“That’s a terrible thing you did – taking advantage of a young girl like that."

Jason Griffin, ex-high school teacher, hears that a lot around his small town. Accused of having romantic relations with one of his students, Jason was fired, and carries the shame of something he insists never happened around with him every day. His life and his family are in ruins – his ex-wife Pris now lives with her parents, along with his three-year old daughter, Mirry – and the only true friend he has is a shut-in, porn-addicted pothead named Poppy. Now Jason grinds out a meager living bulldozing at the local landfill, and things are about to get a lot more interesting.

When he discovers a young woman’s body lying among the tangled trees in the landfill, Jason is thrown into a corrupt rural underworld he never knew existed. Strange people – like the violent, enigmatic Bob White, and good old boy ring-leader Commissioner Whitley – begin offering him work in return for his loyalty. Jason isn’t too sure he should cooperate, but his mounting debts and his ex-wife’s frustration at his lack of direction push him into playing along.

When Jason reluctantly accepts Bob White’s offer, he meets Alfonse, an affable sociopath who initiates Jason into the almost casual depravity of a rural crime underworld. Though the money’s good, Jason knows things are teetering dangerously between bad and worse. The threat of violence constantly lingers, and the sinister charms of this dark culture are tough to resist.

Making things worse, Jason’s own unresolved impulses toward his teenaged accuser – whether toward retribution or reconciliation – are growing ever more complicated.

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Sinkhole Press Release

For Immedate Release:
March 10, 2003

Sinkhole is a 35mm feature film written, produced and directed by Paul Schattel.

Detailing the dark underbelly of small town corruption and intrigue, Sinkhole tells the story of Jason Griffin, a one-time high school English teacher dismissed due to suspected romantic relations with an underage student. When Jason, now working at the local landfill, discovers something disturbing among the refuse, he sets in motion a chain of events that can end only in violence and emotional devastation.

“Sinkhole was written when I was working as a journalist covering the local county commission,” says Schattel. “I had a close insider’s view of the surprisingly vicious local political intrigue going on. That, and some investigative research involving small-town methamphetamine activity – the nightmare drug of the heartland – coalesced into the film we shot this winter. We like to think of it as a thinking man’s thriller.”

To bring life to these sometimes unsavory characters, Schattel assembled a talented cast of local professional actors, including Bryan Marshall as Jason, Robin Spriggs as Alfonse, J.R. Hooper as Poppy, Kelly O’Neal as Pris, and Patrick Green as Bob White. Among the crew are Director of Photography Steve Agnew, 1st AC Greg Hudgins, Production Designer Pearson Hobart-Beaumari, and Art Director Linda Jean Marlowe.

“I took the time to assemble just the right team of people,” says Schattel. “The modest budget dictated that we would all have to be very determined to get everything right – effectively substituting talent, time and persistence for the lack of money. The cast and crew have risen to the occasion, though, and I’m pleased to say we’ve got a great film on our hands.”

Schattel is also surprised at the help he’s received from the local community. “Because of the difficult nature of the subject matter, we’ve had some resistance to acquiring locations and things here and there. But on the whole, Asheville has been more than kind to us. Particularly helpful has been local restaurant community, the Asheville Police Force, and Blue Ridge Motion Pictures.

Sinkhole was in production throughout Winter and Spring 2003, with a projected arrival date of Fall 2003. For more information, contact Paul Schattel at (828) 681-8441, email pschattel@harrowbeauty.com.