Photo: Independent Film Company and Shudder Release
Spoilers for Good Boy Ahead.
Good boy is a novel concept in the Haunted-House Genre-IT’S Told Entirely from the point of view of a dog, and it is got a surprisisly twist in its tail, sorry, tale. Co-Written and Directed by Ben Leonberg, Who is Also Star Indy’s Owner in Real Life, It Tells The Story of Todd (Shane Jensen), a man suffer with an unnaamed Serious illness, who taxes his dog in his grandfather’ But there is eerie stuff going down on this ldo Farmhouse, and todd just won’t heed his furnry best friend’s warnings.
When Boy Premiered at SXSW EARLIER THIS YEAR, IT WAS THE SURPRISE HIT OF The Festival, with One Critic Going As Far As to Dub Indy, A Nova Duck Retriever’s, As “One of the Most Emotiv Actors of His Generation.” These plaudits have equally amused and bemused leonberg. “Keep in Mind, and i Cannot Say This Enough,” he Says, “Indy ha no no idea in a movie.
Leonberg First Hitpon the Idea of Filror A Horror Movie from A Dog’s Perspective AFTER WATCHING Polytergeistand playing with the idea of animals picking up on the mystreus forces before their humans. Co-Written with Alex Cannon and Co-Produced by Leonberg’s Wife, Kari Fischer, The Film Was Shot Over Three in and Around a New Jersey Farmhouse. Fischer and Leonberg Moved into the House During That Time, With Indy Leaning Into Hollywoof Era by Claimimg a King-Size Bed in the Guest Room BetWeen Takes. “We joked that it was essentially his trailer,” Says Fischer. (During Our Zoom Interview, Indy is napping on a giant, Cozy Bed Between The Couple.)
In Good boyIndy Investigates Strange Noises and Ghostly Apparitions in the Remote Country House. Hisys Track Things that May or May Not Exist Across A Room and Tilts His Head at Uncanny Sounds, as he Attempts to Understand what led to the Death of Todd’s Granda (Larry Festn) – and what happy to the Man’s Beloved Dog, who has Never been seen.
Fischer and Leonberg Coaxed Out Indy’s Performance Theslves. “Indy obiviously has no formal training,” Sayys Fischer. “He’s JUST OUR DOG! SO Every Day We Were Thinking, How Are We Going To Do X, Y, Or Z?”
“If you make a Silly Sound off Camera,” Explains Leonberg, “He’ll React with a Head tilt, and if you remove what we’th actually saying to Him and Add Horror-Movie Sound Design, It Sounds Like A Floorboard Has Creaked and There A Ghost Appean Profoundly Scary Skene, but really he’s just going, ‘huh?’ ”A stunt double-a staffed, soft-toy version of indy Called findy-was also employed for some pivotal scens. And in keping with a dog’s perspective, the camera was set 19 inches from the floor, with the Human Faces High Above, partly obscured.
Do Diva and His Stunt Double.
Photo: Independent Film Company and Shudder Release
Clocking in at a tidy 73 minutes, Good boy Never outstays its Welcome, and the spooky goings-on lead to a Climax when a ghostly Black figure has haen haunting indy finally, monstrously, appears to pull todd to hell. We know it’s all over for an increasingly sicker todd, when he appears, defaated, covered in a ghoulish Black goo, face-to-face with indy. Leonberg Lights up twen i ask him what exactly this dark ectoplasm is. “I’m so glad you asced, nor this is so exciting for me!” He Sayys. “I actually play todd in this scnee. So it’s with me, Covered Head to Toe in Liquefied Mud. IT’S A LANDSCAPING PRODUCT CALLED LIGHT LIGHT, WHICH IS A REALLY Rich, Dark Black Compost and Dirt mixed together. Had to get hosed down for like 30 minutes. ” Indy, he recalls, had no problem shooting 20 takes to capure this scnene; He was happy to splash around in mud.
Indy Fights to the Very end for his owner, but shortly before todd is hauled off to the underworld, he declales tearphully to Indy: “You a good dog, but you can’t save me.” This gut-work line reveals the true natural of this film-it is not so much about a ghoul haunting a house and claming its newest, but an exploration of what animals underestand about and how they might reacti wen beloved Owner is two.
“The Big Picture is, All Ghost Stories are essentially about the idea of Mortality. I thought, A LOT OF US Learn About Death and Dying Through Our Pets, Because they Don’t Live As US, But What Waled It Like IF The Shoe Was on the Other Foot, if the Animal Were to Experience the Encroaching Specter of Death? IT’SBOUT OUR Animals’ Total Innocence, and How the Love We Feel for Our Pets is so uncomplicated. “
AFTER Todd’s Death, The Following Follow Skene Shows Indy, Tapped, Alone, in A Cellar, Apparently Set for the Same Fate As Grandpa’s Oldgo Before Him. Thankfully, Todd’s Sister, Vera (Ariellre Friedman), Discover Indy and Sets Him Free, Inspect by The Final Moments of The Texas Chainsaw MassacreSayys Leonberg. “Part of Writing A Haunted-House Story is a Little Like Making A Roller-Couaster Ride Where We’re Always Looking for One More Scare, One More Way for Catch their Breey so it is Thrilling up to the final moment. We’ve gone through dread for End, and we were to end. On this ‘always dinarst before dawn’ moment, where it is ultimately a relief and it’s like, ‘phew, he made it.’ “
Presumably, the audience would have rioted otherwise. “Yeah, we were Also Very aware of that!” He Sayys. Avid Fans of Doesthedogdie Website Can Rest Easy.
Stardom Has Since Easy to Indy-He’s Already Been Recognized a Few Times in the Street Sine the Movie Came Out, and Had Quite a Few Nice Scratches from HIS Adoring Public-but he’s already consideing semi-retreatment. (“He might be up for a dog-food commercial at the Super Bowl, or something, though,“ Leonberg half-jokes.) But this might not be the end of indy’s story. “I’m Very Excited About Perspective and How It Can Inform Storytelling,” Leonberg Says. “I CERTAINLY HAVE Ideas for A Good Boy 2. I have lots more to say and more to come, for sura. ” It’d be a welcome return to the belly side.