![]() ![]() Now he returns with a quirky horror-comedy about law enforcement officials in a snowy Utah town dealing not only with a string of gruesome murders, but also the rumor that it's a werewolf causing the bloodshed.Ĭummings plays John Marshall, a divorced, recovering alcoholic cop with an anger management problem. Writer/director/actor Jim Cummings made a splash two years ago with the indie Thunder Road. The Wolf of Snow Hollow will definitely be among my favorites of the year, and I look forward to whatever Cummings does next.If you've ever watched the Coen brothers' Fargo and thought it would be even more awesome if it had a werewolf, then The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a movie you will want to see immediately. I’m always glad when good movies are made in my state of Utah as well. Cummings wears his influences on his sleeve – Fargo and Zodiac here – without ever feeling like a lifeless imitation and somehow makes those inspirations his own voice. It’s always great buying stock in a filmmaker and being right about it. I’m just glad Cummings is as good as I hoped he could be. You get the feeling each camera movement has purpose, and Cummings and Kingston do a great job of keeping things fresh and inventive in each sequence. Cummings is more adventurous in his shots and setups, employing some subtle one-takes and overall not letting scenes slip into simple coverage. ![]() She retains this slightly heightened sense of reality in her night lighting that makes you start to believe that a werewolf might actually be the culprit. The cinematography from Natalie Kingston shows she’s a DP to keep an eye on. Zodiac is one of my favorite films of all time, so of course I’m a sucker for anything that takes after it, and an even bigger sucker for films that do a great job of it like Cummings does with Snow Hollow. The sequence where Marshall is reading through books on werewolves and taxidermy mirrors the sequence in Zodiac where Robert Graysmith is going through the Vallejo files. Cummings is clearly aesthetically inspired by Fincher’s masterpiece, but even more so is really good at recreating the look and feel of that film without sacrificing any of his own voice. I remember reading in an interview when Cummings was beginning the film, he described it as “ Zodiac but with a werewolf.” It’s an apt description. Riki Lindhome does a lot with a little here, and the film is also a fine goodbye to the legend Robert Forster, this being his last appearance in a film before he passed on. Cummings as an actor feels made to have made a guest appearance in an episode of Eastbound and Down, which is another way of saying I simply like watching him act and he cracks me up. Cummings instantly displays how awful his character is while somehow not making him too hateable, allowing you to laugh at him just as much as you cringe at his actions. The disconnect Cummings is able to display in Marshall is always rewarding to watch. Him saying “I won’t ever say a cross word about her, but she’s a real fucking piece of work.” had me cackling. The first time you see him, he’s at an AA meeting and begins fantasizing about destroying his ex-wife’s house with a lawnmower. Cummings knows what he’s good at as an actor in playing these guys with a fracture of male ego. You’re engrossed in this mystery just as much you’re enjoying watching Cummings engage in Coen-like comic punishment of his lead character. It’s a commendable balancing act that thrives instead of crumbling under the weight of it all. Cummings retains his bleak sense of humor from Thunder Road while also having the movie succeed in its horror and thriller trappings. This movie is a lot funnier than the plotline would suggest, and I thank it for that. As people in the town begin to think it’s a werewolf, Marshall’s personal life begins to unravel as he obsessively tries to figure out who is behind the killings. The Wolf of Snow Hollow follows John Marshall (Jim Cummings), an officer in the small ski-resort town of Snow Hollow, Utah where a serial killer is striking on each full moon. Across the board, Cummings shows significant growth as a filmmaker and storyteller. His latest film, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, rewards that promise with Cummings taking a step forward in near every aspect. Watching it, you got the quick sense this was a guy to keep an eye on. Cummings reminded me a bit of Jody Hill with his dark comedies revolving around men suffering from a fracturing ego. ![]() It was confident and it was unique, which is all you can really ask from a debut. I quite admired Thunder Road, the debut from writer/director Jim Cummings. ![]()
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