RAISING THE STAKES
Written, Edited and Directed by Justin Channell
Featuring Zane Crosby, Josh Lively, Ryan Stocking, Jessica Togias,
TJ Rogers, Drew Smith, Jordan Hess and Lloyd Kaufman
2005/MiniDV/75 min.
Raising The Stakes Official Site

Opportunities such as this rarely present themselves.

Imagine a no-budget comedy horror feature that doesn't depend on tons of amateur gore and vulgar dialogue, and it's actually funny. And the story has meaning! Sound too incredible to be true? Once upon a time, I would have thought so. Turns out, a teenage filmmaker from West Virginia did with his buddies what very few "professionals" seem capable of these days; he told a truly entertaining story.

RAISING THE STAKES is about Steve and Bob, two high school outcasts who spend their evenings pretending to be vampires, peeking in windows and jumping out from behind bushes. Girls laugh at them, and guys kick their asses. They'd like nothing more than to become true badass bloodsuckers, finally getting the power, respect and revenge they feel they deserve. Then one night, Steve and Bob purchase a magic formula from a mysterious stranger, and finally get their wish. Well, sort of. You've seen a lot of movies, you know this kind of thing only causes more trouble. Turns out, being a vampire isn't as cool as it is in the movies. Our boys find out just how much being a bloodsucker actually sucks.

Although there are some issues with the exterior nighttime photography, on the whole RAISING THE STAKES is competently shot, scored and edited. Director Justin Channell wisely invested in a boom mic, which results in some of the most superior sound work I've heard in any recent indie production (the majority of which had ten times the budget Channell did for his movie). Poor image quality is much more forgivable than poor audio, and honestly, STAKES is such a funny and engaging film that you really don't care about its occasional rough spots.

Josh Lively and Zane Crosby both turn in hysterical performances as main characters Steve and Bob, punctuating an already well-written script with their own signature vocal inflections and delivery styles. Their characters are very well thought out, and one never tires of watching these two banter back and forth. Channell does a great job using creative editing to bring the jokes out even more, knowing exactly when to cut and when to linger on a moment to elicit the biggest laugh. Since most of the film consists of scenes between Steve and Bob, casting less capable or less dedicated performers could have sunk the entire show. Thankfully, these two really have incredible on-screen chemistry that results in a subtle blend of CLERKS and SOUTH PARK style atmosphere.

However, while it's definitely funny, RAISING THE STAKES managed to hit home for me, triggering a memory from grade school that I had blocked out for many, many years. My best friend Sam and I were constanty picked on and made fun of by the other kids, which made us quite angry and filled us with vengeful thoughts. Both of us were into the macabre, and would spend each day at recess talking about how great it would be to become a werewolf and be able to rip the other kids to shreds (hey, it was a very long time ago, but I'm being honest here). Eventually I grew out of it, but Sam didn't fare so well, eventually moving away and delving frighteningly deeper into the occult. In Channell's film, things always stay relatively lighthearted and fun. But in real life, we can only hope that Steve and Bob wouldn't resort to any kind of violence. The ridicule that the main characters of RAISING THE STAKES face is of course satirical in nature, but that doesn't make it any less true-to-life.

Do yourself a favor and check out this movie. It's great for repeat viewings and quotable dialogue ("I'd rather die than be a stick"), but more than anything else, it showcases what my friend Jessica would call "raw talent". I can't wait to see what these guys do next.

(July 2005)