Comeback kid takes New York

McCulloch hits Tribeca with new film
STEPHEN HUNT
CALGARY HERALD
Saturday, April 22, 2006

The Calgary director’s latest film, Comeback Season, will have its world premiere April 30 in New York City, where it’s being screened as part of the starstudded Tribeca Film Festival.

McCulloch, when contacted by phone at home in Los Angeles this week, didn’t sound nervous about what awaits.

“Seeing your film after it’s done is a little like seeing your ex-girlfriend at the laundry,” McCulloch said.

However, the 44-year-old Loose Moose theatre alum admits being excited about the film premiering in New York.

“My first film (Dog Park) premiered at Toronto,” McCulloch said, “which was good for its own reasons. The next couple (Stealing Harvard and Superstar) were in Los Angeles, so it’ll be nice to have one in New York.”

Comeback Season, starring Ray Liotta and Canadian Shaun Sipos, was filmed in Calgary last June. It’s the story of a married man who, after cheating on his wife, moves in next door with the local high school football star. The film also includes One Yellow Rabbit members Blake Brooker, Michael Green and Andy Curtis.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Brooker, who’s still considering flying to New York for next week’s premiere.

“Wow! I was a Sears clerk for a day,” Brooker said, referring to his small (but pivotal) role in the film. “And I loved every minute of it.” (Told about Brooker’s possible attendance, McCulloch said, jokingly, “He better. He owes me,” then added, “It’s his premiere too.”)

Tribeca festival programmer David Kwok said the primary appeal of Comeback Season for himwas that it’s a Bruce McCulloch film. He’s seen all of the director’s work, in addition to being huge fan of Kids in the Hall.

The Tribeca Film Festival was created in 2002 by Robert DeNiro and his producing partner Jane Rosenthal in the aftermath of 9/11 and has since emerged as populist festival.

This year, Poseidon, Mission Impossible III and United 93 premiere at the festival, which runs April 25 to May 7. As it grows, Tribeca faces the challenges of trying not to become a buyer-driven festival, like Sundance.

“We want to keep it as a populist festival,” said Kwok. “But more (film buyers) than in past years are showing up, and more films are up for sale this year.”

In his youth, McCulloch was self-confessed “ragpicker” who bought and sold clothes in Calgary.

However, he has grown more conservative over the years, and didn’t have any special wardrobe planned for the premiere.

“I have an ‘I Got Drunk at the Stampede’ T-shirt I’m considering,” he said. “I sleep in it, but maybe I can wash it.