'The Bride Wore Blood' is a true 'spaghetti Midwestern'

By Linda Cook / QUAD-CITY TIMES / November 11, 2006

Just think what they’ll be able to do once they graduate.

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods may be the hardest-working filmmakers anywhere … especially considering that they’re still in college.

Now they’ve added “The Bride Wore Blood: A Contemporary Western” to their Bluebox Limited resumé, they’ve also added a new genre to the numerous films they’ve already completed.

They call this a contemporary western, but I’d call it a “spaghetti Midwestern,” because it’s so reminiscent of the Sergio Leone “spaghetti westerns” such as “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “A Fistful of Dollars.”

This is peopled with characters who, like the Man With No Name, are introduced to the audience not as character studies but as events unfold.

Christy Sullivan stars as The Bride, who is being protected by The Hired Gun, played by Travis Shepherd (the Bluebox productions of “University Heights” and “Her Summer”). Shane Simmons plays The Groom, who is assured by The Hired Gun that he will keep The Bride safe.

But such is not to be. When The Bride disappears, it’s up to The Hired Gun to track her down, and to determine exactly who else is involved in a string of murder and treachery that includes some nifty plot twists.

Bluebox fans will welcome the return of performers such as Justin Marxen (“For Always” and “University Heights”), who plays a police officer; and Jim Siokos, who was a star in “University Heights,” which also included Sabien Minteer, who is The Boyfriend in this production.

Woods and Beck shot this while they were waiting for a development deal from MTV Films. This started out to be a short film, but, as they fleshed out the story line and the characters, grew into a bigger production that led to lengthy shoots.

What’s amazing is that the filmmakers don’t shoot so much on a shoestring as an aglet — they spent only $600 or $700 on the entire production that is full of well-shot scenes in Bettendorf, Davenport, Iowa City and McCausland in Iowa and Barstow, Ill.

You can’t watch the movie without noticing the score, which was written by Scott Morschhauser of The Metrolites and The Kabalas fame. It’s terrific — let me know when you start selling the CD on your Web site store, guys.

I keep wondering what they’re going to create when they have the backing from MTV. Scott and Bryan, you’re not the only ones waiting for that contract!