Future cult classic, Weirdsville
By Andrea Keelan
Lance Writer
November 14, 2007
 The Windsor International Film Festival celebrated its third year with 25 films from all over the world. Weirdsville was just one of those 25 films, and it came from right here in Canada.
Allan Moyle (director of Empire Records) directed Weirdsville, which follows two druggies, Royce (played by Wes Bentley) and Dexter (played by Scott Speedman), through a night of absolute mishap and mayhem. Their night starts when a drug dealer with a passion for curling informs them that they owe over $8,000 by last call that same night.
From there, Royce’s girlfriend Mattie (played by Taryn Manning) is suspected to be dead from an overdose. When Royce and Dexter drive to a drive-in movie theatre to bury Mattie, they encounter a Satanist cult who now think that Mattie has the power of the devil in her blood when she comes back to life during their ritual, although she had never overdosed in the first place.
For the rest of the night, Royce and Dexter try to find Mattie to save her from the cult who wants her blood, while at the same time breaking into a mansion to extract a safe that they can’t remember the combo to, as well as breaking into the local mall where they rouse the interest of a little person security guard with a passion for medieval weaponry. During their journey, the limits of Royce and Dexter’s friendship are tested and the question of going sober is brought up numerous times.
There was a real treat for the audience who saw the film at Lakeshore Cinemas on Saturday night. Willem Wennekers, the writer of Weirdsville provided a question and answer session for the audience after the film. The audience repeatedly told him how impressed they were with the film and Wennekers was pleased to hear that the audience felt he had an instant cult classic on his hands.
Wennekers said that the film cost only $5 million to make, half of which went to cast. The audience told him that he could expect to make a lot of money from the film based on how much they enjoyed it.
One audience member told Wennekers that Weirdsville was on the same level as cult favourite The Big Lebowski and Wennekers seemed to be very happy that his tiny film would be compared to such a great cult classic.
Filmed over 25 nights in Hamilton, Brampton, and a weekend in Toronto, as well as using Canadian actor Scott Speedman in the lead role, Weirdsville is a Canadian film that actually feels Canadian. At one point in the film, we see the two main characters’ Ontario driver’s licenses as well as seeing Canadian money change hands numerous times. Also, the film features a soundtrack littered with Canadian bands such as The Dears, Danko Jones, Shout Out Out Out, and Buck 65.
For anyone who didn’t get a chance to see this movie at the film festival, Wennekers expects it to be available on DVD sometime in December.
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