Now hear this: ON A COUNTRY ROAD

A few weeks ago, Sharon Smyth Lentz, director Barry Dodd and I spent the evening on Skype, recording a commentary track for Dodd’s wonderful ON A COUNTRY ROAD.  I wasn’t actually involved with the production of the 2014 film short; I’m just a fan of Dodd’s work and pitched the commentary as a possible installment of our podcast.

Dodd one-upped me, though, and has edited our scene-specific commentary track to sync with his film, which is now available as a bonus feature with the purchase of ON A COUNTRY ROAD.

I’ve been planning a review of the film for quite some time, a piece that’s been delayed by my own inadequacies as a writer. Shorts are pretty tough to discuss in significant detail without accidentally wandering into spoiler territory ... and this has left me at a literal loss for words. It should be obvious by now, though, that I dig the film. It’s an incredibly professional production, and both Sharon and actor Kip Weeks are terrific in it.

But wait! There’s more!

Dodd has provided me with a discount coupon for readers of The Collinsport Historical Society. If you use the coupon code londonbridge, you can take $3 off the price of the purchase price of the film. (Note: the coupon code is not valid for rentals.) The purchase price includes the original version of the film, as well as a new edition with our commentary track.

The code will be valid for the remainder of the August, 2015, so act now!

If you’ve already purchased the movie, you’ll find the edition with the commentary track already available in your library for no additional charge.

The movie is being provided courtesy of VHX, which has a Roku app that allows you to stream film purchases and rentals. Their movies are also available as direct downloads — and DRM free — in a variety of video formats, ranging from smartphone-friendly SD360 to HD 1080p.

You can find ON A COUNTRY ROAD at: onacountryroad.vhx.tv.

ON A COUNTRY ROAD now available online

ON A COUNTRY ROAD, a short thriller featuring one of the original cast members of DARK SHADOWS, is now available for rent and purchase online.

The movie premiered at last year's Damnationland film festival, an annual showcase of Maine-made short horror films. Since then, I've been waiting patiently for my chance to see the 17 minute feature, which stars Kip Weeks (from 2008's THE STRANGERS) and Sharon Smyth Lentz ("Sarah Collins" on the original DARK SHADOWS television series.)

"We wrote the part specifically for (Sharon) and it's a big role, as well," director Barry Dodd told the Collinsport Historial Society in 2014. "This is not a cameo, she's a major character in this piece. I'll do my best to make DARK SHADOWS fans proud!"

ON A COUNTRY ROAD is available for rent and purchase as a DRM-free video from VHX at 720p and 1080p. You can watch a preview of the film below. Get it HERE.

The film is an adaption of an episode of the SUSPENSE radio show, first broadcast Nov. 16, 1950. and starred Cary Grant, Cathy Lewis, and Jeannette Nolan.

The Collinsport Historical Society is brewing some additional content related to ON A COUNTRY ROAD, so stay tuned!

DARK SHADOWS actress among cast of new indie film

Kip Weeks, star of the horror movie THE STRANGERS, and Sharon Smyth Lentz, star of ABC’s legendary ‘60s supernatural soap opera DARK SHADOWS, are joining forces with the creative team behind the multiple-award-winning web series RAGGED ISLE to create the short film, ON A COUNTRY ROAD.

Producers are turning to crowdsourcing to fund the film, and launched an Indiegogo campaign this week with a variety of perks available for investors. The campaign is scheduled to end Sept. 12.

Sharon Smyth Lentz

"It's such an honor to be able to get the chance to work with Sharon," said director Barry Dodd. "I hope that her fans can help us in our efforts to put her up on the big screen. We wrote the part specifically for her and it's a big role as well. This is not a cameo, she's a major character in this piece! I'll do my best to make DARK SHADOWS fans proud!"

"For inspiration, we're drawing from America’s Golden Age of Radio," writer Greg Tulonen explains on the film's Indiegogo website. "One of the grand titans of radio drama was SUSPENSE, a thriller anthology series that broadcast nearly a thousand episodes over its 20-year run. Dubbed 'radio's outstanding theater of thrills,' the show served up weekly suspense yarns, often featuring leading Hollywood actors of the day."

Tulonen said those classic productions were often worth more than the sum of their parts.

"What we love about these old shows is how they were able to evoke such strong reactions from their audience with the simplest of tools," he said. "A sputtering car engine, breaking glass, a scream - suddenly, your blood is running cold."

The film is an adaption of an episode of SUSPENSE titled ON A COUNTRY ROAD. The story was first broadcast Nov. 16, 1950, and starred Cary Grant, Cathy Lewis, and Jeannette Nolan. (You can listen to the episode on Youtube.)

"For our adaptation, we’ve updated the characters and setting, but have kept most of the story beats intact," Tulonen said. "Still, we’ve thrown in a couple of twists of our own to keep you on your toes."

ON A COUNTRY ROAD will premiere at this year's Damnationland, an annual showcase of Maine-made short horror films. After that, producers plan to submit it to film festivals across the globe.

Learn more about the project at www.indiegogo.com.