THE BIG WHOOP Film Screening

Sunday, Nov. 8th – 5:00 PM – SMALL THEATER

New Indie Comedy – Santa Cruz Premiere - Cast Q&A!

THE BIG WHOOP (2025, 88 min., dir. Lisa Satriano).

“*The Big Whoop is a hilarious clown caper that made me laugh my socks off. If you’ve found them, will you return them to me, please?” – Eric Idle of Monty Python

“Hilarity battles sadness and, as usual, we all win.” – Patton Oswalt

“Sam Beckett meets Sam Shepard meets Sam Kinison meets ‘What the Sam Hill is this?’” – Jay Martel, head writer of Key & Peele

“Clowns used to make the world laugh. Now they make the world scream.” A trio of desperately out-of-work birthday party clowns, including an Emmett Kelly-wannabe-but-never-will-be, Big Bugs (beloved comedian Jim Turner, MTV’s Randee of the Redwoods), the unintelligibly mumbling Corky (Mark Fite), and the equally-unintelligible Swedish butler, Gustav (Dave “Gruber” Allen), find themselves losing out on jobs to a much younger, sexier and well, better, clown named Darius (Shin Lim). After screwing up their latest gig in spectacular fashion, they go on the run with an accidentally-stolen artifact, pursued by a ruthless thief (Samantha Cole) and cross paths with a Who’s Who of comedy legends including Sandra Oh and Penn Jillette (who co-produced the film with Kristy Pitchford). In the spirit of classic slapstick farces like Peter Seller’s THE PINK PANTHER films and Arthur Hiller’s THE IN-LAWS, THE BIG WHOOP is a dark indie comedy that is both a hilarious and hilariously-tragic portrait of the trials & tribulations of three working (er, barely) comedians.

Bios:

Mark Fite is an L.A. based actor and comedian. Originally from the Midwest, Fite received a B.A. in Communications and Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa. In Los Angeles he's worked in theatre, film, tv, animation, commercials, and comedy for 35 years. Film & TV credits include MOM, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., SpongeBob SquarePants (25 episodes), Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Mr. Show, NewsRadio, Friends, Seinfeld, Embattled, Independence Day, Godzilla, and The Big Whoop.

Dave (Gruber) Allen has appeared as a long-haired, bearded weirdo in all sorts of TV programs (like “Freaks & Geeks” and “Gilmore Girls”) and some movies (“Bad Teacher”). He lives in Salt Lake City.

Jim Turner spent seven years as a series regular on HBO's hit show ARLI$$, playing Kirby Carlisle, the ex-quarterback with a gambling/girls/booze and self-esteem problem.

Film credits include Bewitched, Kicking & Screaming, Meet Dave, Golf In The Kingdom, The Ref, Lost Boys, The Right Stuff, Joe's Apartment and a gob of others that will never even seen the light of straight-to-video day. He appeared regularly, and ran for President, on MTV as Randee of the Redwoods in 1988. Theater credits include Girly Magazine Party, Clowntown City Limits ,The Return of Pinocchio, The Brain That Wouldn't Go Away, and 2 Headed Dog. He's been a charter member of Duck’s Breath Mystery Theater for the past 50 years.

Steven Banks is the Emmy nominated head writer of SpongeBob Squarepants. He wrote and starred in the one-person show, Home Entertainment Center, currently on Amazon Prime. Other plays include Love Tapes, co-written with Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) and Shadowland, which he co-wrote with the dance/theater company Pilobolus and has been performed in 40 countries. His books include the series Middle School Bites and the YA novel, King of the Creeps. Steven is a drop out of Los Angeles City College and a graduate of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College.

Discussion following with cast members Jim Turner, Mark Fite and Dave (Gruber) Allen and writer Steve Banks.

Tickets: $10 advance / $15 at the door.

Doors open at 4:30 PM, film at 5 PM at The 418 Project, 155 South River Street, downtown Santa Cruz at the Dragons Gate. Safety protocols will be in compliance with local guidelines at the time of showing.