Killer Diller (2004)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tricia Brock

Writers (WGA):

Clyde Edgerton (novel)
Tricia Brock (screenplay)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Trouble brought them together. The music set them free.

Plot:

A guitar playing car thief meets an autistic savant piano player, and together they transform a group of reluctant halfway house convicts into The Killer Diller Blues Band. |

Plot Keywords:

Blues | Piano Player | Guitar | Aspiring Musician | Jared Tyler

Awards:

1 win

Cast

William Lee Scott	...	Wesley
Lucas Black	...	Vernon
Fred Willard	...	Ned
John Michael Higgins	...	Deermont
W. Earl Brown	...	Holister
Taj Mahal	...	J.R. Cox
Mary Kay Place	...	Dr. Gwen Bradley
Robert Wisdom	...	Moker
Ashley Johnson	...	Angie
Niki J. Crawford	...	Shanita
RonReaco Lee	...	Ben
Lawrence Lowe	...	Lonnie
Jared Tyler	...	Raymond
Davenia McFadden	...	Deputy Rhodell Larkin
Matt Clark	...	Barge Captain
Clyde Edgerton	...	Luther
Bonnie Root	...	Ladonna
Cheryl Black	...	Mysteria
Cleo Brock-Abraham	...	Lucy
Stephen Speake	...	College Boy
Shawn Patrick Nash	...	Local Guy in Moker's (as Shawn Nash)
Lee Daniel Black	...	Local Guy #2
David Shatraw	...	Reporter
Jeanne Averill	...	Dr. Mills
Harlan Cole	...	Janitor
L.R. Hults	...	Photographer (as LR Hults)
Afton Sanders	...	Receptionist
George Terbovich	...	Board Member
Millie Paxton	...	Board Member
Bill Holman	...	Board Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rosemary Garris	...	Faculty Member (uncredited)
Molly Karrasch	...	Crowd Member (uncredited)
Courtney Kocak	...	Crowd Member (uncredited)
Dave Schuetz	...	Faculty Member (uncredited)
Kevin Stroup	...	Founder's Day attendee (uncredited)

Directed by
Tricia Brock

Writing credits (WGA)
Clyde Edgerton		(novel)
Tricia Brock		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jason Clark	....	producer
Steve Espinosa	....	producer
Teryn Fogel	....	associate producer
Ryan Gilleland	....	associate producer
Lisa Kearns	....	associate producer
Susan Kirr	....	line producer
Deb Martin	....	associate producer
Cary McNair	....	producer
Hans C. Ritter	....	line producer: Los Angeles (as Hans Ritter)

Original Music by
Tom Rothrock

Cinematography by
Matthew Jensen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tom McArdle

Casting by
Felicia Fasano
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Ben Woolverton

Art Direction by
Jack Thomas

Set Decoration by
Sean Kennedy

Costume Design by
Rhona Meyers

Makeup Department
Adruitha Lee	....	key hair stylist: Los Angeles
Alex Proctor	....	key makeup artist: Los Angeles
Marina Proctor	....	hair assistant
Tony Ward	....	hair assistant
Tony Ward	....	makeup assistant

Production Management
Jason Clark	....	unit production manager
Sarah J. Donohue	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles (as Sarah Donohue)
Susan Kirr	....	unit production manager
Leah Palen	....	post-production supervisor (as Leah M. Palen)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Bryant	....	key second assistant director
Cleta Elaine Ellington	....	second assistant director: reshoots (as Cleta Ellington)
J.J. Linsalata	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles (reshoots)
Andrew Payer	....	second second assistant director
Joey Stewart	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Eric Broderick	....	props intern
Cat Cacciatore	....	property master
Werner Hoetzinger	....	set dresser: Los Angeles
Kelsey Lapoint	....	scenic painter (as Kelsey LaPoint)
Susan Poirier	....	scenic painter
Newt Post	....	art department intern
Ron Redburn	....	on-set dresser (as Ronald T. Redburn)
Priscilla Shaw	....	props intern
George Terbovich	....	design consultant
Grace Vaughn	....	props intern
Brad Willoughby	....	set dresser
Dan Winnett	....	art department intern
Steven Wolfe	....	leadman

Sound Department
Jeremy Balko	....	assistant sound editor
Jeremy Balko	....	foley mixer
Evan T. Chen	....	dialogue editor (as Evan Chen)
Christopher D. Day	....	boom operator
Jake Eberle	....	supervising sound editor
Jeff Erdmann	....	sound mixer (as Jeff Landon Eardman)
Chris Frazee	....	boom operator
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Jerry Gilbert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shelley Roden	....	foley artist
Megan Silverstein	....	sound intern
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Wyman	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Scott Hinkley	....	post-production sound recordist (uncredited)
Susan Pusateri	....	additional foley artist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Mike Ocoboc	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Thomas E. Bentley	....	stunt performer (as Tom Bentley)
Krisztian Kery	....	stunt performer
Shawn Patrick Nash	....	stunt coordinator (as Shawn Nash)

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Benson	....	camera assistant: "b" roll (as Christopher J. Benson)
Jonathon Bradley	....	chief lighting technician
Trel Brock	....	still photographer
Ben Bryan	....	grip intern
Tony Bryan	....	chief lighting technician: Los Angeles
Cory Clay	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Cory Brandon Clay)
Cory Clay	....	second assistant camera: Los Angeles
Andy DePung	....	film loader (as Andrew R. DePung)
Sean E. Doolan	....	camera intern
Ted Gregg	....	key grip
Marty Hechinger	....	electrician
Philip J. Jaffe	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Philip J. Jaffe	....	first assistant camera: Los Angeles (as Philip Jaffe)
Bobby Kirk	....	best boy grip
Paul Kloss	....	camera operator
Dave Kube	....	electrician
Mark Minner	....	dolly grip
Dave Moore	....	grip
Dave Muskeni	....	best boy electric: Los Angeles (as Dave 'Skinny' Muskeni)
Brian Nichols	....	grip
Thomas Pease	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Seamus Phillips	....	camera operator: "b" roll
Robert B. Reynolds	....	electrician (as Robert Reynolds)
Michael Ruffner	....	grip: Los Angeles
R. Samul	....	electrician
Walter 'Bud' Scott	....	key grip: Los Angeles
Jerry Wheat	....	best boy electric
Sean Wright	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Eric Zucker	....	best boy grip: Los Angeles
Dan Gartner	....	electrician (uncredited)
Tim Hawn	....	electrical intern (uncredited)
Larry F. Levenson	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Annie Bahner	....	extras casting coordinator
Tiffany Huey	....	location casting intern
Heather Laird	....	location casting
Jade Lauber	....	location casting intern
Amy McKee	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Katie Calcaterra	....	costume intern
Lizzie Cook	....	key set costumer
Jamie Crawford	....	costume intern
Ashley Harrison	....	costume intern
Heather Rose Koonse	....	costume intern (as Heather Koonse)
Katrina Migliore	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Bob Fredrickson	....	color timer
Alana Greenfield	....	negative cutter: Viv Kim Negative Cutting
Sandra Grubb	....	assistant editor (as Sandy Grubb)
Vivian Hengsteler	....	negative cutter: Viv Kim Negative Cutting
Chris Mistorni	....	additional editor
Michael Nouryeh	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tree Adams	....	musician: singer, background vocals
Jeff Babko	....	musician: piano hand double
Mike Brenner	....	musician: lap steel guitar
Derek Charles	....	musician: singer, background vocals
Dee Gilbert	....	musician: singer, background vocals
Angie Jaree	....	musician: singer, background vocals (as Angie Jarre)
Michael Jerome	....	drum consultant
Alex Locascio	....	drum consultant
Nancy Meyer	....	music supervisor
Keb' Mo'	....	composer: additional music
Walter New	....	music editor
Christopher S. Parker	....	music clearance
G. Marq Roswell	....	music supervisor
Mike Tarantino	....	score recording engineer
Adam Swart	....	music coordinator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Oscar Beguiristain	....	driver: honeywagon
Jim Fields	....	driver: wardrobe trailer
Jason Lems	....	driver: shot maker
Steve Moffit	....	driver: production van (as Steve Moffitt)
Oz Qureshi	....	driver production assistant
Gentry Robinson	....	driver: 15 passenger van
Ken Smith	....	transportation coordinator
Neil Thomas	....	driver: stakebed

Other crew
Kevin Allen	....	stand-in
Kristen Anthony	....	set production assistant: Los Angeles
G.M. Auleta	....	title designer
Beat Baudenbacher	....	title designer
Kimberly Beck	....	walla group (as Kimberly Beck Clark)
Mark Belcher	....	assistant location manager
David C. Bernat	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles (as David Bernat)
Lee Black	....	stand-in
Gloria J. Bradfield	....	cook
Sergio Cilli	....	key set production assistant: Los Angeles
Rick Cowan	....	location manager
Michael Dix	....	set production assistant
Jonathan Everett	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Glenn D. Feig	....	legal services: Reder & Feig
Kim Filbert	....	assistant chef
Marcus Freeman	....	office production assistant
Pamela Garrett	....	assistant accountant
Michelle Gevioan	....	craft service: Los Angeles
David Loyal Herbruck	....	title designer (as David Herbruck)
Mike Hirsch	....	assistant location manager
Amos James	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Stephanie James	....	production assistant: Los Angeles (as Stephanie Fike)
Keith Kentop	....	office production assistant: Los Angeles
Danielle Mangiameli	....	producer intern
K. Lynn Martin	....	script supervisor
Genesis Mayo	....	office production assistant
Trey McCulloch	....	craft service
Davenia McFadden	....	acting coach
John Miller	....	office intern
Molly Murray	....	production accountant
Vincent Palermo	....	location production assistant (as Vince Palermo)
Seamus Phillips	....	production intern: Los Angeles
Josh Riley	....	set intern
Cynthia Robbins	....	walla group
Meagan Sawyer	....	set intern
Frank 'Bone' Schudy	....	craft service
Brian J. Scroggs	....	assistant production office coordinator
Cara Smith	....	craft service
Karen Smith	....	chef
Eric J. Spiegelman	....	legal services: Reder & Feig
Mason Spurgeon	....	stand-in
Craig Wadlin	....	production assistant: Los Angeles (as K. Craig Wadlin)
Patti Broyles Watkins	....	production coordinator
Chris Weaver	....	key set production assistant

Production Companies

• Bulwark Entertainment
• Sprocketdyne Entertainment

Distributors

• Freestyle Releasing (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kd Productions Inc.

Other Companies

• Axium International  payroll services
• Digital Difference  editorial equipment
• FotoKem Laboratory  color (as FotoKem)
• Loyalkaspar  title design
• MPS Digital Studios  lighting and grip equipment (as MPS Studio)
• Otto Nemenz International  lenses and cameras (as Otto Nemenz)
• RSVP Productions  electronic press kit
• Reder & Feig  production legal services
• Reel Services  catering
• Sonic Magic  sound post-production
• Title House Digital  titles and opticals
• Treehouse Music  music recorded at
• Truman Van Dyke Company  insurance (as Truman Van Dyke)
• Viv Kim Negative Cutting Service  negative cutting (as Viv Kim Negative Cutting)

Also Known As:

Bottleneck (USA) (working title)
Rockin' the House (USA) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Company:

Bulwark Entertainment

Trivia:

The license plate on the BOTA van reads 666 XES which is commonly known as the Mark of the Beast both numerically, and in Greek characters.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Car Kid (2002)

Soundtrack:

Judge Boushay's Blues

interesting film but inaccurate towards autism

First and foremost this film is about the blues and the story of a juvenile

delinquent stuck in a baptist halfway-house who must play in a sappy christian band with fellow halfway-house delinquents when they really just want to play the blues. In this respect, the film was interesting and relatively well made. The story arc was laid out plain and predictable, but still enjoyable enough.

My criticism of the film comes when the film's autistic character Verne enters the story as a piano prodigy with an affinity for driving an invisible fantasy car. To me, this portrayal of autism is marred by typical on-screen half-truths that breed ignorance in understanding this unfortunate disorder. I will state plainly,

however, that I am certainly not an expert in defining autism, nor do I know any autistic people. However, it is clear to see that Killer Diller was not accurate. They started with trueish conceptions of autism: that those who have it have

communication disorders, preoccupation with fantasy, repetitive acts and

attachment to objects.

However, Verne, the autistic character in this film, was more less portrayed as a late-teens autistic child who has apparently never received significant treatment for his condition and thus he is basically just a socially awkward kid who drives an invisible car, shakes all the time, has to pee all the time, and goes beserker when anyone questions his "rocking." But in the end, with just a little bit of socializing and positive feedback about his piano skills, Verne is another autism success story, able to at once overcome what would have been severe speech

impediments, years of social disfunction and other problems all without

treatment, therapy or any real help.

The problem with this is that it looks like the film makers just watched Rainman and watered down the formula. All autistic children, of course, will overcome their most severe problems sometime in adulthood through random coincidence

and socialization. Afterall, their speech impediments are never really all that limiting, really just idiosyncrasies to be overcome with a few laughs. But this is resonable since all autistic people are really just idiot savants in hiding.

Rainman is a counting genius and Verne from Killer Diller is a piano prodigy.

This, to me, is dangerous, the concept of always simplifying disorders into cute, manageable characters who can overcome their "hang-ups" in 90 mins or two

hours. I'm not saying either cases are inconceivable, but the sad truth is that the communication problems caused by autism are typically overcome after

considerable work with a doctor, etc. from EARLY childhood. Verne, especially, is a case that in which the character is supposedly not treated or not thoroughly treated at all and can suddenly overcome speech impediment once he accepts

his surrounding social situation. He really has no vocabulary or pronounciation problems, just a little stumbles here and there, a few quirky repeats, a few off- kilter statements, a few simplistic, childish speeches. I think that if Verne was real, he would unfortunately never be able to carry on a conversation with

typical language. His chances of being a piano prodigy wouldn't be too

excellent....okay, you get the idea.

One last criticism: the acting of Verne in this film was not very strong. I realize this was a low budget feature with no real "name" actors attached, etc. However, Dustin Hoffman is an accomplished actor who takes his character studies to the limit. His taste for reseach and observation/immitation almost always brings

believability-- at least a considerable degree--to his roles, Rainman being no exception. In this case, the actor to play Verne seemingly went to little more trouble then to take cues from the director just before the take. "Ok, actors ready. Verne, umm...., rock back and forth....and act like you need to go to the

bathroom. Okay? Okay. Roll Sound. Roll Camera."

And so on... anyway, I honestly don't know how much research went into the

role of Verne, and it very well may have been treated with care. But I honestly didn't get that impression. Verne's place in the film ranged from comic relief to agency for change for the main character to superficial change into a sociable, well-adjusted guy. I just didn't think he was treated with respect. The only

mention/serious handling of his condition was with a doctor of sorts who spoke on his autism only in passing. If you wanted to leave this film as is, why not just cut that scene and claim that Verne is just a kooky, weird guy instead of a

character with autism, a guy who would have been dealing with a serious

condition all of his life and probably wouldn't have come out so socially apt.