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The Death Drive

A self-proclaimed stuntman searches for the missing impact in his life. The young thrill seeker must find the balance between having a relationship and embracing his urge to self-destruct.

  • Kyle V. James
    Director
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "China Test Girls" (2017), "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" (2015)
  • Michael Bourne
    Director
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "Illuminate" (2014)
  • Kyle V. James
    Writer
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "China Test Girls" (2017), "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" (2015)
  • Michael Bourne
    Writer
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "Illuminate" (2014)
  • Kyle V. James
    Key Cast
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "China Test Girls" (2017), "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" (2015)
  • Mallori Taylor
    Key Cast
    "The Alligator Hunter" (2017), "Safe" (2015), "Uglies Anonymous" (2015)
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Beloit International Film Festival
    Beloit, Wisconsin
    February 20, 2016
    Beloit Premiere
    Best Narrative Short Film
  • Los Angeles Cinefest
    Los Angeles, California
    January 13, 2016
    Los Angeles Premiere
  • Lone Star Film Festival
    Fort Worth, Texas
    November 7, 2015
    Texas Premiere
    Best Short Film
  • Milwaukee Film Festival
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    September 27, 2015
    North American Premiere
  • Wisconsin Filmmakers Screening
    Madison, Wisconsin
    August 2, 2015
    Madison Premiere
    Audience Favorite
Director Biography - Kyle V. James, Michael Bourne

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kyle grew up fighting creatures and robots in his backyard with a homemade lightsaber. He now works as a director and film professor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. His work spans feature films, TV commercials, and award-winning short films. When Kyle isn’t drawing, he is writing his book on paradoxes: The Parado’s and Paradont’s of Time-Travel.
Kyle V. James is best known for his work on “The Alligator Hunter” (2017), “China Test Girls” (2017), and “Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made” (2015).

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Director Statement

The Death Drive is a 10-minute short film about a self-proclaimed stuntman who is searching for the missing impact in his life. The young thrill seeker must find the balance between having a relationship and embracing his urge to self-destruct.

Kyle V. James and Michael Bourne created the film during their senior years of college at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively. With both directing, Michael acted as the cinematographer and Kyle as the editor and lead actor playing "The Astronaut". Another MIAD graduate, Mallori Taylor, was brought aboard to play the second lead in the film: “Her”. 

The film explores the human desire for risk and danger, while commenting on what it means to truly live. The narration explains what the Death Drive is, while telling the story of The Astronaut’s urge to self-destruct. The Death Drive is the urge to do dangerous things: to free-fall, to go fast, and to step closer to the edge. The setting of the film ranges from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, to the Everglade swamps in Florida, to the frozen landscapes of Wisconsin winters. The adventurous settings of the film combined with the dangerous, heart-pounding situations leave the audience questioning what is real stunt work and what is visual effects. Being an independent, micro budget film, viewers are surprised by the extent of the ambitious stunts, as well as the visual effects that accompany them.

The Death Drive is a fast-paced adrenaline ride that taps into the stimulating concept of mortality, making it enjoyable and thought provoking to watch.