Related Links
[EXCERPT:]
OREM (Jan. 11) -- Laugh-out-loud comedy for and about Latter-day Saints may seem an unusual niche, but it's one filmmakers Dave Hunter and Kurt Hale believe they can fill.
Their first movie, "The Singles Ward," is set to premiere in Salt Lake City on Jan. 30, followed by a general release in 55 theaters in Utah, Idaho and Arizona on Feb. 1. "Singles Ward" is the first of three LDS audience-targeted films the BYU film school graduates plan to produce before jumping into the general feature film market.
Hunter and Hale, who call their fledgling company HaleStorm Entertainment, want to deal in the market they know before spreading their wings to encompass a larger one.
"The Singles Ward" will be followed by "The R.M.," about a returned missionary who returns to find his family has moved and his girl and job have both evaporated. Third will be "Church Ball," whose title is self-explanatory for anyone who's ever witnessed the sometimes less-than-sportsmanlike behavior of church ball teams.
"We know what'll work," says Hunter in explaining why he's doing what he's doing...
Hunter sees "Singles Ward" and the two LDS-oriented comedies to follow as progress toward making bigger, general-release feature films.
"I know it sounds corny," he says, "but we really want to get in and make great films for the world to see. These are our stepping stones."
OREM (April 9) -- Two BYU film graduates who set out to make feature-length comedies based on Latter-day Saint culture are apparently succeeding, slowly but surely. Although they haven't recouped their half-million- dollar investment quite yet, Kurt Hale and Dave Hunter's HaleStorm Productions in [sic] on track with "The Singles Ward," a laugh-out-loud comedy that accurately lampoons the LDS singles scene.
The movie premiered in Salt Lake City Jan. 30 and is still filling large theaters at Jordan Commons, Jordan Landing, Layton and Provo's Wynnsong every weekend.
"If you were to go there on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and try to get tickets for that night, you couldn't get in," said Hunter, who's understandably keeping a close watch on the movie's reception.
He estimates 120,000 people so far have seen the movie in Utah, several of them more than once. The sound track, featuring local bands playing covers of Primary songs, is also selling well in local music outlets.
"We roll out in theaters all over Idaho April 19, then Arizona May 8 and California the beginning of June," he said, noting that HaleStorm gets "probably a hundred emails a day" from those states asking when the movie is coming.
"In the meantime," said Hunter, "we'll be hitting little Mormon pockets in Colorado and Wyoming" with screenings of the highly entertaining movie.
The gross box office during the Utah run has reached about a half million dollars, according to Hunter. "We hope to do about $2.2 million at the box office," he said. "We're still on track to do that."
"The Singles Ward" is the first of three LDS- oriented comedies which the BYU film school graduates plan to produce before jumping into the general feature film market.
Hunter said he and Hale want to deal in the market they know before spreading their wings to encompass a larger one.
Shooting begins in May for "The R.M.," about a returned missionary who returns to find his family has moved and his girl and job have both evaporated, too. Next comes "Church Ball," whose title is self- explanatory who's ever witnessed the unsportsmanlike behavior of church ball teams.
"We know what'll work," says Hunter in explaining why he's doing what he's doing.
Hunter sees "Singles Ward" and the two LDS-oriented comedies to follow as progress toward making bigger, general-release feature films.
"I know it sounds corny," he says, "but we really want to get in and make great films for the world to see. These are our stepping stones."
-- See more about "The Singles Ward" and HaleStorm Entertainment on at www.singleswardthemovie.com.
Two months after its release in Utah with a $500,000 box office bust [the inexperienced author of the article apparently means "box office hit"], The Singles Ward premiered in Idaho theaters Friday. A few of the show's actors, Daryn Tufts (Eldon), Kirby Heyborne (Dallen), Michael Birkeland (Hyrum) and Lincoln Hoppe (DeVerl), held a private, by-invitation-only screening Wednesday night at Edwards Theater in Idaho Falls to promote the movie.
"I've always wanted to direct a comedy," Kurt Hale, co-writer, executive producer and director of The Singles Ward, said. "But I've always wanted to be able to produce films within the LDS genre."
With the recent box office successes of films such as God's Army and The Other Side of Heaven, Hale noticed there is, indeed, an audience that wants to see stories about the LDS culture.
"I also notices [sic] that no one else has attempted to make a comedy," Hale said.
Before the show began, Birkeland announced two upcoming LDS-genre movies that Halestorm Entertainment, which produced The Single Ward, will release in the next year or two — The RM and Church Ball.
Mormons, known for their seriousness and sobriety, are letting loose on the silver screen with a spate of small-budget comedies.
HALESTORM ENTERTAINMENT, started by two Brigham Young University grads, started the trend with "The Singles Ward," a campy jab at the Mormon singles scene that was made for $400,000. (A line about divorce: "Our ancestors were able to handle four or five wives. You can't even keep one?") The movie -- PG for "automotive mayhem" -- has spawned eight other "Mormon comedies." (Eight!) A few are about the perils of missionary work, and one's about church basketball leagues. All this has prompted Mormon filmmaker Nathan Smith Jones to make a mockumentary about the quest to become the Mormon Spielberg. (Think "Spinal Tap" with Mormons.) "This market will be really competitive," Jones says. "I'm mocking it before it gets out of hand."
[Excerpts]
...Hale will release two more Mormon-themed comedies. The first -- "The R.M.," about a return missionary -- will hit Utah in January. The other -- "Church Ball," about church basketball leagues -- will be out in January 2004.
There's no shortage of material, or self-deprecating humor, Hale said. "We can make 50 movies based on how strange we are."
On the Net:
Richard Dutcher's production site: http//:www.zionfilms.com
http://www.ldsfilm.com
Kurt Hale's production site: http://www.halestormentertainment.com
[EXCERPT]
The producers of The Singles Ward are at it again. Their new movie, The R.M. will open at theatres in Utah on January 31...
Two other movies are in the works, The Home Teachers and Church Ball. The Home Teachers will begin filming in June and Church Ball won't be until 2004, Ivie said.
Open auditions will be held in Utah and Heyborne said he anticipates being in the next movie, The Home Teachers.
[EXCERPT]
...The LDS film trend doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. "The RM," directed by Hale, hits theaters Thursday. Another comedy titled "Church Ball" is scheduled for release in January 2004.
"We can make 50 movies based on how strange we are," Hale said.
[EXCERPT]
The LDS film genre is still in its infantile stage, and though there is room for improvement, The RM is a good movie to see during the growing pains. We will see what other growing pains will be brought up when the movies Church Ball, The Home Teachers, The Work and the Story and others find their way to the big screen.
THE LATEST.... CHURCH BALL
Halestorm Entertainment has given John the green light to write the script for their long anticipated project, Church Ball. Now, we've had tons of people say, "I've got a church basketball story for you..." So, we've finally decided... Let's hear 'em! If you've got a great, violent, bloody, un-Christ-like church ball story to share - we want to hear! Keep it to 300 words or less. If we like it, we may use it! What do you get? A chance to see your game story immortalized for time and all eternity on the screen! Email your stories by June 1st to churchball@halestormentertainment.com
[EXCERPT]
...Mormon movies have been creating audiences in Rexburg. A sign on La Jolla Apartments advertised annual contracts and an opportunity to "be an extra in the new movie Church Ball!"
Due to lack of interest the sign will be taken down soon and is not in effect any longer...
[EXCERPT:]
...With the success of its first two films, HaleStorm has announced the production of two more films, The Home Teachers and Church Ball. The Home Teachers goes into production on July 14 and is slated for a January 9, 2004 release. Church Ball will be shot early next year...
[EXCERPT]
...And those who indiscriminately heap praise and support on all of these movies do the filmmakers no favors. What's the incentive to improve if all you hear is that your work is great? Hence, "Singles Ward" is followed by "The RM." And soon, "Home Teachers." And next year, "Church Ball." These aren't movies; they're road shows with money.
But all of this is subjective, of course. One man's "Citizen Kane" is another man's "Caddyshack."...
[EXCERPT]
...Also coming are ... the comedies "The Home Teachers," "The Best Two Years," "Church Ball" and "Eat, Drink and Get Married."