Otsego, Otsego Township and Allegan were recently taken over by a monster—on film.
Independent filmmakers spent approximately the last three weeks in principal photography locally to shoot “Made Vicious,” a horror thriller set in a rural, Midwest town.
Dougie’s Family Bar and Grill owner Jared Polonowski said it was exciting to see the film being shot.
“It was exciting to see the playback on the camera; even the playback looks like a movie,” he said. “
Polonowski’s 7-year-old daughter Alida plays the sheriff’s daughter in the movie.
“It was fun to see Alida get to be on camera,” he said.
The sheriff, played by Kalamazoo native Larry Herron (“Adam Ruins Everything”), is a widower trying to raise his daughter while keeping the peace in a small town. While dealing with his debt to Victor, a mobster played by Tom Sizemore (“Saving Private Ryan”), a monster is awakened and begins to wreak havoc. Shara Connolly (“American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story”) plays Darla, owner of the local diner; Jaime Gallagher (“Know Your Enemy”) plays the monster; and Brian Thompson (“X-Files”) plays one of Victor’s goons.
The film was written and directed by David Prindle, who is among the eco-founders of Snow Monster Studios in Grand Rapids.
“David is a visual effects guru,” said Patrick Werksma, who is producing the film along with Nicole Hendrix and Craig Burgess. “The amount of work he’ll be doing to create the effects of the monster is extensive; this film will look very different when he’s done.”
Polonowski met Prindle after a series of break-ins on their block when they lived in Grand Rapids. They’ve stayed in touch over the years since then. When Prindle decided to write “Made Vicious,” Polonowski was among those he sent the film to help get feedback.
He also helped find a couple props, including a camper and the vehicle the sheriff drives.
The state denied the crew permission to shoot in the Allegan State Game Area.
“We ended up shooting on my parents’ property, my property (in Otsego Township) and a neighbor’s,” Polonowski said.
He said the production shot several scenes in downtown Allegan as well. They even caught a crowd leaving a movie and enlisted them as extras for one scene.
Werksma said there may yet be some pickup photography to be done in Los Angeles, but at this point the movie is largely in Prindle’s hands for the post production effects.
“We hope to release it by next Halloween,” he said. “We’ll be taking it to film festivals.”
Contact Ryan Lewis at rmlewis@allegannews.com or (269) 673-5534.
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