In the criminal world, timing is everything. But in James Hausler's darkly karmic new film, "Wild Seven," a crew of hardened career criminals misses that point, stumbling on a beer- soaked bunch of well-armed 20-somethings in a badly warped heist.
Featured at L.A.'s Majestic Crest Theatre in the Los Angeles Film Festival, "Wild Seven"'s ex-con Wilson (Academy Award nominee Robert Forster) lays an ill-fated trap for fellow career criminal Mackey, who set him up for 21 years of hard time (Academy Award nominee Robert Loggia). Wilson enlists the aid of reformed killer Lee ("Shaft" icon Richard Roundtree).
Writer-director Hausler's debut film was "Trip Out," a darkly comedic take on teen nihilism. In "Wild Seven" he revisits clueless youth as he explores the vicious underside of the Arizona desert, from strip clubs and casinos to state prisons. With a live scorpion in a key role and a "stellar cast" of young indie actors (L.A. Entertainment), the film feeds off classic conflicts.
As Forster puts it, "Parts of 'Wild Seven' draw from the spaghetti Westerns. Those are intense dramas about guys looking to get even." Online critic Ain't it Cool News had a different take:
"Imagine a heist movie whipped with a refracted blend of 'Lost Highway.' The character writing is honest and genuine. I dig James Hausler. He's one to watch."
Richard Roundtree was also intrigued about working with the young director. "I've got shoes older than Hausler. But he knows what he's doing and sees the big picture." Roundtree liked his "Wild Seven" role: "I never played anything like this-the only voice in the wilderness to speak about morality!" Loggia liked his bad-guy role as Roundtree's nemesis: "My character is nefarious. But I liked the script, and I liked the fact that the writer-director is young. It's about passing the baton."
Born and raised in northern Virginia, Hausler's love for film began to develop at a young age. By 12 he was creating stop-action comedies, surprising his friends and family with his uniquely offbeat sense of humor. Having been a teenager in the "golden age" of independent film, he was inspired by Danny Boyle's "Shallow Grave," finding the director's use of musically driven images and stark black approach enthralling.
By: Wendy Mitchell
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"Wild Seven" is available on DVD. To learn more about the film, visit www.wild-7.com.
Robert Loggia in the latest film from writer-director James Hausler.
James Hausler, Director
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