Dangers from Within

From Fargo Filmmaking

Abbi (Ellie Unkenholz) and best friend Jessi (Ali Scrable) have drastically different expectations of adjusting to small-town life after their east-coast boarding schools in Dangers from Within

Dangers from Within (2007) is an 81-minute movie by Christopher P. Jacobs.

[edit] Main Details

[edit] Plot Summary

The story begins as a character-driven drama, but soon shifts to a gothic suspense thriller and later adds a touch of the supernatural. A troubled young teenage girl kicked out of a boarding school moves from New York City to a small midwestern college town to live with her aunt. There she befriends a graduate student renting a room from her aunt, and who is hoping to publish his translation of a controversial ancient papyrus he smuggled out of the Middle East. Others are also trying to obtain the document by any means possible, however, believing the ancient text has a mysterious power that they want control over. Meanwhile, the aunt has some secrets of her own about her house that will ultimately affect everyone.

[edit] Production Information

Dangers from Within was shot in the HDV format with a Sony HVR-V1U. Preliminary shooting began June 8, 17, 23 and 26. About eight minutes of the estimated 95-100 minute running time were shot and edited by the end of June. After a casting call July 9-10, regular daily production began July 12. Although some second-unit footage was shot in New York City, principal photography was done entirely in Grand Forks. Production wrapped on August 1, 2007 with approximately 16 hours of raw footage. By that time about 50 minutes of roughcut had already been assembled, with a preliminary full-length 80-minute version put together by August 5. The 81-minute final cut was completed October 29, 2007.

Dangers from Within screened at the 2007 Forx Film Fest the afternoon of December 1, 2007 and had a separate premiere the evening of December 14, 2007 at the Empire Arts Center. On February 22, 2008 it opened for a regular theatrical run at the River Cinema in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

Teaser poster for Dangers from Within

[edit] Cast

Ellie Unkenholz.... Abbi
David Henry.... Jack
Sarah Phillips.... Julie
Tara Ulness.... Aunt Joan
Ali Scrable.... Jessi
Paul Kelly.... Charlie
Mark Landa.... Henchman
Jeff Kinney.... Dr. Whittaker
Michael Harvey.... Frank Griffith
David Raymond.... Herb Thompson
Caroline Gray.... Carrie
Robin Loegering.... Professor 1
John Nordlie.... Professor 2
Debra Pflughoeft-Hassett.... Professor 3

[edit] Crew

Christopher P. Jacobs.... Writer, Producer, Director
Lisa Unkenholz.... Assistant Director
Debra Pflughoeft-Hassett.... Boom Operator

[edit] Other Information

[edit] Film Festivals

2008 The Indie Gathering, Cleveland, Ohio.... Honorable Mention
2007 Forx Film Fest

[edit] Trivia

Jeff Kinney, who plays the sinister archaeologist Dr. Whittaker, is a trained archaeologist in real life who analyzes the impact of construction plans on historical sites.
The footage of New York City was shot at the time Jacobs' earlier movie Dark Highways was playing at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in April 2004.
The underground hideaway/tunnel sequences were shot in the basement of the Empire Theatre. The phone call with the Whittaker character was shot in the office of the Fire Hall Theatre.