WAIH TV At The Helen Keller Vs Nightwolves Premiere

It’s 11:00 PM on the corner of Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd outside the beautiful and historic Vista Theater. Hoards of people are gathering in line to witness one of the most insane films ever made. Ross Patterson’s Helen Keller vs Nightwolves is holding its opening, and the release party is on the street. On one side of the theater, a long line of fans await entry with the line conveniently passing through a bar. And on the opposite side; a red carpet is laid out and the cast and crew are trickling in. We Are Indie Horror is right in the middle of all the action, ready to interview the cast and crew of Helen Keller vs Nightwolves. The list of V.I.P.s is headlined by Ross Patterson (Director, Writer, Producer, Star), Jesse Merlin (FDR: AMerican Badass, Re-Animator the Musical), Bobby Ray Shafer (The Office), Richard Riehle (Office Space, Chillerama), Jessie Wiseman ($50K and a Call Girl: A Love Story), Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tales of Halloween), Jean St. James (General Hospital, Death Becomes Her), producer Brant Kantor and more.

As the evening kicks off, everyone gathers in one big mass outside the theater, embracing each other in long overdue hugs and catching up on each other’s lives, with the occasional smells of the city wafting near. Right around 12:15 the theater opens the doors and the crowd filters in grabbing their popcorn, candy, and refreshments. The front of the stage is overtaken by Bernie Bregman from Nerds Like Us who moderates a quick Q&A, which is inevitably taken over by director Ross Patterson. Patterson asks the crowd to post to social media using the hashtags #ICantSee and #ICantHear. And finally at around 1:00 AM, the lights go down, the red curtain parts, and Helen Keller vs Nightwolves  begins.

The film opens with trailers to Ross’s previous films, Poolboy: Drowning Out The Fury, Darnel Dawkins: Mouth Guitar Legend, and FDR: American Badass. Once Helen Keller vs Nightwolves begins, it is quite apparent that the audience is in for one hell of a ride. As the actual film opens an elderly Helen Keller, played by Lin Shaye (Insidious, Nightmare on Elm Street) sits with her grandchildren re-telling her epic story. The film plays out with a slew of Helen Keller jokes along with gay jokes directed towards her brother William, played by Jesse Merlin.

Overall the movie was a great time; B-movie midnight madness at it’s finest. There are not enough people making films with original stories and jokes and Helen Keller vs Nightwolves accomplishes an original story and endless laughs while being a completely independent production. Ross Patterson has set a spell on the fan base with his absurdest and eccentric mind that draws everyone out to support him. After talking with him for two seconds, it became quite obvious as to why. He is loud, fun, witty, and inviting. Always eager to talk about his projects, Ross is not afraid to put himself out there for a joke. Lacking in the industry currently is that exact kind of fearless filmmaker. A bold innovator who has no fear to get his hands dirty may exactly be the answer to the monotony brought on by sequels and reboots. It’s stories like Helen Keller vs Nightwolves, albeit crazy and unusual, which have the ability to shake things up and remind us that this industry is about the love of film and entertainment not the money it brings in.

Ross Paterson continues his courageous and mad work, with his next film, Range 15, a film about veterans, starring actual veterans. Range 15‘s Indeigogo has raised nearly one million dollars, with an all-star cast including Willian Shatner (Star Trek), Randy Couture (The Expendables), Keith David (The Thing, They Live), Danny Trejo (Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn), Jim O’Heir (Parks and Recreation), and Barry Bostwick (Spin City, Slay Belles). Ross also has a best-selling “romantic novel for dudes” called She Cries at Night while He Rides His Steed which is available for purchase on Amazon

Watch the Horror Hound discuss Helen Keller vs Nightwolves with the cast and crew on the red carpet in the video above.