As well as all of the big movies that we feature and promote on these hallowed pages, The Hollywood News also likes to get behind the small indie flicks too. Something that we have started to look at are the Kickstarter projects which are popping up all of the time. The idea behind them is that they use public money to get off the ground, hence the title, and while some of them are absolute tosh, some are hidden gems and deserve the attention.
One of these projects is a planned independent film called HIGH AND OUTSIDE: A BASEBALL NOIR. The film, to be directed by Evald Johnson, tells the story of one man’s dream to play professional baseball and the desperate measures he takes to keep that dream alive. It is also set to star an absolute legend in the form of Geoffrey Lewis, he of ANY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER fame ( left).
Phil Donlon, David Yow and Scarlett Fay are also in the cast. Dan O’Dair wrote the script and acting as producers are Mark Shady, Ellen Phillips and John Cook along with Johnson. Caprice Conley is co-producer.
As with all Kickstarter projects you can get involved, and by helping finance it you get your own name on the credits, plus potentially much more. Have a look here, and check out an awesome preview trailer for the proposed film along with the full synopsis below.
Phil (Phil Donlon) is a man obsessed with the game of baseball: the sounds of it, the smells of it, the feel of the bat on the ball, and the men who have made the game great. It’s been in his blood since the day he was born to Len Harding (Geoffrey Lewis), legend in the game. Baseball is his life. At least it used to be.
At 33, Phil is still trying to make it to the big leagues and escape the shadow of his famous and domineering father. But his marriage is falling apart, he’s broke, and he’s just been released by the last team he thought could give him a shot at the bigs. Everyone is telling Phil that his time on the field is over: his agent Benny tells him that, his best friend Johnny tells him that, even his father tells him that.
But Phil’s not ready to quit yet, so when Benny tells him of a development camp that just might get him noticed by some major league scouts, Phil jumps at the chance. The only problem is the camp will cost Phil three thousand dollars, and that’s three thousand dollars Phil doesn’t have. When Len refuses to give his son the money, Phil goes on a desperate quest to raise the cash by whatever means necessary. Navigating his way through the dive bars, pawn shops, and strip clubs of the San Fernando Valley, he’s out to prove he’s his own man and keep his dream alive. But when the darkness takes hold, it won’t willingly let go, and Phil must fight an army of his own demons just to make it out alive.
