Fantasy horror Hundreds Of Beavers is to be released in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand by Lightbulb Film Distribution, following a festival run including Fantastic Fest, Fantasia and Sitges.
The film is US director Mike Cheslik’s feature debut, and is a dialogue-free homage to silent cinema about a drunken19th century cider salesman whose stock is ruined by hungry beavers and tries to recover his fortune by becoming North America’s greatest fur trapper.
Toronto-based genre specialist Raven Banner has international sales rights. Lightbulb will release the films in UK and Irish cinemas on July 9.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews...
The film is US director Mike Cheslik’s feature debut, and is a dialogue-free homage to silent cinema about a drunken19th century cider salesman whose stock is ruined by hungry beavers and tries to recover his fortune by becoming North America’s greatest fur trapper.
Toronto-based genre specialist Raven Banner has international sales rights. Lightbulb will release the films in UK and Irish cinemas on July 9.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews...
- 5/30/2024
- ScreenDaily
Trying to sell someone on the indie comedy "Hundreds of Beavers" is an exercise in comedic persuasion. Do you talk about how it's a black-and-white movie without dialogue evoking the approach of Charlie Chaplin? Do you highlight the slapstick physical comedy that would make "The Three Stooges" proud? Or do you simply say, "This dude fights people in animal mascot suits in the snow" and let the universe work its magic? First debuting on the festival circuit in 2022 and now finally available on VOD, "Hundreds of Beavers" has quietly become the must-see oddball indie flick for cinephiles everywhere. It's a seemingly algorithm-proof movie that, as /Film's Matt Donato described in his review, exists at the crossroads of Looney Tunes, Benny Hill, "Cannibal: The Musical," "Blazing Saddles," and Adult Swim mindsets. It's also a delightfully Midwest movie, embracing a sense of humor that has been missing from major comedy films for far too long.
- 5/9/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Under the Radar, a column where we spotlight specific movies, shows, trends, performances, or scenes that caught our eye and deserved more attention ... but otherwise flew under the radar. In this edition: the haunting genre-bender "The Beast," the farcical indie "Hundreds of Beavers," and HBO's "The Sympathizer" all stand out as clear highlights.)
Buckle up, folks: The theme of this month's edition of "Under the Radar" falls under the category of weird and wild.
More so than in previous years, this past April marked something of an awkward transition point in the overall release calendar. While Oscar season is well and truly behind us, the summer blockbuster season still remains a few weeks away from truly ramping up in earnest. Sure, the one-two punch of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" and "Furiosa" technically kick off the festivities in short order, but June and July are when the real heavy-hitters -- hello,...
Buckle up, folks: The theme of this month's edition of "Under the Radar" falls under the category of weird and wild.
More so than in previous years, this past April marked something of an awkward transition point in the overall release calendar. While Oscar season is well and truly behind us, the summer blockbuster season still remains a few weeks away from truly ramping up in earnest. Sure, the one-two punch of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" and "Furiosa" technically kick off the festivities in short order, but June and July are when the real heavy-hitters -- hello,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
In October 2018 while sharing beers in a frigid Milwaukee bar with his soon-to-be leading man Ryland Tews, director, visual effects artist and editor of “Hundreds of Beavers” Mike Cheslik conceived the film based on three simple elements: his After Effects skills, familiarity with snow and Tews’ uncanny ability to fall over.
“We knew that the image of a guy in a mascot costume falling down was fundamentally funny,” Cheslik explains. “And if that is in every shot, even if our gags aren’t working well, we have the fundamental comedy of mascot animal. Is that right, Ryland?”
“Absolutely,” Tews says in response. “We just wanted to make a movie that looked like nothing else.”
Ryland Tews and Mike Cheslik on the set of “Hundreds of Beavers.”
This would begin the five-and-a-half-year journey to the theatrical release of one of 2024’s most successful indie films. Entirely self-distributed, “Hundreds of Beavers” has...
“We knew that the image of a guy in a mascot costume falling down was fundamentally funny,” Cheslik explains. “And if that is in every shot, even if our gags aren’t working well, we have the fundamental comedy of mascot animal. Is that right, Ryland?”
“Absolutely,” Tews says in response. “We just wanted to make a movie that looked like nothing else.”
Ryland Tews and Mike Cheslik on the set of “Hundreds of Beavers.”
This would begin the five-and-a-half-year journey to the theatrical release of one of 2024’s most successful indie films. Entirely self-distributed, “Hundreds of Beavers” has...
- 5/6/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety Film + TV
Hundreds of Beavers premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2022 and released digitally in April of 2024.
I didn’t know much about the Mike Cheslik directed film prior to seeing it. I had heard the name and initially believed it was a nature documentary. I was very wrong. After reading the description I thought it might be a horror-comedy in the vein of 2015’s Zombeavers. Wrong again. It’s a genre-defying mishmash comprised of absurdist slapstick humor, and I absolutely loved it.
Hundreds of Beavers Plot
Also Read: Straight Outta Compton and Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Lays It All on the Line for Naughty Dog’s Contentious Sequel
Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) has his life flipped upside down when beavers destroy his home. While attempting to survive in the brutal cold of winter, he finds himself at odds with various wildlife. Rabbits, racoons, wolves and beavers continuously outsmart the dimwitted man.
I didn’t know much about the Mike Cheslik directed film prior to seeing it. I had heard the name and initially believed it was a nature documentary. I was very wrong. After reading the description I thought it might be a horror-comedy in the vein of 2015’s Zombeavers. Wrong again. It’s a genre-defying mishmash comprised of absurdist slapstick humor, and I absolutely loved it.
Hundreds of Beavers Plot
Also Read: Straight Outta Compton and Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Lays It All on the Line for Naughty Dog’s Contentious Sequel
Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) has his life flipped upside down when beavers destroy his home. While attempting to survive in the brutal cold of winter, he finds himself at odds with various wildlife. Rabbits, racoons, wolves and beavers continuously outsmart the dimwitted man.
- 4/29/2024
- by Joshua Ryan
- FandomWire
It’s a slow weekend for theatrical releases but a great one for streaming debuts. The hottest title is a surefire Oscar candidate, and the others have become fan favorites with long shelf lives ahead.
The contender to watch this week: “Dune: Part Two“
Denis Villeneuve‘s first “Dune” won six of its 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. His second, 2024’s highest-grossing movie to date, could show up in many of the same categories next year. Timothée Chalamet probably has a better shot at a nomination for the Bob Dylan biopic he’s currently shooting, and if Zendaya deserves recognition for anything, it’s “Challengers.” But even without acting contenders, “Dune: Part Two” could rank among next season’s biggest players. It’s still in theaters, but you can now ride the sandworm at home by renting or purchasing the film on VOD.
Other contenders:...
The contender to watch this week: “Dune: Part Two“
Denis Villeneuve‘s first “Dune” won six of its 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. His second, 2024’s highest-grossing movie to date, could show up in many of the same categories next year. Timothée Chalamet probably has a better shot at a nomination for the Bob Dylan biopic he’s currently shooting, and if Zendaya deserves recognition for anything, it’s “Challengers.” But even without acting contenders, “Dune: Part Two” could rank among next season’s biggest players. It’s still in theaters, but you can now ride the sandworm at home by renting or purchasing the film on VOD.
Other contenders:...
- 4/20/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Mike Cheslik behind the scenes of Hundreds Of BeaversImage: Srh
If you’ve had a chance to catch Hundreds Of Beavers during its recent roadshow tour, or at any of the many festivals where it’s played to enthusiastic audiences, you already know what a weird and wonderful film it is.
If you’ve had a chance to catch Hundreds Of Beavers during its recent roadshow tour, or at any of the many festivals where it’s played to enthusiastic audiences, you already know what a weird and wonderful film it is.
- 4/19/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Asphalt City (Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire)
I entered Asphalt City at last year’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival with nothing but morbid curiosity. Having engendered some rank responses from its Cannes premiere and not secured any known U.S. distributor, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s film had the right kind of bad-object energy one needs at the jetlagged start to their week in a small Polish city. (Or just the comfort I personally get from a Brooklyn-shot feature featuring two Club Random guests.) I walked away boasting complicated, fascinated enthusiasm: nearly every second is ridiculous and never boring, and it doesn’t not deserve to play at a cinematography festival––having the most cinematography counts for something. Starting and ending with a blatant homage to The New World...
Asphalt City (Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire)
I entered Asphalt City at last year’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival with nothing but morbid curiosity. Having engendered some rank responses from its Cannes premiere and not secured any known U.S. distributor, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s film had the right kind of bad-object energy one needs at the jetlagged start to their week in a small Polish city. (Or just the comfort I personally get from a Brooklyn-shot feature featuring two Club Random guests.) I walked away boasting complicated, fascinated enthusiasm: nearly every second is ridiculous and never boring, and it doesn’t not deserve to play at a cinematography festival––having the most cinematography counts for something. Starting and ending with a blatant homage to The New World...
- 4/19/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The existence of a film like Hundreds of Beavers in 2024 is a marvel. How else can you put it, given that it feels like something that was actually made in another era—when motion pictures used to be much different—and, most importantly, without words? To think that director Mike Cheslik has actually made a micro-budget (almost) silent film that is very much in line with Looney Tunes but also has a clear Midwestern influence, considering the subject matter and the settings, is astonishing! And the fact that it actually works out pretty well is surprising, as well as reassuring for filmmakers who’re out there thinking about doing something unimaginably different. Hundreds of Beavers is what can happen when someone actually shows courage.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Film?
If you’re reading this, then I’m assuming you’re here only after watching the film. If you haven’t yet done so,...
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Film?
If you’re reading this, then I’m assuming you’re here only after watching the film. If you haven’t yet done so,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
Stars: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Doug Mancheski, Olivia Graves, Wes Tank, Luis Rico | Written by Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Mike Cheslik | Directed by Mike Cheslik
When my partner asked me what movie I was watching perhaps “checking out Hundreds of Beavers” wasn’t the best of all possible answers. And I suppose trying to clarify it with “big hairy Canadian beavers” didn’t help. But despite the title and opening quote from St. Augustine, “Lord grant me chastity, but not yet!”, this isn’t that kind of a movie.
The new film from director Mike Cheslik and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the pair who gave us the Tews-directed Lake Michigan Monster, never really gets raunchier than an old episode of The Benny Hill Show as it relates the tale of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) who, as we see in the opening animation, has lost his apple orchard...
When my partner asked me what movie I was watching perhaps “checking out Hundreds of Beavers” wasn’t the best of all possible answers. And I suppose trying to clarify it with “big hairy Canadian beavers” didn’t help. But despite the title and opening quote from St. Augustine, “Lord grant me chastity, but not yet!”, this isn’t that kind of a movie.
The new film from director Mike Cheslik and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the pair who gave us the Tews-directed Lake Michigan Monster, never really gets raunchier than an old episode of The Benny Hill Show as it relates the tale of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) who, as we see in the opening animation, has lost his apple orchard...
- 4/16/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Since it seems that the big action blockbusters are taking over the multiplex far in advance of their usual Summertime occupancy, what’s out there for lovers of silent-movie style slapstick and Golden Age cartoon short lunacy (as in those “Tunes”)? Well, a recent “midnight movie” indie hit on the “film festival circuit” is now available to rent or buy via streaming. Oh, but that title might raise a few “red flags” on your business search engine when getting some info on it. Not to worry, since most rating boards would probably give it a “PG-13” rating, at most, due to some scatological humor and some sexy gymnastics for a few seconds. Ah, but let’s delve a bit more into the movie with the ‘eyebrow-raising’ moniker, the fantasy fable/farce concerning Hundreds Of Beavers.
Well, it does resemble a silent comedy from a hundred years ago just before we...
Well, it does resemble a silent comedy from a hundred years ago just before we...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Reuniting the team that brought Lake Michigan Monster to audiences in 2019, frostbitten slapstick epic Hundreds of Beavers sets its digital debut after a successful festival and theatrical run.
Look for Hundreds of Beavers to be available for rental and purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV nationwide through FilmHub starting April 15, 2024. Other major Tvod platforms will follow. The frostbitten epic comedy will be available as an SVOD exclusive on Fandor beginning April 19.
The film stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews as the intrepid hero of this frostbitten inventive epic, co-written by Tews and Mike Cheslik making his feature directorial debut.
About Hundreds of Beavers: “In this silent supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from Zero to Hero, become North America’s greatest fur trapper, and defeat hundreds of beavers?”
Tews plays Jean Kayak, who “finds himself stranded in a surreal winter landscape...
Look for Hundreds of Beavers to be available for rental and purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV nationwide through FilmHub starting April 15, 2024. Other major Tvod platforms will follow. The frostbitten epic comedy will be available as an SVOD exclusive on Fandor beginning April 19.
The film stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews as the intrepid hero of this frostbitten inventive epic, co-written by Tews and Mike Cheslik making his feature directorial debut.
About Hundreds of Beavers: “In this silent supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from Zero to Hero, become North America’s greatest fur trapper, and defeat hundreds of beavers?”
Tews plays Jean Kayak, who “finds himself stranded in a surreal winter landscape...
- 4/3/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Wes Tank in Hundreds Of BeaversImage: Srh
With influences including Charlie Chaplin, Guy Maddin, Looney Tunes, Trey Parker, Joe Carnahan’s The Grey, and a handful of Nintendo games, Hundreds Of Beavers is one of the most distinctive movies you’ll see all year, and one made for midnight viewings if ever anything was.
With influences including Charlie Chaplin, Guy Maddin, Looney Tunes, Trey Parker, Joe Carnahan’s The Grey, and a handful of Nintendo games, Hundreds Of Beavers is one of the most distinctive movies you’ll see all year, and one made for midnight viewings if ever anything was.
- 3/11/2024
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
Those dismayed by the cancellation of the big-budget “Coyote vs. Acme” — a high-profile casualty of the recent Hollywood trend towards pulling the plug on near-completed projects — may find consolation and then some in “Hundreds of Beavers.” That is, if they become aware of it, of course. Chances are good that they will, eventually, as this DIY delight has begun self-distributing to North American theaters following a long tour on the regional festival circuit. It’s sure to develop a significant cult following with its unique mix of silent-era slapstick, animation elements, theme-park-style critter costumes, and general air of inspired absurdity.
Well, not entirely unique: Director Mike Cheslik and star Ryland Brickson Cole Tews previously collaborated on 2018’s “Lake Michigan Monster,” a similarly nonsensical B&w comedy, albeit in a more Guy Maddin-esque pseudo-early-talkie vein, with a fantasy adventure gist in the vein of Jules Verne. But for all its enterprise,...
Well, not entirely unique: Director Mike Cheslik and star Ryland Brickson Cole Tews previously collaborated on 2018’s “Lake Michigan Monster,” a similarly nonsensical B&w comedy, albeit in a more Guy Maddin-esque pseudo-early-talkie vein, with a fantasy adventure gist in the vein of Jules Verne. But for all its enterprise,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
“Hundreds of Beavers” is a new action adventure comedy feature, directed by Mike Cheslik, The film with blends of puppetry, stop motion, miniatures, actors in rabbit, beaver, wolf, and raccoon suits and a whole lot more, starring Ryland Brickson, Cole Tews, Wes Tank, Olivia Graves and Doug Mancheski, releasing January 26, 2024 in select theaters:
“…a drunken salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from ‘Zero’ to “Hero’ defeating hundreds of beavers…?”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…a drunken salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from ‘Zero’ to “Hero’ defeating hundreds of beavers…?”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 1/18/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
"Earth-shaking. Must be seen to be believed." Srh has revealed an amazing official theatrical trailer for the "frostbitten, anarchic slapstick action comedy" called Hundreds of Beavers. Made by animator / editor Mike Cheslik, this has been touring the film festival circuit throughout 2023 - with stops at Fantasia, Cine Horror, Morbido, Cinequest, Fantaspoa, Sitges, and more. In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become a fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. Let's gnaw! "The film captures zany and anarchic energy by featuring a new gag every few seconds... A man-versus-nature narrative about overcoming the cruel and unforgiving landscape of a northeastern winter, Hundreds of Beavers is an uproarious and dynamic theatrical experience." It's finally set to open in the US with a "Great Lakes Roadshow" - debuting in Minneapolis, Mn, then in Toronto, later opening in NYC, LA, Charlotte, and other cities through February & March.
- 1/17/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Marked slates includes Romi, Falling Stars.
Toronto-based genre specialists Raven Banner have acquired worldwide sales rights to Max Isaacson’s genre-bending Paradise and has introduced to AFM buyers this week.
Patricia Allison (His Dark Materials), Tate Donavan (Ghosted) and Tia Carrere (True Lies) star in the comedy western as Ella Patchet, a rebellious punk and the fastest gun around in a small island town.
When corrupt officials cover up the murder of her father Dan, the town sheriff, Ella embarks on a rage-fuelled quest for justice. Paradise is in post.
Raven Banner will also introduce Robert Cuffley’s horror Romi,...
Toronto-based genre specialists Raven Banner have acquired worldwide sales rights to Max Isaacson’s genre-bending Paradise and has introduced to AFM buyers this week.
Patricia Allison (His Dark Materials), Tate Donavan (Ghosted) and Tia Carrere (True Lies) star in the comedy western as Ella Patchet, a rebellious punk and the fastest gun around in a small island town.
When corrupt officials cover up the murder of her father Dan, the town sheriff, Ella embarks on a rage-fuelled quest for justice. Paradise is in post.
Raven Banner will also introduce Robert Cuffley’s horror Romi,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Quebec festival wrapped on August 9.
Talk To Me, the horror hit from Danny and Michael Philippou which has grossed more than $31m in North America and close to $50m worldwide, has been named best international feature in the 2023 Fantasia audience awards.
In other key awards Lee Sang-yong’s South Korean title The Roundup: No Way Out was named best Asian feature, while Shigeyoshi Tsukahara’s Japanese entry Kurayukaba earned best animated feature, and
Satan Wants You from Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor took the inaugural Dgc Audience Award for Best Canadian Film (narrative or documentary).
The full list of audience award winners appears below.
Talk To Me, the horror hit from Danny and Michael Philippou which has grossed more than $31m in North America and close to $50m worldwide, has been named best international feature in the 2023 Fantasia audience awards.
In other key awards Lee Sang-yong’s South Korean title The Roundup: No Way Out was named best Asian feature, while Shigeyoshi Tsukahara’s Japanese entry Kurayukaba earned best animated feature, and
Satan Wants You from Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor took the inaugural Dgc Audience Award for Best Canadian Film (narrative or documentary).
The full list of audience award winners appears below.
- 8/14/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
A couple weeks ago, the Fantasia International Film Festival announced the films that won jury prizes at the 27th edition of the show, which recently came to a close. Yesterday, our own Tyler Nichols shared his list of favorite films from this year’s Fantasia festival. Now Fantasia has unveiled the list of audience award winners, with wins going to films like Talk to Me, The Roundup: No Way Out, Kurayukaba, and Satan Wants You, among others. The full list can be seen below:
Best International Feature
Gold: Talk To Me
Silver: Late Night With The Devil
Bronze: Hundreds Of Beavers
Best Asian Feature
Gold: The Roundup: No Way Out
Silver: River
Bronze: Phantom (South Korea d. Lee Hae-young)
Best Animated Feature
Gold: Kurayukaba
Silver: The Concierge
Bronze: The First Slam Dunk
The Dgc Audience Award for Best Canadian Film (Narrative or Documentary)
Satan Wants You – This year’s...
Best International Feature
Gold: Talk To Me
Silver: Late Night With The Devil
Bronze: Hundreds Of Beavers
Best Asian Feature
Gold: The Roundup: No Way Out
Silver: River
Bronze: Phantom (South Korea d. Lee Hae-young)
Best Animated Feature
Gold: Kurayukaba
Silver: The Concierge
Bronze: The First Slam Dunk
The Dgc Audience Award for Best Canadian Film (Narrative or Documentary)
Satan Wants You – This year’s...
- 8/14/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"Steroidally swollen with gags and smarts." Raven Banner will be releasing this film later in the year, but until then get a first look at this wacky, mesmerizing B&w indie film called Hundreds of Beavers. Made by animator / editor Mike Cheslik, this has been touring the film festival circuit already throughout 2023 - with stops at Fantasia, Cine Horror, Morbido, Cinequest, Fantaspoa, Atlanta, & others. In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become the greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. "The film captures zany and anarchic energy by featuring a new gag every few seconds. It has many one-offs but similarly builds momentum with slower build-ups and call-backs that keep the experience fresh and surprising. A man-versus-nature narrative about overcoming the cruel and unforgiving landscape of a northeastern winter, Hundreds of Beavers is an uproarious and dynamic theatrical experience.
- 8/7/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Canadian comedy screened last week at the Fantasia festival.
Raven Banner has picked up international sales rights to Mike Cheslik’s fantasy comedy Hundreds Of Beavers, which had its Canadian premiere last week in the Underground section of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
The film, Cheslik’s feature directing debut, is a dialogue-free homage to silent cinema about a drunken nineteenth century cider salesman whose stock is ruined by hungry beavers and tries to recover his fortune by becoming North America’s greatest fur trapper.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews stars and co-wrote the script with Cheslik.
The film...
Raven Banner has picked up international sales rights to Mike Cheslik’s fantasy comedy Hundreds Of Beavers, which had its Canadian premiere last week in the Underground section of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
The film, Cheslik’s feature directing debut, is a dialogue-free homage to silent cinema about a drunken nineteenth century cider salesman whose stock is ruined by hungry beavers and tries to recover his fortune by becoming North America’s greatest fur trapper.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews stars and co-wrote the script with Cheslik.
The film...
- 7/31/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Stars: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Doug Mancheski, Olivia Graves, Wes Tank, Luis Rico | Written by Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Mike Cheslik | Directed by Mike Cheslik
When my partner asked me what I was doing tonight perhaps “checking out Hundreds of Beavers” wasn’t the best of all possible answers. And I suppose trying to clarify it with “big hairy Canadian beavers” didn’t help. But despite the title and opening quote from St. Augustine, “Lord grant me chastity, but not yet!”, this isn’t that kind of a movie.
The new film from director Mike Cheslik and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the pair who gave us the Tews-directed Lake Michigan Monster, never really gets raunchier than an old episode of The Benny Hill Show as it relates the tale of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) who, as we see in the opening animation, has lost his apple orchard...
When my partner asked me what I was doing tonight perhaps “checking out Hundreds of Beavers” wasn’t the best of all possible answers. And I suppose trying to clarify it with “big hairy Canadian beavers” didn’t help. But despite the title and opening quote from St. Augustine, “Lord grant me chastity, but not yet!”, this isn’t that kind of a movie.
The new film from director Mike Cheslik and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, the pair who gave us the Tews-directed Lake Michigan Monster, never really gets raunchier than an old episode of The Benny Hill Show as it relates the tale of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) who, as we see in the opening animation, has lost his apple orchard...
- 7/31/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Hundreds Of Beavers Photo: Fantasia International Film Festival
Four years ago at the Fantasia International Film Festival, a little film called Lake Michigan Monster, made in black and white with a very small cast and special effects cobbled together from everyday household objects, made a big impression. When the same team returned for this year’s Fantasia with a film about a ruined man in a snowy wilderness trying to build a career as a fur trapper, it instantly stood out as a must-see. Hundreds Of Beavers is truly unlike anything else you are likely to encounter in today’s film landscape, a wildly imaginative fable told through slapstick which somehow manages to keep upping the ante over the course of 108 minutes. Some people will not get it at all, but most critics loved it. I was delighted to get the opportunity to talk to its director and editor, Mike Cheslik,...
Four years ago at the Fantasia International Film Festival, a little film called Lake Michigan Monster, made in black and white with a very small cast and special effects cobbled together from everyday household objects, made a big impression. When the same team returned for this year’s Fantasia with a film about a ruined man in a snowy wilderness trying to build a career as a fur trapper, it instantly stood out as a must-see. Hundreds Of Beavers is truly unlike anything else you are likely to encounter in today’s film landscape, a wildly imaginative fable told through slapstick which somehow manages to keep upping the ante over the course of 108 minutes. Some people will not get it at all, but most critics loved it. I was delighted to get the opportunity to talk to its director and editor, Mike Cheslik,...
- 7/30/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In this silent supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from zero to hero, become North America's greatest fur trapper, and defeat hundreds of beavers? I've been making a concentrated effort to go through the filmography of Harold Lloyd lately. It's the perfect remedy for what ails you. Of course you watch enough of Lloyd's antics and it gets you thinking, "There just are not enough silent films, even rarer, silent horror comedy films". Cue Mike Cheslik's Hundreds of Beavers. Hundreds of Beavers is currently romping through the festival circuit, appearing in a dozen festivals during the month of April alone. It had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest back in September. The teaser...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/13/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Hundreds Of Beavers Teaser Trailer: "In this silent supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from zero to hero, become North America's greatest fur trapper, and defeat hundreds of beavers?"
After a celebrated World Premiere at FantasticFest 2022, it took to the festival circuit, and will be screening at twelve different festivals in April alone, including Atlanta Film Festival where it's nominated for Best Cinematography, and Fantaspoa in Brazil. Hundreds of Beavers is from writer/director Mike Cheslik and producer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews.
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Abruptio at Panic Fest: "HellBent Pictures is excited to announce the next screening of Evan Marlowe's life-sized puppet horror Abruptio at Panic Fest, Kansas City's celebrated film festival now in its 10th year at the historic Screenland Theater. Comedy, mystery, blood, A-List voices, action, and puppets combine in the first-of-its-kind surrealistic horror/thriller.
Abruptio features the voice talents...
After a celebrated World Premiere at FantasticFest 2022, it took to the festival circuit, and will be screening at twelve different festivals in April alone, including Atlanta Film Festival where it's nominated for Best Cinematography, and Fantaspoa in Brazil. Hundreds of Beavers is from writer/director Mike Cheslik and producer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews.
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Abruptio at Panic Fest: "HellBent Pictures is excited to announce the next screening of Evan Marlowe's life-sized puppet horror Abruptio at Panic Fest, Kansas City's celebrated film festival now in its 10th year at the historic Screenland Theater. Comedy, mystery, blood, A-List voices, action, and puppets combine in the first-of-its-kind surrealistic horror/thriller.
Abruptio features the voice talents...
- 4/13/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
MidWest WeirdFest has announced its first programming wave for 2023 today. The cinematic celebration of all things fantastic, frightening, paranormal, and just plain weird, is now in its 7th year. The festival takes place March 3-5, 2023 at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Says MidWest WeirdFest founder and programming director Dean Bertram:
The weirdest festival of the season is less than two months away, and I’m delighted to announce some of the genre, underground and esoteric gems we’re offering audiences this year. From brand new UFO and Bigfoot documentaries, through offbeat and ultra-violent comedies, to nightmare inducing films featuring an assortment of witches, cyber terrors, and gore-splattered serial killers… and that’s just in the fest’s first programming wave!
Discounted festival passes are now on sale here: https://filmfreeway.com/MidWestWeirdFest/tickets
Individual tickets to each film will go on sale closer to the festival...
Says MidWest WeirdFest founder and programming director Dean Bertram:
The weirdest festival of the season is less than two months away, and I’m delighted to announce some of the genre, underground and esoteric gems we’re offering audiences this year. From brand new UFO and Bigfoot documentaries, through offbeat and ultra-violent comedies, to nightmare inducing films featuring an assortment of witches, cyber terrors, and gore-splattered serial killers… and that’s just in the fest’s first programming wave!
Discounted festival passes are now on sale here: https://filmfreeway.com/MidWestWeirdFest/tickets
Individual tickets to each film will go on sale closer to the festival...
- 1/18/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Titles like Mike Cheslik's "Hundreds of Beavers" are why film festival veterans urge anyone listening to watch as many obscure titles as possible. Outside festival walls, a microbudget black-and-white, almost-no-dialogue 19th-century tale about an American fur trapper versus [checks notes] hundreds of beavers is the hardest of sells. But at a festival like Austin's Fantastic Fest, while sharing theaters with other adventurous moviegoing weirdos who want to see what gems programmers sneak into daily schedules? "Hundreds of Beavers" almost feels commonplace, blending historically inaccurate pioneer struggles with multiple comedy styles that never try to sell their actors in head-to-toe furry costumes as anything more than humans in woodland critter clothing.
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews plays a lush Applejack salesman named Jean Kayak, who watches his orchard ash in flames and distillery tanks crumble thanks to nature's deadliest foe: beavers. Jean is left shivering, blanketed by a layer of harsh winter's snow,...
Ryland Brickson Cole Tews plays a lush Applejack salesman named Jean Kayak, who watches his orchard ash in flames and distillery tanks crumble thanks to nature's deadliest foe: beavers. Jean is left shivering, blanketed by a layer of harsh winter's snow,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Matt Donato
- Slash Film
To kick off a brand new month, we have a brand new batch of horror and sci-fi titles coming home this week on Blu-ray & DVD. If you missed it earlier this year, you can check out Antebellum this Tuesday when it hits 4K Ultra HD, Blu, and DVD. Rlje Films is getting into the holiday mood early with their release of Christmas Presence, and the entire series of Game of Thrones is getting the 4K treatment as well.
Other releases for November 3rd include Lake Michigan Monster, The Veil, They Reach, Let's Scare Julie, and V for Vendetta in 4K.
Antebellum
Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality that forces her to confront the past, present and future – before it’s too late.
Special Features:
The History in Front of Us: Deconstructing Antebellum (2-Part Documentary)
A Hint of Horror: The Clues of Antebellum...
Other releases for November 3rd include Lake Michigan Monster, The Veil, They Reach, Let's Scare Julie, and V for Vendetta in 4K.
Antebellum
Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality that forces her to confront the past, present and future – before it’s too late.
Special Features:
The History in Front of Us: Deconstructing Antebellum (2-Part Documentary)
A Hint of Horror: The Clues of Antebellum...
- 11/3/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Lake Michigan Monster (2018) will be available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video November 3rd
Lake Michigan Monster Banned In Four Lakes!
All aboard! The combined spirits of H.P. Lovecraft, early Sam Raimi and Mystery Science Theater 3000 inhabit this action-packed tale of nautical derring-do and monster mayhem winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2019 Fantasia Film Festival.
On the shores of Lake Michigan, the eccentric Captain Seafield enlists a colourful crew of misfits in a bid to slay the hellish sea monster that prowls the murky depths. But as Seafield s obsession with exacting revenge on the creature that killed his father threatens to consume him, can weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (Erick West), sonar whiz Nedge Pepsi (Beulah Peters) and former N.A.V.Y. Nautical Athletes and adVenture Yunit officer Dick Flynn (Daniel Long) hold the show together?
Shot in gloriously retro black and white on a shoestring budget,...
Lake Michigan Monster Banned In Four Lakes!
All aboard! The combined spirits of H.P. Lovecraft, early Sam Raimi and Mystery Science Theater 3000 inhabit this action-packed tale of nautical derring-do and monster mayhem winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2019 Fantasia Film Festival.
On the shores of Lake Michigan, the eccentric Captain Seafield enlists a colourful crew of misfits in a bid to slay the hellish sea monster that prowls the murky depths. But as Seafield s obsession with exacting revenge on the creature that killed his father threatens to consume him, can weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (Erick West), sonar whiz Nedge Pepsi (Beulah Peters) and former N.A.V.Y. Nautical Athletes and adVenture Yunit officer Dick Flynn (Daniel Long) hold the show together?
Shot in gloriously retro black and white on a shoestring budget,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fantasia Award winner Lake Michigan Monster is set to make its online debut this August on the Arrow Video Channel. Directed by and Starring Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, this Monster is a delirious wonder of low budget/high concept comedy and creativity. Lake Michigan Monster will officially appear as part of Arrow Video's SVOD service on August 3rd, but there will be a 24 hour special ticketed virtual premiere on July 31st through Altavod featuring a special introduction by Ryland Tews and a pre-recorded Q&a with cast members Ryland Tews, Beulah Peters and Mike Cheslik. More information in the press release below, but if you really want to get a feel for Lake Michigan Monster, the trailer is pretty...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 6/30/2020
- Screen Anarchy
Stars: Daniel Long, Beulah Peters, Ryland Tews, Wayne Tews, Erick West | Written by Ryland Tews, Mike Cheslik | Directed by Ryland Brickson Cole Tews
Lake Michigan Monster is a title that screams SyFy Original to sit alongside Sharknado and Lavantula. Although there are some similarities between this and those ridiculous (and mostly fun) movies, this film does offer up plenty of surprises and fresh ideas. It’s like a parody of the forties and fifties monster B-movies, even completely shot in black and white. And the writer/director/star of the movie Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is clearly a fan of these, he just adds in a whole lot of crazy comedy.
Lake Michigan Monster isn’t a movie that takes itself very seriously, it knows exactly what type of film it is. The plot is flimsy, there’s not a whole lot to it but that’s fine. A sea...
Lake Michigan Monster is a title that screams SyFy Original to sit alongside Sharknado and Lavantula. Although there are some similarities between this and those ridiculous (and mostly fun) movies, this film does offer up plenty of surprises and fresh ideas. It’s like a parody of the forties and fifties monster B-movies, even completely shot in black and white. And the writer/director/star of the movie Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is clearly a fan of these, he just adds in a whole lot of crazy comedy.
Lake Michigan Monster isn’t a movie that takes itself very seriously, it knows exactly what type of film it is. The plot is flimsy, there’s not a whole lot to it but that’s fine. A sea...
- 7/30/2019
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
Read More: Watch: This Stunning Short Film Will Make You Think Hard About Humanity Filmmaker Mike Cheslik's "Limbos" is not your average haunting story. More focused on awkward laughs than terrifying thrills, the short stars Neil Casey, who recently made headlines for being cast as the villain in Paul Feig's female-charged "Ghostbusters," opposite Freddi Scheib and David Rysdahl, both of whom wrote the short with Cheslik. The comedy follows Jake (Rysdahl) and Katie (Scheib), two best friends who are moving in with one another. While Katie is clearly interested in Jake, he puts all effort into maintaining a platonic friendship. Unfortunately for him, a creepy landlord (Casey) and a haunted apartment put the friendship to the test. One early debacle involves the two being uncomfortably locked in the bathroom together, naked and without a single towel, through extreme and supernatural circumstances. Watch the short above and prepare to laugh.
- 7/8/2015
- by Ethan Sapienza
- Indiewire
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