Indie film takes Method Fest audience on a hell ride
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

EYES ON THE PRIZE- Colin Cunningham of Agoura Hills wrote, directed and performed in the intensely disturbing short film "Centigrade," which was featured at this year's Method Fest Film Festival in Calabasas. Cunningham says he hopes the film, which has had good "buzz," will serve as his industry calling card.

In his directorial debut, Colin Cunningham manages to create a living hell in just 15 minutes. Cunningham's short film, "Centigrade," screened last week at the 10th annual Method Fest Independent Film Festival in Calabasas.

"Centigrade" was written, directed and performed by Cunningham, a veteran actor turned director who hails from Agoura Hills.

The nameless character Cunningham portrays in "Centigrade" exudes pure evil with devilish goatee, tattoos, and dirty "wife-beater" T-shirt.

The man lives in an old metal trailer with his young son, and the movie opens with father dearest getting angry that his humble home is a mess. He's drunk and on a rant, and his anger explodes into child abuse.

The boy escapes, but when dad awakens from his drunken stupor his trailer has been hitched to a truck and it's pulling his home down the highway. He tries desperately to get the attention of the driver, and when that fails, he attempts to knock out the trailer window to escape from the kidnapper- and get a bit of air. Kicking the window doesn't work, using a fire extinguisher also proves to be futile, and the bullets for his rifle can't be found.

"Centigrade" would work perfectly as a modern day "Twilight Zone" episode. There's something otherworldly about this plot, and Cunningham acts like a caged rat with his perfectly harnessed psychosis.

As the trailer is being tugged down a desert road and the temperature rises past 100 degrees centigrade, the man sees a ray of hope- he spots another trailer. He flashes a "help me" sign to that trailer's driver, only to find that his potential rescuer is also trailer-trapped. He too has slapped a "help me" sign against the window. It's a chilling movie moment, a perfect crescendo on the road to hell.

Claustrophobics might have a hard time with the scene.

The unnamed man is now drenched with sweat, hyperventilating and screaming, and the sheer terror on his face is a testament to the actor's cunning performance. He finally finds a bullet and tries to shoot his way out of the moving prison, but to no avail. The temperature has now hit 120 degrees, and in this parallel universe where child abusers receive their due, the truck stops, the trailer is unhitched and the camera pans the desert landscape, eavesdropping on dead or nearly dead people trapped in their trailer tombs.

The film received critical acclaim at the Method Fest.

"I'm really happy to have my name on this one," Cunningham said. "The feedback has been absolutely fabulous."

For the past 20 years, Cunningham's attention has been focused on acting. He has been a familiar face in film and television, playing Brian Curtis in the hit CBS drama, "Da Vinci's Inquest," and Steve Lefkowitz on Douglas Coupland's "JPod," which premiered on CBS in January.

Cunningham also portrays Maj. Paul Davis on "Stargate SG-1" and recently costarred with actor Tom Cavanaugh in the feature film, "Breakfast With Scot."

Cunningham said he has scheduled several meetings with Hollywood agencies to discuss future projects as a director rather than an actor. He has directed music videos and also was hired to direct a movie of the week for Lifetime Television.

Cunningham said "Centigrade" was awarded the 2007 Directors Guild of Canada Kick Start Award and was among the select shorts chosen to screen at the Montreal International Film Festival.

"I really want to focus behind the camera," said the 40year-old Cunningham.

Method Fest closing ceremonies are tonight, April 3, at Viewpoint School in Calabasas. An awards party and "indie music" night follow at the Sagebrush Cantina.