| A Dog's Breakfast | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | David Hewlett |
| Written by | story and screenplay byDavid Hewlett |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Jason Schneider |
| Music by | Tim Williams |
Production company | Kibble Productions |
| Distributed by | Kibble Productions 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Home Media) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $120,000[1] |
A Dog's Breakfast is a 2006 Canadiancomedyindependent film. It was the first film to be written and directed by British-born Canadian actorDavid Hewlett, who is best known for his role of Dr. Rodney McKay in the TV franchiseStargate. Hewlett created the film as a private off-season project and stars alongside his real-life sisterKate Hewlett andStargate actorsPaul McGillion,Christopher Judge andRachel Luttrell. The film was produced byJohn Lenic and Jane Loughman.
Due to its strong affiliation with theStargate franchise, the film generated considerable buzz within theStargatefandom. It had several screenings in selected major towns in the US and the UK in late 2006 and 2007. MGM picked up worldwide television and home video rights to the film in early December 2006. The film was released on DVD on September 18, 2007, in the United States and Canada by MGM's then-home-video distributor20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Patrick (David Hewlett) is single, loves his dog (Mars the Dog) and still lives in his parents' house ten years after their death. Shortly beforeChristmas, Patrick's sister Marilyn (Kate Hewlett) visits Patrick to introduce him to Ryan (Paul McGillion), a science fiction television star.
After accidentally knocking Ryan out with acricket bat, Patrick is shocked to learn of Marilyn's engagement to Ryan. Patrick also overhears a dialogue excerpt that Ryan cites over the phone, which makes Patrick believe that Ryan wants to kill Marilyn. From this time on, Patrick tries everything in his power to protect his sister. But an apparently fatal accident happens: While Patrick is on the phone with Marilyn, Ryan tries to mount Christmas lights and falls off the ladder. Patrick panics and tries everything to hide Ryan's death from his sister, disposing of the body in the garden and in a nearby lake. But Ryan's dead body reappears each time. In an effort to interest Marilyn in other men, Patrick posts a fake online dating profile and arranges ablind date between Marilyn and a man named Chris (Christopher Judge). When Marilyn alerts the police that Ryan is missing, Ryan's aunt investigates Ryan's disappearance. After first suspecting Marilyn, Patrick's cover blows.
Because it looks bad for Marilyn, the siblings decide to dismember Ryan's body and give it to Mars and the neighbors' dogs as food. Finally, when Patrick admits that Ryan has basically always been a friend to him, Marilyn reveals her plan: She and Ryan just faked his death, and the body that Patrick has been trying to get rid of has been Marilyn'ssex doll all the time. Ryan has assumed the role of his aunt.
Some time later, when Patrick grows comfortable with the idea to accept Ryan as his brother-in-law, Ryan's sister Elise (Amanda Byram) arrives but is not enthused with the upcoming wedding. Alove at first sight between Patrick and Elise is apparent. While Marilyn shows her sister-in-law to-be the house, Ryan leads Patrick to the lake, with a moose figure behind his back.
Inspired by other actors pursuing a career in directing, David Hewlett wanted to spend his hiatus fromStargate Atlantis with other projects.He wrote three scripts of the horror and thriller genre before he got the idea forA Dog's Breakfast. He chose a more humorous subject becauseStargate Atlantis generally involves peril despite its comedy elements. Hewlett considered the movie as a personal challenge and did not have wide-distribution plans initially.[2][1]
The title of the film is derived from anEnglish slang phrase meaning "a mess or muddle".[3] In an online radio interview, David Hewlett joked that he chose this title so that the movie would have the right title if it didn't work out. He also said that the main character makes a mess out of everything, including murder, so the title was in fact carefully chosen.[4]
Although David Hewlett had been rather focused on the actors and the acting before, he started paying more attention to old style comedy film-making such as works ofMonty Python and directorBlake Edwards. In general, old-fashioned comedies appealed more to him than comedy films of recent history. Hewlett said he copied some old-fashioned techniques into his own project.[5] He specifically mentionedA Fish Called Wanda andFawlty Towers as major influences.[6]
DespiteA Dog's Breakfast's murder theme, Hewlett wanted to avoid violence and gore as audience attraction, and rather produce a family film for all ages. He thinks that younger members of the audience will enjoy the cartoon-like elements of the movie.[5]
Hewlett further mentionedBuster Keaton andHarold Lloyd of thesilent era of movie-making as major influences, who he says reflect a simpler method of story-telling and comedy. Similarly, he did not want to overdo cutting and manipulation, as he feared this would endanger the comedy effect.[5]
With the idea of making a movie, David Hewlett and Jane Loughman approachedStargate producer John Lenic, who arranged deals with motion picture companies.Paramount Production Services inVancouver were confident enough in them to support them with free grip and electric equipment.Panavision Canada providedHD cameras for two weeks for a day's rate.[2][4]
The majority ofA Dog's Breakfast was filmed on a fourteen-day schedule and with extremely limited funds in January 2006 whenStargate Atlantis (the TV show David Hewlett stars in) was on hiatus between seasons, although some scenes had already been filmed on Saturdays during theAtlantis season.[7] David Hewlett had originally planned to shoot at his own house inWashington, but legal problems due to its U.S. location forced the otherwise Canadian production to rent a house nearBurnaby, British Columbia,Canada.[5][8][9] Vancouver proved convenient as an alternative.
Many of the local actors and crew were eager to participate in the project, since the Vancouver winter weather creates a yearly lull in the local acting business.[4] As such,A Dog's Breakfast featured many actors, crew members and pieces of equipment that are usually associated with theStargate franchise.David Hewlett playsRodney McKay inStargate Atlantis,Kate Hewlett plays McKay's sister in severalAtlantis episodes,Paul McGillion andRachel Luttrell playCarson Beckett andTeyla Emmagan inAtlantis, respectively, andChristopher Judge is known asTeal'c fromStargate SG-1. Hewlett joked that McGillion joined the project because "he [had] nothing else to do," and that his sister, Kate Hewlett, "was really hard to get a hold of, because she's got a writing/acting career herself."[10] Hewlett considered Christopher Judge for the role of the "Internet-dating loser" because "he seemed so incredibly inappropriate for the part that I thought it would be very funny to have him play it." Luttrell played "a space princess on the cheesy show."[11]
A Dog's Breakfast producerJohn Lenic is a producer onStargate SG-1 andStargate Atlantis, and several other film crew members have significantly contributed toStargate previously: Jim Menard (cinematography), James Robbins (production design), Mark & Robert Davidson (set decoration), Jan Newman (key makeup artist), Bill Mizel (first assistant director), Wray Douglas (special effects supervisor),James Bamford (stunt coordinator),Will Waring (camera operator), and Ivon Bartok (Behind the Scenes director). One set that is featured in the film as well as onStargate is theStarcrossedspacecraft set, which stands in for several spaceships in theStargate series, such as theDaedalus-class battlecruisers and thePrometheus. Music was composed byTimothy Williams.
Hewlett wrote the script especially around those availabilities.[7] This made it possible to produce the film with a budget of $120,000 total to film and produce, mostly privately raised.[1][4]
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The script was written with theStargate audience in mind and pet lovers as a secondary audience.[12] David Hewlett stated that he consciously wrote for certain audiences, as he had seen too manyindependent film makers fail who did not do so.[4]Before contacting possible distributors, the producers ofA Dog's Breakfast mapped out specific marketing strategies by visitingStargate websites to learn aboutDVD sales, television viewers andconvention attendance around the world.[12]
Inspired byThe Long Tail, Hewlett started an internet marketing campaign by setting up aYouTube channel and his own producer blog for $8 a month to keep promotion costs down.[13] Hewlett discussed marketing strategies with eager fans online.[2] He called thisSquirrel Marketing.[14][15]
Promoting the movie from aStargate angle plus high YouTube sneak preview viewing numbers and a full theater for the test screening helped to convinceStargate's distributorMGM to make a deal withA Dog's Breakfast in November 2006.[7][16][17] MGM in turn took advantage of Hewlett's grassroots support and wanted to make the movie into a test-run for direct-to-download releases.[15] MGM officially announced the pick-up for worldwide television and home video rights on December 4, 2006.[18]
David Hewlett and his production team did not consider a theatrical release forA Dog's Breakfast until they noticed its potential to generate interest and to enable fans to see the film.[4] They arranged a first sneak preview at theCreation Stargate Convention inLos Angeles on November 16, 2006.[19] Two further screenings took place inLondon on February 1, 2007, with the second one only being arranged after the first planned screening had unexpectedly sold out online within twenty minutes.[20]A Dog's Breakfast was screened several times at theCinequest San Jose Film Festival in early March 2007,[21] and two screenings took place in the city ofVancouver on March 25, 2007.[22] In the screening at the 2007Stratford-Upon-Avon Film Festival on May 24 and 26, the film was awarded Best Feature Film, and David Hewlett won the award for Best Actor.[23][24] TheGlastonbury Festival screenedA Dog's Breakfast on June 22, 2007.[25]
Although highly unusual for new movies,A Dog's Breakfast was offered in other digital formats months before the official DVD release, withiTunes andAmazon Unbox beginning their release on July 4, 2007. MGM senior executive vice president Charles Cohen considered this as a natural move due to the high amount of interest among theStargate fan online community.[26] A release onhulu.com followed later.[27]
The film was released onRC1 DVD (North America) on September 18, 2007.[28] MGM originally planned an international release for between April and June 2008,[29] which they later pushed back to August 2008 to be published in tandem withStargate: Continuum.[30] However, as of May 2009, MGM held off an international release for up to December 2009. A UK release date remains unknown.[27] The DVD contains special features, including a commentary track, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes, and interviews with the cast and crew.[31]
GateWorld gave four out of four stars for the "mix of physical comedy and goofy sound effects, smart storytelling and a good deal of warmth". The reviewer labeled the movie a must-see for David Hewlett fans, and considered the acting "very real", with "delightful bonuses to Stargate fans".[9]BostonNOW thought the movie was "well worth watching" and "quirky, funny and, that rarest of finds in comedy, original." They liked the comic timing of the actors, especially Hewlett.[32]DVDSnapshot further found the low-budget indie project "a surprisingly good [film] while not relying on any big name stars or special effects." The Hewlett siblings were considered to have a "great onscreen brother-sister chemistry", and Paul McGillion's performance was lauded despite the few scenes he appears in.DVDSnapshot also stated that "the obvious jabs at Stargate are a lot of fun."[33]
DVD Talk "highly recommended" the film as "unquestionably one of the best direct-to-video releases of the year," comparing the film to "Arsenic and Old Lace gone maniacally modern. [...]Breakfast reveals how great comedy is not dependent on cost – put together an intelligent script and a talented cast, and look how solid the results can be." The character work and beats, the direction and Hewlett's performance as "a master of wild overreaction and cartoonish screams" receive further positive mention.[31]The Leader-Post found "what it may lack in polish it more than makes up for in wit and fun. The result is a quirky black comedy with plenty ofMonty Python-esque humour and a hint of "The Tell-Tale Heart". [...] The movie's originality and simplicity is an asset as the spotlight is reserved fully for David Hewlett and his great acting abilities."[34]
Starcrossed is ascience fiction show originally withinA Dog's Breakfast, created as a tribute to Stargate. During the movie production, several people told David Hewlett thatStarcrossed should be made into a real show, so Hewlett approachedNBC Universal and the Sci Fi Channel.[8] David Hewlett wrote a draft for theStarcrossed pilot in late January 2007 and sent it to the network,[35] who bought the pilot in return.[8] A press release by the Sci Fi Channel describedStarcrossed as a high touch, high-tech half-hourcomedy about life behind the camera at a long-running sci-fi space soap, similar to the movieGalaxy Quest.[36] David Hewlett further outlinedStarcrossed as a "situation comedy about the making of a science fiction show, because there's really nothing sillier than serious science fiction. [...] It's very loosely based on a Stargate kind of thing, but it's not Stargate. It's not a spoof. It's just the silliness of the day-to-day life of trying to make a television series".[37]
In March 2007, David Hewlett acknowledged that althoughStarcrossed made it into script stage, it might never be filmed.[8] In July 2007, however, he stated that aStarcrossed deal was still much possible, leading to another potential hiatus project for him.[38] Hewlett also mentioned the project in September 2007, stating that he was still in talks with Sci Fi "about spinning off [Starcrossed] into aLarry Sanders-type show about making science fiction." Other possibilities are producingwebisodes.[11] In March 2008,The Hollywood Reporter announced thatStarcrossed was planned to debut in the fourth quarter of 2008 as an original web series, produced byUniversal Media Studios, Jane Loughman and John Lenic.[39] However, none of the plans were implemented. In April 2009, David Hewlett said via his Twitter account that Sci Fi would return the rights ofStarcrossed to him and that he planned to shoot a two-hour pilot episode himself.[40][41]
In his blogs and in an interview in 2008, David Hewlett hinted at a possible sequel,Heir of the Dog.[42] He said that he would like to bring back Christopher Judge, Rachel Luttrell, and Paul McGillion in the sequel.[43]