Dean Buscher photos (www.dbphotoandfilm.com)

Bound and gagged in a dingy dungeon, undercover officer Sawatzky finds himself at the mercy of his tormentors. They taunt their captive with sick and demented new techniques to make him talk; these seasoned veterans in the art of torture know no limits. Just as their boss gives them the green light to unleash a living hell upon their captive, their prisoner is rescued. Traumatized by the event, and armed with the knowledge of unconventional torture techniques he never could have dreamed up on his own, Sawatzky embarks upon an unorthodox campaign of pressure tactics the likes of which his precinct has never seen. Evocative of a 1960s era action film and stylized in the genre of James Bond, Cruel & Unusual is a comedic examination of the bizarre workings of the male-type mind.

An amazing cast and crew of 45 dedicated and talented people descended upon Riverview Hospital's Crease Clinic in Coquitlam, BC, on March 25, 2012, to shoot the comedy short film "Cruel and Unusual", written by and starring Brad Wiens and directed by Andy Thompson.  After 16 gruelling hours, the film -- shot on the infamously hi-def RED EPIC camera -- was "in the can" and ready for editing.

Cruel & Unusual

an Andy Thompson film

produced by The Virtual Stage

Starring
Raphael Kepinski as Sawatzky
Brad Wiens as Johnson
Bill Croft as Munro
Primo Allon as Wall
Troy Anthony Young as Helmut
Benjamin Elliott as Hooberdyk

Also Featuring
Zen Hunter as Thug
Adam Weidl as Severely Beaten and Tortured Man
Brianna Drummond-Hay as Model #1
Marina Pasqua as Model #2
Rocky Lis as Cop #1
Marc Weber as Cop #2
Jeremy Friedrichs as Cop #3
Jono Freedrix as Hairdresser

Directed by: Andy Thompson

Producers: Andy Thompson & Jono Freedrix
Executive Producer: Brad Wiens

Written by: Brad Wiens
Story Editors: Andy Thompson & Jono Freedrix

Director of Photography: Toby Gorman
Original Music: Patrick Pennefather

Editor: Andy Thompson
Assistant Editor & Data Wrangler: Ryan McDonald

Production Manager: Jono Freedrix
Associate Producer: Adam Hogarth
First Assistant Director: Laurel Brown
Script Supervisor: Ronny Diehl

Production Design: Jordan Lloyd Watkins
Lead Set Decorator: Vitantonio Spinelli
Set Dresser: Zahrah McKenzie
Props Master: Jan Reinberger
Costumer Designers: Mital Shamji and Naomi Sider

First Assistant Camera: Jesse Vance
First Assistant Camera Assistant: Willy Wong
Second Assistant Camera: Stephan DuVal
Sound Mixer: Cameron Sinclair
Audio Post-Production: Earworm Sound (Matt Gionet)
Gaffer: Ian Connor
Key Electrician: Adam Weidl
Key Grip: Philippe Pinheiro
Grip: Kevin Minato
Production Assistants: Will Ford, Allan McVicar, Tyler Clarke, Nathan Watkins
Transportation Coordinator: Ivy Lam

Makeup: Liz McLeod 
Hair: Brianna Drummond-Hay

Still Photography: Dean Buscher
Electronic Press Kit / Behind the Scenes: Frank Garcia
Production Coordinators: Birdie Hamilton & Jacob Barker

Thanks to: Chris Jacques, William F. White, Scott Bruce, Michael Brooks, Sanja Boskovic, Stasa Andric, Alysha Kothlow, Kryshan Randel, Molly A., Andrea Kross, DK, Bruce Kennedy, Carol Chrisjohn, Studio 58

Special Thanks: to Jan Wolff for the use of the RED EPIC camera

Produced with the cooperation of Union of B.C. Performers
Shot on location at Riverview Hospital, Coquitlam, BC

© The Virtual Stage Arts Society 2012