(energetic introduction music) (dramatic orchestral music) - Welcome to TV Film.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

TV Film showcases the talents of Upstate New York media makers across all genres.

This episode, we're sharing two comedies from Capital Region filmmakers.

After an accidental murder, two women attempt to create an alibi for themselves in a diner, which gets complicated when that diner is robbed.

Jim Powers directed "The Car Out Back."

- So as a movie making person, I kind of have been making movies with my brother since we were like six years old on Beta, shooting that stuff all the way up through, and then we started a production company for commercials and documentaries, and that kind of bled into being an actual job with the intention being like, oh, this way we can still use cameras, and then on the side we can make movies.

And I came up for the idea of "The Car Out Back" thinking about kind of people that I don't see a lot of in movies as main characters, and that's sort of elderly women being the forefront of the movie itself, and my actors aren't necessarily elderly women, but they are sort of a group of people that I don't see lead something all the time.

So part of the joke of it is trying to have them kind of play into these specific stereotypes while simultaneously also being the stars of the film.

And so it was a lot of fun playing with that and playing up that while trying to keep it realistic in some way.

So it was fun to play with tone and just kind of messing around with like, what is the vibe of this thing?

Is it just straight comedy?

Is there something else being said here?

Is there, you know, maybe it's just fun.

Hopefully it's fun.

We shot it in a day and a half.

For some reason, I cast like three days before.

I don't know why, but it all sort of fell together very quickly, even though I had the script and idea for a long time.

Then it sort of sat on the shelf for like eight months while I had to go shoot some other stuff.

And then finally decided, maybe it was time to put a little time into something that I did for myself and finish that out, and then here we are.

We have such an awesome film community here with great people who are very, very talented, and it's really nice to have them a phone call away.

And like it obviously worked with a very small crew and we had great people who I've worked with and people who I've never worked with, and we had one thing to do and that was make a movie, and did it, which was great.

- [Mary Margaret] Did you turn the kettle off before you left?

- [Yula] Before I left home?

- [Mary Margaret] Yes.

- [Yula] The electric kettle?

- [Mary Margaret] Yeah.

- [Yula] I did.

- [Mary Margaret] Okay, do you always do that?

- [Yula] I do.

- [Mary Margaret] Are you sure?

Because if you don't, it might-- - Look, I always unplug everything, the toaster, my chargers, because they just spew energy all day.

If you put your tongue at the end of a charger, it's like licking a battery.

- Why would you lick a battery?

- Look, I unplugged everything and I left everything just the way it usually is, like it was a normal day.

- Well, is it a normal day?

- You are so frustrating.

No.

- So did it look as if it was staged as if it was a different day, but you were pretending it was a normal day?

- Yeah.

I hung a sign.

- You did what?

- I'm being sarcastic, Mary Margaret.

Geez, how do you get by?

- What?

- How do you get through a normal day being so frigging boring?

- This is not a normal day, Yula.

Jesus.

- Here are your coffees.

You'll have to excuse the wait.

Our waitress has to pick up her kid, and, well, I'm Robert, and I'll be cooking and taking care of you guys.

- Thank you.

- And washing the dishes too?

- [Robert] Yep.

- Isn't there another kid back there?

- Huh?

- I saw a little Mexican kid.

Isn't he washing the dishes too?

- Why did you say Mexican?

What does that have to do with anything?

- I can say it because I'm Egyptian.

It's not a slur to say where you're from.

- Mexican kid where?

- Behind the counter, and then in the kitchen.

- I'm sure he's an American of Latin heritage.

- I'll be right back ladies.

- [Mary Margaret] So is it okay to say that Robert is an African kid?

- Why?

- Because Robert is an African American.

- (scoffs) No, I'd probably just say he's Black.

- Well, so is it okay to say the Mexican kid is brown?

- No, that sounds racist to me.

- Oh, but it's okay to say that Robert is Black.

- (gasps) Robert, I-- - I'm on the phone with the police.

Would you be able to describe him?

- He was brown.

- Brown?

- [Yula] See?

- Wait, wait.

You're on the phone with the police?

- Hi, yes.

Our register's light $200.

We've just been robbed, and our KitchenAid mixer's missing.

- Oh, those things are heavy.

- Would you be able to describe him?

- I, uh... - Hi, yeah.

Great, great, great, thank you.

The trooper's right across the street.

He'll be right over.

- Robert, we, we really cannot speak to the police.

- No?

But you guys are the only ones who've seen him.

- Mary Margaret, it's fine, okay?

It's fine.

Yes, we can talk to the officer.

- [Robert] In the meantime, can I get you some eggs or anything?

- Scrambled, well done, and some rye toast.

- I'll take some pancakes.

- [Robert] I'm sorry, the mixer's gone.

- Oh, for the batter.

- You make pancakes from scratch here?

How about that?

- [Robert] Yeah.

- I'll take some Froot Loops.

- You can't buy cereal at a diner, Mary Margaret.

What are you, four?

- Yula, I am very stressed and I have low blood sugar.

- Well, well relax.

If anything talking to the cops will solidify our alibi.

- Jesus, did you just say the word alibi out loud?

- What, you think Robert has never had to use an alibi?

He's a black kid in this town.

He probably needs an alibi every day just in case something happens.

We minorities are always the ones to get blamed.

- Being fractionally Egyptian doesn't make you a minority.

- Don't put your privilege on me, Mary Margaret.

- Do you think talking to the police will give us an alibi?

(hands slam on table) - Where were you on the date in question?

- I don't know.

- No, you say you were at the diner.

That way, you can be identified by the police, by the cook, and by the paper trail of the description that we gave of the little Mexican kid.

- [Mary Margaret] Do you think that will help?

- Well, it can't hurt.

- I can't believe he's dead.

- Yep.

- I feel as if it was the wrong time to come here.

- No, it's all part of the schedule.

- But he's out there.

- Yes, he is.

- There is a dead man out there.

- [Yula] Show some respect.

- He's my goddamn husband, Yula.

- Well, it's my goddamn trunk.

Look, what's important about being here now is that it confuses the schedule.

Schedule reads, he went missing this morning but we haven't disposed of the body yet, so there's no timeline on the deck.

- Jesus, you are a cold woman.

Dispose of the body.

- Fine.

We haven't laid him to rest, is that-- - Keep your voice down.

- Oh.

- Poor Chuck.

If we had just, oh God, if we had just done it right, then he would be peaceful and I could be planning a funeral.

- Keep your together.

Look, woman.

He was dying slowly and painfully.

You are mercy.

Mercy.

And anyway, we messed it up and they're gonna think we murdered him and that is a clean fact.

(object thuds) - [Robert] Sorry ladies.

- It's okay, Robert.

- [Robert] Food will be out in a minute.

- So what do we do when the cop gets here and there is a body in the trunk of your car?

- We play it cool.

- Cool?

Woman, I have low blood sugar, and I am about to pass out unless I get some Froot Loops.

I couldn't be cool on a glacier as is, and you want me to be cool when a policeman shows up and there is a body in the trunk.

- Shut up and be the glacier.

(bell dings) - Looking for Robert.

- [Robert] Yeah, hi.

- Hi.

- Yeah, these ladies said they saw a kid back here and when I went to go check the register, there was some money missing and the mixer's gone.

- Where were you when the kid was back there?

- Oh, I was-- - Were you here?

- I was out back.

- Smoke break?

- No, I don't smoke.

I was helping my waitress into her car.

Her babysitter canceled and I had to help her because she has a cast on her ankle.

- Gotcha, what's the cast from?

- (scoffs) I don't know.

- You don't know?

- She likes to train for triathlons and Iron Man, oh, Iron Woman, or maybe something from that.

- That's why you're helping her?

- Yeah.

And during that time, you know, the kid must have come in and robbed us.

- Huh.

All right, what time was this?

- Oh, I don't know, like five, 10 minutes ago?

- Robert.

I'm over here, I'll talk with them in a second.

- Like five, 10 minutes ago.

- Thank you.

You got any warrants or anything?

- No, dude.

The kid is like two blocks away, like minutes down the road with a big ass mixer and cash in his pocket.

Like, minutes ago.

(bell dings) - Oh.

- Sorry Father, we're closed for the moment.

- Oh, I was wondering if I could just grab a quick oatmeal.

- This is an active investigation, Father, no.

- Oh.

Hello, Mary Margaret.

- Oh, hello Father Paul.

- Hello.

How's Chuck doing?

Well, I hope.

- Oh, oh, oh, oh, very well.

(chuckles) - Ah, well, we're all praying.

- [Mary Margaret] Thank you, thank you, thank you.

- Is he here today?

(spits coffee) (coffee cup clatters) - Today?

- Yes.

I have his radial saw and I'd like to return it.

Could you call him?

- [Mary Margaret] Uh.

- You have the saw on you?

- (laughs) No.

- He'll pick it up.

- Father, you gotta go.

- Oh, yes, ooh, the crime.

(chuckles) What do you think, 15, 20 minutes?

I mean, I need food with my pill.

- You need to find another restaurant.

Please go.

- Well, all right then.

Mary Margaret, I'll be by later today with the saw.

I would like to meet with Chuck too on my dovetails.

They're not quite square, but-- - Jesus Christ, Padre.

(bell dings) - Goodbye, Father Paul.

- Sorry ladies, I burnt the eggs.

- How you doing, ladies?

- Oh, hello.

- I'm Officer Rogers.

Why don't you just tell me what it is you saw here today?

- All right, well, there was this little, what do you, he was a Latin fellow.

- [Mary Margaret] Mm-hm.

- Okay, where was Robert?

- Uh... - [Yula] Well, he wasn't here when we sat down.

I assume he was out getting-- - Yeah, yeah.

Just here for a few seconds.

- So why are you asking about Robert?

- [Officer Rogers] I'm just trying to get a feel.

- Oh, yeah, I bet.

- Listen lady, I don't know who's who here, so other than the boy being a young Hispanic male, what else did you see?

- (claps) Hispanic, that's the word I was looking for.

- Oh, we only saw him briefly, the top of his head.

- [Officer Rogers] You didn't see him take anything?

- Oh, no.

- All right, well, if you could, ladies, just please write your names and addresses on this pad.

I can fill out the time.

- Okie dokie, okie dokie.

- Okay.

Yeah.

- That your guys' car out back?

- [Yula] Well, it's my car.

- [Officer Rogers] Okay.

Any other cars here when you arrived?

- Nope.

- [Yula] You know, I think Robert's right.

He would be really easy to spot because that mixer-- - Friend of yours?

- [Both] Who?

- Robert.

- I just met the man.

- Okay.

Hopefully we'll be in touch soon.

- Sure.

Bye, Officer.

- Yeah.

Cops.

(Mary Margaret chuckles) - Yula.

- What?

- Hey.

Real quick, one more thing.

You both seem like ladies who know about kitchen appliances.

What do you think a mixer like that would run you?

- Excuse me?

- We're no good in the kitchen.

- What makes you think that we would be good in-- - a big, industrial, a mixer like that is huge, probably costs thousands.

- Felony level theft then.

- Hey, hey slick, what is it that makes you think that we're the sort of people who belong in a kitchen?

- Ma'am, I mean no offense.

You both remind me of my mother, and she was excellent in the kitchen.

- Aw how, that's so sweet.

- Oh, well that is incredibly offensive, and sexist, and I find it unacceptable, sir.

- Robert, we will take that food to go.

- Ladies, again, I make no offense.

I wish you both a fantastic rest of your day.

- Thank you, Officer.

- Robert, I'm gonna check out back.

I'll return.

(bell dings) - Jesus Christ, Yula.

- If you think I'm gonna let him-- What?

- He's heading back to your car.

- What?

Why?

- I don't know.

- (stammers) Maybe he's just taking down plates or something.

- Holy.

- [Yula] What?

I can't see past your big ass hair.

- Holy.

- Well, what the is that doing there?

- The kid probably dumped it there because it's too heavy.

- Why on the trunk?

- Convenient, I don't know.

- You idiot, what do we do now?

- [Mary Margaret] I don't know.

- What do we do?

- I don't know.

That cop is gonna think we did it, and then, he's gonna look in your trunk.

- Yeah.

- What do we do?

- You don't know.

- I don't know.

Should we kill him?

- And put him in the trunk too?

Then what?

What, what about Robert?

- Nah, I like Robert.

- You only just met the man.

(Robert clears throat) - Oh Robert, oh Robert, oh, oh.

- Look, just-- - No, Robert, we were just joking.

(laughs) - No we weren't.

There is a body in the trunk of that car and if you don't get that cop away from there, we will kill him and you and stuff you both in that trunk with my husband.

- I really don't want that.

I'm sorry about your husband.

- Oh, please.

She's a killer.

- He was dying anyway.

- No he wasn't.

He was bad news.

- Look, just-- - Robert, that cop is going to be here any second.

This is my chance.

I can't let you get in the way of that.

So if you don't get that cop away from that car, well.

- I don't care much for you ladies anymore.

- We know where you work Robert.

So do the right thing.

Like, not the Spike Lee type thing, no, I, but, well I'm Egyptian, so.

- Hey, found your mixer.

Close the case on that one.

What's up?

- Those two women in there said they have a dead body in the trunk.

- [Officer Rogers] The two ladies in there.

- Yeah.

(car doors slam) - [Officer Rogers] Well that doesn't add up.

- I don't know, I don't think they're lying.

(car sputters) (tires squeal) - Huh.

("I'm on the Move" by Tennessee Pistols) ♪ Ready to sail into the wind ♪ ♪ Heading west to find my reason ♪ ♪ Longing for something greater than this ♪ ♪ And I'm ripe with anticipation ♪ ♪ Yeah I have a good feeling ♪ ♪ Staring at the starry ceiling ♪ ♪ A dream in my heart, yeah, this is just the start ♪ ♪ My suitcase is packed and I'm waiting ♪ - The next film shows us what is possible when you have just 24 hours to produce, shoot, and edit a horror film.

Eric Ayotte is the director of "Seance Sunday."

- We produce a monthly movie challenge.

I say we, me and my wife, Charlie, and some other folks were involved throughout the years, but every month we would choose a theme, and based on that theme, anyone and everyone can make a movie.

We put a five minute limit on it.

Each month, we would have that theme and because I was producing it, I felt responsible to make a movie every month for every theme that we would pick.

And this started in 2009.

We were based in Bloomington, Indiana, and it was a lot of people in Bloomington were a part of it, and with this, we were kinda like, we made some new friends in Schenectady where we were living and we invited them over to be like, okay, we kinda broadly were like, oh, let's come do this seance thing.

Most of those folks hadn't met each other before, and so it was this really fun way to make a film.

So I think they had a really good time, 'cause it, I don't know, what better way to spend your night, you know, than to have a leaf blower blown at you and chant and make, and to be able to do this thing and be like, "I don't know what's happening," but then see a finished product and be like, "Oh, it's a movie, like you made a movie.

"This is great."

The inspiration came from having our attic, so I'm a, somewhat of a linear writer when I write stuff, so I think like, "Oh, how is the thing gonna open?"

I'm like that with songwriting as well as like, how is it gonna start?

So I had this idea of someone, you know, hearing a noise and going up into this creepy attic that we have and it's like nice walkup attic that seemed like a really great film set, so it was quite literally a 24-hour process from shooting to editing to screening.

So it was like absolute instant gratification, that thing of like, well it's shot, leave me alone for a while, I have to edit this thing and figure out the special effects and sound and all of that stuff and get it done and then get it shown, so it was kinda this immediate fun thing to do.

The idea of having fun with filmmaking is the key for me.

I think I like focusing on things that are going to be important and seen and, you know, certain documentaries I worked on and other short films and narratives I've worked on, but that thing of still having fun no matter the outcome because you never know, like this we started to make, but we didn't know what it was gonna end up being like.

And in the end, we're like, "Oh, I'm so glad this exists," 'cause it wouldn't have if we didn't take the time to make this.

So that's usually what I end up coming out from making those, 'cause sometimes it's, "Eh, it was kind of a dud," but then you're like, you make something that kinda works and you're like, "Oh, this was amazing," and then you want to make another one, so yeah, having fun with filmmaking.

(haunting flute music) (group chatting) - Yeah, it was all right, I mean, we'll see what happens.

I don't, I don't, I don't really know what to expect.

- Did you wanna get, do you think you wanna get it?

- I don't know.

- [Wife] Hey.

Okay, you are home, great.

- Why are there people in the attic?

- Oh, did I not tell you?

- No.

- (sighs) Oh, I thought I did.

We're having the meeting at ours tonight.

Yeah.

Greg would usually host but we had to do it on the 30th, but his wife has book club so we obviously couldn't do it there, so I said, yeah, do it at ours, that's no problem.

Um, but now I feel like I'm totally letting the coven down because of course, classic me, I'm like right down the wire getting things.

I think I have everything.

I just think, yeah, we've gotta go do it now 'cause we're running out time.

- What?

- [Eric] Who's Greg?

- Okay, hi, sorry, I know I'm late.

Okay, it's here.

This is it, this is the big night.

Right, yeah, sorry.

This is Eric.

Eric, everyone, everyone, Eric.

I know I am late but I did have to stop to get a few things, but, oh (slaps) crap.

I forgot the sacrifice.

(sighs) Oh my god, I forgot the sacrifice.

Okay, um.

Would you mind?

- What?

- Is that okay?

Because it really has to be tonight, right?

- To be your sacrifice?

- Time's a-wasting.

- Yeah.

Thank you.

The session really needs to start now.

(knife squelches) You have no idea how much this means.

We really, really appreciate your sacrifice.

You are giving her back to us, and she - [Coven] She.

- will bring us back the coral reefs.

She will give us - She.

- the rainforests.

- And the bees.

- She.

- She will bring us back the bees, the trees.

She will guide us.

You have no idea how important this is.

We really, really, really appreciate you.

(dark droning music) - [Coven] She, she, she, she, she, she, she, she she, she, she, she, she, she, she, she, she.

(group chanting and breathing) (deep breathing) - Oh my God.

Where am I?

- Schenectady.

- Schenecta-what?

Oh God, where's my palm walls?

I need a Dr. Pepper.

(indistinct speaking from TV) - [TV Character 1] On her birthday.

It's from Big.

- [TV Character 2] What kind of flowers?

- [TV Character 1] Roses, red.

Big.

- Y'know, I think I'm a Samantha.

- [TV Character 1] What do you think it means?

- [TV Character 2] It means rip up the card, and watch out for the thorn.

- [TV Character 1] No, no, no.

(indistinct speaking from TV) - I'm not sure we got the right person.

- [Coven Member] Neither am I.

(haunting flute music) - Learn more about the films and filmmakers in this season of TV film at wmht.org/tvfilm, and be sure to connect with WMHT on social media.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

(dramatic orchestral music).

- TV film is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.