From Gravitas Ventures comes the psychological thriller Writer’s Block; a story about “A struggling author. A mysterious man with a wad of cash. The opportunity of a lifetime…”
Skip Larson (Craig Nigh) is an author stuck in the sophomore slump. His first book, a Western called Salt Lick, brought him bestseller-worthy attention. When we meet him, however, he’s struggling to get a crowd at his book signing. The one woman who does show up suggests he go back to writing Westerns, and the bookshop owner gives Skip grief for not drawing a crowd, but requires him to hang around until 4 as he was scheduled.
A stranger buys out all his books and asks Skip to follow him. What follows is a mix of a dream-come-true and a nightmare-come-to-life. Think Mark Wahlberg’s Rock Star but for writers. Only, in this case, it’s the master in the abusive power-dynamic that is causing all the harm to our protagonist rather than themselves.
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As with Rock Star, Writer’s Block has Skip seemingly picked out of the ether by a wildly successful author to help co-write his next novel. Imagine James Patterson doing that to any small, independent author. Now imagine James Patterson going full Gary Busey and hurling spears at said author while expecting perfection with his work.
Truly, for writers of any stripe, this movie will acknowledge their worst fears with attempting to have their work recognized and appreciated. The nightmare of a book signing with no audience. The owner telling the author people have gone to another book signing for a “more famous” writer. Being told by an artist one admires that their work sucks.
Creative minds will love the movie because everyone knows a story like this in the field in which they create. Whether it’s the higher profile cases like those of Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood, or those of Ross Robinson who produced albums by bands like Korn, Glassjaw, and Slipknot. Robinson is known for pushing musicians (particularly vocalists) to such extremes that they cry during recording sessions. Which end up becoming parts of the song. It’s like that, only with the threat of dying mixed in.
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The cast of characters are a curious bunch. Skip is a drunk trying to work past the untimely death of his wife and child. Digger (Chris Warner) is the bulky stranger who entices Skip to come to author Chester Everett McGraw’s (Mike Gassaway) home to help write. With it comes a six month lockdown with no ability to leave the home, no phone to communicate with the outside world, and to have Skip’s full attention on writing and “learning,” as Chester insists. A touch of the story mirroring Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Haunted, it makes for equally as suspenseful a tale with a plentiful supply of plot and twists to keep the audience hooked.
I would be remiss to not mention the phenomenal work of the acting talent in the movie. Particularly Jeannie Carter-Cruz, who portrays Catalina in the movie. It’s hard to describe what she brings to the film, purely because it would give away a lot of it. Carter-Cruz is a captivating presence, mixed with the frustrated artist of Craig Nigh as Skip, the paper-thin tolerance and devilish charm of Mike Gassaway’s Chester, and the silent intimidation of Chris Warner’s Digger. The characters, and the sincerity in the actors’ performance, pull the audience in with every word.
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I may sound zealous about the movie, but that’s because I am. Sure, there’s some cheese to the film, but which among our classic favorites is free of kitsch? In all honesty, it makes the film all the more endearing. As long as you accept that going into the movie, the film is a hidden gem.
Writer’s Block is on VOD and Digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms.
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