Filmmaker returns to familiar haunts
WEXFORD — In his latest film, Bruce Koehler entwines aspects of his previous works, crime drama and horror, with his first script and more star power than any of his previous outings.
"River of Darkness," a tale of revenge in a small river community, stars former professional wrestlers Sid Vicious and Kevin Nash, as well as Olympic gold-medal winner Kurt Angle, who starred in Koehler's last film.
Rounding out the cast are Bill Laing, who played the Mothman in "The Mothman Prophecies," and Bill Hinzman, who gained cult-status fame from his role of a zombie in "Night of the Living Dead."
"This (film) is closer to my heart, since I completely wrote it. It's an old-fashioned horror film," Koehler said.
He said horror films offer the opportunity to create rich characters, and he was fortunate to find some convincing actors.
Vicious, born Sidney R. Eudy, is a four-time world champion in his wrestling career, twice each with WWF and WCW.
The 6-foot-9-inch Vicious strikes an imposing figure as a villain, but deadpans like a comedic lead.
"I was scheduled for a lethal injection. But they told me I had to shoot this instead. It's still in appeals," he joked.
In seriousness, Vicious said independent films are more fun to make than large-scale Hollywood productions, since the crew is more loose and less businesslike.
"I've never done a character like this before. It's cool with all the makeup," he said, calling the makeup artists "some of the best I've ever worked with."
"River Of Darkness" is a story about a small river town haunted by its past.
In the movie, Vicious, Nash and Laing portray The Jacobs Boys, killed by a vigilante mob 30 years ago, who have returned to seek revenge.
The story traces a path of grisly murders through the eyes of Sheriff Will Logan (Kurt Angle), an about-face for Angle, who portrayed a villain in "End Game."
"He loved the idea," Koehler said of Angle, who was not on the set Tuesday night, deep in the woods at a Pinkerton Road cabin.
The Jacobs Boys' bloody trail eventually reveals secrets of the town's seedy past and the recluse vigilante leader Harvey Hix (Bill Hinzman)."This project brought me back," said Laing, who also starred in Koehler's "19 Doors," filmed in the Lyndora Hotel. "So here I am, ghosting it up again."Kevin Nash, the last of the three large Jacobs Boys, is a six-time world champion wrestler and has 11 tag team championships under his belt.Nash, also known as "Big Daddy Cool," has managed Angle as a wrestler."I'm good friends with Kurt, and I talked to him about it before I even read the script," Nash said.He laughed at the thought that his ghastly role in "River of Darkness" is a stretch from the serial rapist abductor he recently portrayed in another independent film."When you're 6-foot-10, you're kind of typecast," Nash said. "You won't see me on a horse's back any time soon, or cast in a movie with Tobey Maguire."As filming winds down on "River of Darkness," Koehler can take time between scenes and laughs to celebrate the success of his last movie, "End Game."Last year, Koehler lured Angle and Bridgeville native Jenna Morasca, the $1 million grand prize winner on the 2003 reality-TV show "Survivor: The Amazon," to film "End Game" in Ellwood City, Zelienople and Lyndora.The film is being distributed by First Look Entertainment and will be released to DVD in major stores on Dec. 1.Koehler is the founder of the Valencia-based North Shore Pictures, which also produced the films "Dark Wake" and "19 Doors" in 2007.
