Midwest Movie Maker

The idea for Obstacle Corpse , Hope Madden’s directorial debut, came almost fully formed - and much of it had to do with death waivers. “A few years ago, I was set to run one of those Tough Mudder-style obstacle course races with my husband, George,” the Tiffin, Ohio, native explains. When foot surgery kept Madden from competing, she went along to support her husband. “The race handed out T-shirts that read ‘Remember, you signed a death waiver.’ Because you do, in fact, sign a death waiver,” Madden says, “and I saw how easy it would be to kill someone on these obstacles. “By the time we were home, I had the plot just about figured out.” That plot? A young woman, trying to prove herself to her father, accepts an invitation to run in an exclusive obstacle course race. To buoy her confidence, she enlists her best friend to run alongside her. Little do either know that one of the obstacles the race’s elite athletes must complete is the murder of a fellow racer. While steeped in horror, the...

Taking aim in Killer Raccoons! 2! Dark Christmas in the Dark It’s pretty safe to say - and with absolutely no disrespect - that at any other time in modern movie making history, Travis Irvine’s Killer Raccoons! 2! Dark Christmas in the Dark would barely make a dent in the box office.  But it’s not any other time in modern movie making history, and for a short period in late July, the parody was the No. 1 comedy in the U.S. It was also the only comedy in theaters that particular week, Irvine told Cleveland.com .   Not too shabby for a $50,000 sequel to a $5,000 feature shot in and around Athens, Ohio, about 15 years ago while Irvine was an Ohio University student. Irvine, writer, producer and director on Killer Racoons! is also quick to spread the creativity and innovation around. “ We had an incredible crew of pros and semi-pros based in Ohio,” Irvine says, “as well as some Ohio-expats living in Los Angeles and New York City, along with 12 to 15 amazing interns from Ohio Uni...