Algonquin Times

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Independent filmakers host film debut at Observatory

By Steve Sandoz

Travis Gordon and his cast mates have been busy lately. Together they make up WTS Entertainment. A company headed by Gordon and based here in Ottawa. Last week at the Observatory the group was on hand for a screening of their new film Idiot and the Scorpion.

The movie took a year to put together. Last march, the group was busy promoting their previous release, a horror/comedy film called ZARKO. "As soon as we finished that, I started writing Idiot and the Scorpion", said Gordon, who is a theatre arts graduate.

The movie is essentially a low-budget spoof of the James Bond series. "I thought it would be funny to see a Canadian James Bond with outdated costumes and lousy weapons," said Gordon.

The movie stars Amiel Beausoleil as Max Damage, a wimpy superhero who somehow always ends up beating the bad guys. Theatre Arts student Angela Parent plays Trixie Pearson, who Max is assigned to protect.

The Times attended a screening last Wednesday and while the movie drags a bit, it does have its bright spots.

Particularly amusing is a sequence featuring two evil clowns out to kill Max. There are also some clever jokes in reference to the main villain called The Sting.

Gordon himself has five roles in the film, all supporting characters. He also directed and edited the movie.

There were not many in attendance at the screening except for the cast and a small group of students. "I was a little disappointed, but I think it was because we didn't give ourselves enough time to promote the show," said Gordon.

However, he did appreciate the reaction of those on hand. "I was extremely pleased with the response from the audience at the Observatory," he said.

The crew held an earlier premiere in Perth that drew more than 70 people.

Gordon is already hard at work trying to secure funding for his next project. "We have three movie ideas that we're pitching to companies and interested individuals. I'm keeping them under wraps until we find the funds we need," he said.