Casting call lures movie hopefuls

Tag : casting call

CORVALLIS  On Sunday afternoon, those with aspirations of being ina feature film got their chance to audition for the big screen atthe Majestic Theatre.

Local director Mark Donnell held an open casting call for“Extreme Used Cars: There Is No Hope,” a dark comedymeant to be a sequel of sorts to 1980’s “UsedCars,” which starred Kurt Russell.

Donnell wrote the original screenplay for the project and willbegin filming at locations around Corvallis and Albany next week.

Donnell has written 14 screenplays in all, as well as acting incommercials and working on numerous films, but this will be hisfirst solo project.

There were a wide variety of bit parts available for casting onSunday.

“We’re looking for high-school graduates that stillhave their cap and gown,” said Donnell. “Also,middle-aged couples and families for a montage scene.”

Donnell has already signed veteran actor Ian Reid Kessler to play asupporting role in the film. Kessler, who lives in Los Angeles,will be the most high-profile actor in the film, with six sitcomsand 10 major movies to his credit.

One of the main orders of business on Sunday was to pin down anactor to play the film’s main character, used car salesmanChip Douglas.

“He’s a chemically imbalanced schizophrenic that wassubject to the highest concentration of acid (LSD) you can beexposed to and still survive,” said Donnell. “So, hedaydreams about killing his customers and co-workers.”

In all, the production crew will include 12 people behind thecamera, including several University of Montana film students andabout 40 characters in all.

The budget is less than $200,000 for the entire production, whichmakes it a “super ultra low budget Screen Actors Guildfilm,” according to Donnell.

Most filming will be at South Pacific Auto Sales and LakeshoreLanes in Albany, but there will also be several scenes filmed inCorvallis at undisclosed locations during the roughly 12 days offilming before principal photography wraps.