in motion. Dallas actor-producer Matt Tompkins fantastic latest film, ‘Odd Man Out,’ will be shown Saturday night at USA Film Festival By Joy Tipping/Staff Writer [email protected] 11:48 pm on April 26, 2013

Local actor Matthew Stephen Tompkins has been doing fabulous work on local stages for a couple of decades, but what you may not realize is that he’s also doing some great work in film and TV (including appearances on Friday Night Lights and In Plain Sight). He’s got his own company, Wolfclan Productions, that’s steadily been turning out terrific horror and thriller films. The latest, a psychological thriller called FREAKS, has been making its way around the festival circuit (where it’s won several laurels) and Saturday night (April 27) will get a showing at 8:30 p.m. at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, courtesy of the USA Film Festival. Matthew Stephen Tompkins Tompkins sent me a preview copy of the film, and it’s a treat. It’s a slow-burn thrill, taking its own sweet, tension-building time to let you absorb the creepy, just-a- tad-off atmosphere and feeling that something’s not quite right with Tompkins’ seemingly good- natured and good-willed protagonist, Mike Turner. Without giving too much away, it tells the story of Mike, who returns from parts unknown since being estranged from his family since 1985. His wheelchair-bound brother, Matt (Chuck Huber) and sister-in-law Gracie (Angela Chase) had all been tight since childhood, but that changed when Mike left home. Also in the mix is their mostly silent, glaring mother (Gail Cronauer) and the disturbing caretaker of the family antique store (Jonathan Brooks). As the story progresses, we learn that Mike has long been in love with Gracie, and harbors resentment toward Matt because he ended up married to Gracie, and also because Matt got special treatment because of his disability. To make matters worse, Mike suffers from a condition that lets him remember with complete accuracy, down to the last detail, every single day of his life. (It’s a real condition; Marilu Henner has something similar). Because Mike’s past life constantly replays itself in his mind, it’s really, really hard for Mike to forgive past snubs, whether real or simply perceived. The film was shot locally, including in the De Ridder Antiques store in Forney, which has a wonderfully cluttered and horror-movie ambience that makes me want to go explore it immediately. In his feature directorial debut Michael Crabtree (who also wrote the script) makes wonderful use of some of our best acting talent (in addition to Tompkins, Huber, Chase, Brooks and Cronauer, you’ll see Jerry Russell and Laurel Whitsett in smaller roles). Whitsett, especially, brings perfect bemusement to her funny role as a bar pickup early in the film; Crabtree inserts just enough humor to keep the movie from being completely maudlin. As the lead, Tompkins masterfully lets the layers of his “nice guy” mask drop away, and Huber also excels as the “disabled” brother who’s actually much more functional than his troubled sibling. It’s a low-budget indie, but still remarkably polished due to cinematographer Alan Lefebvre’s use of lighting and unusual shooting angles. Cast and crew will be in attendance at Saturday’s USA Film Festival screening. For information and tickets, visit the film fest website. If you miss it Saturday, you can buy Wolfclan’s films at the company’s website, and also at and other outlets. FREAKS will be available soon.

Festival Screenings & Awards:

FREAKS Credits

Wolfclan Productions, in association with Deebo Pictures & Highland Myst Entertainment present: FREAKS Matthew Stephen Tompkins, Chuck Huber, Angela Chase, Jonathan Brooks.

Cinematography: Alan Lefebvre. Editing & Digital Color: Steven Baker. Sound: Eric Williamson Produced by: Matthew Stephen Tompkins. Co-Produced by: Michael Crabtree & Jon Keeyes. Written and Directed by: Michael Crabtree. Running time: 99 min. Color. 2014.

Matthew Stephen Tompkins Mike Chuck Huber Matt Angela Chase Gracie Jonathan Brooks Orvis Gail Cronauer Mother Trey Walpole Noakes Laurel Whitsett Laurie Kent Williams Doctor Danny Lewis Auctioneer J.D. Lewis 2nd Auctioneer Bobby Urrutia Troublemaker Justin Flowers Nice Guy Who Had to Go Jerry Russell Old Drunk Asheley Brown 2nd Doctor Shauna McLean Jennifer Michael Crabtree Bartender

NIGHT CLUB PATRONS: Erin Smith Chris Anderson Jennifer Coonrod Paula-Jane Sandquist Sarah-Kate Bozarth Natalie Napli Ginger Sandquist

ORIGINAL SONG: "Should I Not Awake Tomorrow" Written by Michael Crabtree Performed by Chuck Huber & Angela Chase

"Feel So Good" Written by Timmy Dixon & Ryan Jarnagin Performed by GRAVITY Timmy Dixon - Vocals Ryan Jarnagin - Lead Guitar Phil Ward - Bass Guitar Loren Moore - Drums

MUSIC by GETTY IMAGES: "Below Sea Level" "Bittersweet Memory" "In the Dark" "Levitate" "Love Song" "Mind's Eye" "Time Bomb" "Value Received"

CREW - (Grip/Electrical/2nd Unit Sound): Kirk Edwards Ian Overtoom Sloane Shoenberg Keith Brown