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Peabrain

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A former soap opera actor contends with his father, an assisted living resident with alcoholic dementia, and reflects on his earlier relationship with him.

Steve Blackwood

Director

I Feel (2017), Meet the Author (2018), Stuck (2020), Private (2022).
Steve Blackwood

Writer

I Feel (2017), Meet the Author (2018), Stuck (2020), Private (2022).
Michael David Kehoe

Producer

Private (2022)
Bob Tourangeau

Producer

Namaste (2017), Meet the Author (2018), Quirewood! The Musical (2018), Truth Behind Closed Doors (2020), Stuck (2020), Alternate Ground (2021), Private (2022), Testing (2019-2022), Turn A Mad Dog Loose (2023).
Steve Blackwood

Producer

Coming of Age Films (2012), I Feel (2017), Meet the Author (2018), Stuck (2020), Private (2022).
Beth Anderson-Song

Producer
Elaine Victoria Grey

Producer

Capture (2012), Private (2022).
Irene Keene

Producer

Your Fault (2023?)
Gary Mason

Producer
Joan Punt

Producer

Meet the Author (2018), Private (2022).
Kari Bernard

Producer
Kevin Haley

Producer
Christina Holz

Producer
Steve Blackwood

Key Cast

"Phil"

Private (2022), Stuck (2020), Meet the Author (2018), Machine Gun Preacher (2011), Ed Gein (2000), and Days of Our Lives (Regular 2000-2008).
Brian J. McDonald

Key Cast

"Craig"

Sweet Wind (2020), Four of A Kind (2021), Northern Shade (2022), Penny (2022), Nothing is Going to Change (2022), Road Rage (2022), Scotch, Please (2022), Finestkind (2023).
Halle Curley

Key Cast

"Hailey"

dear life. (2020), Black Vulture (2021), Miles of Summer (2022), 25 Years After Woodsboro: A Scream Fan Film (2022), The Jackpot Hit (2022), The Witch on Bridge Street (2022), As It Was (2022), Reasonable Men (2019-2023), @Witch (2023), How to Clean (2023).
Silas Robbins

Key Cast

"Young Craig"
Natasha Darius

Key Cast

"Jess"

Buck's Bed and Breakfast (2015), Cause and Effect (2015).

Project Type:

Short
Runtime:

15 minutes 28 seconds
Completion Date:

October 5, 2023
Production Budget:

13,000 USD
Country of Origin:

United States
Country of Filming:

United States
Language:

English
Film Color:

Color
First-time Filmmaker:

No
Student Project:

No

Director Biography - Steve Blackwood

Steve Blackwood was born on May 13, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, USA as Stephen C. Blackwood. He is an actor and writer known for Private (2022), Stuck (2020), Meet the Author (2018), Machine Gun Preacher (2011), Ed Gein (2000), and Days of Our Lives (Regular 2000-2008).

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Director Statement

Peabrain is an exploration of aging and alcoholism through a son's last visit to a father with alcohol dementia in an assisted living facility in 1990 Detroit.
My intent was to honor my real dad who passed away recently.
Creating my own films has been the highlight of my career, and to work with Brian J. McDonald as my son was an extra treat.
Our last two films were Private (festival wins include Berlin International Art Film Festival, SENE Film Festival, and Paris Film Awards) and Stuck (festival wins include London Indie Short Festival, Shawna Shea Memorial Film Festival, and Star City Film Festival .)
Thank you for considering our film for your festival. We would be honored by your selection.

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Project Links

Website

News & Reviews

"FULL REVIEW: This short film begging to be a fully developed feature plays like a dream verging on nightmare, an experience too many of us have faced or will, the helplessness of watching a parent recede from view and taking with him or her all our unresolved regrets, broken promises and things we wish we could have said, an alarm going off to call our loved ones and make peace while we can. "

Ernest Thompson, Academy Award winner for "On Golden Pond"; Writer of "The Book of Maps"

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0860125/
"FULL REVIEW: The short film "Peabrain" should resonate with anyone who grew up with a difficult parent, particularly if, over time, the roles of cared-for and caretaker became reversed. The lead performers (Steve Blackwood and Brian J. McDonald) delicately capture the present-day tensions between a demanding older person whose mind is slipping, and an exasperated son whose efforts can never be good enough. At the same time, the actors make us believe in the past history that led to all the strains we're witnessing. A lovely piece of work."

-- Bob Verini, Variety

https://variety.com/author/bob-verini/
"FULL REVIEW: In its brief fifteen minutes, a lifetime of hard truths plays out against one last attempt to reach a place where memory can be a consolation. But memory, in this poignant father /son drama, is like a broken switch, no connection can be found. Steve Blackwood, an emerging master of the short film, has created a tough, beautiful film [with Peabrain]. "

Robert Burgoyne, author of "The New American War Film", 2023

https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/the-new-american-war-film
"FULL REVIEW: As “Peabrain” by Steve Blackwood unfolds, it quickly becomes apparent that Craig has had a rocky relationship with his father, Phil, since childhood. [As Craig, Brian J.] McDonald catches all of his character’s nuances and hits them out of the park with a performance that holds the raw emotions just under the surface. Likewise, [Steve] Blackwood excels at expressing the roller coaster of emotions Phil is experiencing. Mixed with gestures that add depth to his character, Blackwood gives a thoroughly honest performance from start to finish. Wearing multiple hats, director Blackwood uses the tight space of Phil’s small room to the film’s advantage. The honest portrayal of this particular family will leave you deep in thought for some time to come."

Donald V. Calamia, The Cranky Critic

https://crankycritic2.blogspot.com/
"FULL REVIEW: We have enjoyed Steve Blackwood’s affectionate salutes to genre films, like the detective noir short Private, the wacky screwball comedy Stuck and the sparring-romcom Meet the Author. Clearly, his new film [Peabrain] is much more deeply personal. A quarter-hour drama, it recounts a son’s visit to his dad in an assisted-living home. The hints are that [the dad, played by Blackwood] suffers from alcohol-related dementia. Anyone who has had a parent with Alzheimer’s or dementia will identify with the poignant back and forth, and everyone else will relate to the generational chafing over changing culture and standards. The film ends on a wistful (and meta) note, suggesting that art such as movies can, if not exactly fix or improve reality, at least give it some perspective and help us detach from it. It can also perhaps be a way of healing."

Scott R. Larson, scottsmovies.com

https://www.scottsmovies.com/shortrevs.html#peabblac
"REVIEW QUOTE: (Full review at the link below) Peabrain will most certainly resonate with anyone who appreciates family dramas and/or has experienced the delicacy of the changing parent/child relationship. For those who've experienced a loved one with dementia, Peabrain will offer an intelligent story and a time to reflect. "

Richard Propes The Independent Critic

https://www.theindependentcritic.com/peabrain
"‘Peabrain’ Review: A Passion Project Which Shows with its Portrayal of a Strained Father/Son Relationship"

Mark Ziobro, The Movie Buff

https://www.themoviebuff.net/2024/01/peabrain