Bluebox Limited duo's 'Her Summer' making appearance on the BIG screen

By Julie Jensen / MOLINE DISPATCH / October 22, 2004

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, otherwise known as Bluebox Limited, have come a long way since they began making movies with camcorders as sixth-graders. Their fourth feature-length film will be shown at the Putnam IMAX Theatre at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The film is titled "Her Summer," produced by Mr. Beck and written and directed by Mr. Woods, who said, "It's our first audience-seizer."

On a routine police investigation, Officer Ethan Crowe discovers two of his brothers brutally murdered. Determined to solve the mystery behind their death, he stays on the scene all night, making a horrifying discovery. The next morning, the investigator is missing. "Her Summer" then recounts the events that took place that night, unraveled by two friends who come across the investigation material.

The film was shot in Davenport and Bettendorf between June and October on a $50 budget, and Mr. Woods calls it "an important human story about friendship."

They wanted to show it at the IMAX because "the sound quality will be great, and the film deals with a lot of sound," he said. "We were trying to duplicate that edge-of-the-seat feeling you get when you watch a movie like 'Jurassic Park.'"

The cast includes Justin Marxen, Davenport; Shane Simmons, Pleasant Valley; and Travis Shepherd, Bettendorf.

Christy Sullivan, who plays the dead woman's ghost, is the only female in the cast. The other men are Jim Siokos, Ian Klink, Aaron Sartor, Andy Koch, Steve Strickland and Ryan Olson.

The 20-year old Bluebox boys are sophomores this year, Mr. Beck at the University of Iowa, and Mr. Woods at Scott Community College. Eventually, they plan to migrate west to Hollywood.

They have made 17 films altogether. Their latest short, "Shades," was filmed for the MTV Best Film on Campus national competition.

"It's about a 20-year old dealing with he loss of his murdered girlfriend," Mr. Woods said.

Their feature-length film, "University Heights," received national attention, including five nominations at the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival in Des Moines in early October.

"We didn't win anything," Mr. Woods said, "but the response was good. A lot of actors came up afterwards and talked to us about the movie."

They did, however place in the Top 50 in the Project Greenlight directing contest last April, competing with more than 1,700 contestants who offered a three-minute scene to demonstrate directing talent.

Talking about the $50 budget for "Her Summer," Mr. Woods said, "It helps when everyone works for free. If you spend a lot of time making it look good, you can get by on very little."

The film runs about 80 minutes and is rated PG-13 "because of some language." Tickets are $7.75, and reservations are advisable.

Call the Putnam/IMAX at (563) 324-1933. The doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 8:30 p.m.