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VIFF: Western Premiere of THE DICK KNOST SHOW With Tom Scholte & Gabrielle Rose

Broadcasting is a Contact Sport.

The funniest thing about sports talk-show host Dick Knost in Bruce Sweeney’s funny film? It’s hard to choose but Knost’s obsession with increasing his Twitter followers rang true. Knost’s controversial tweets about hockey concussions, done to gain followers, draw the ire of his network bosses. And then Knost is concussed himself and his team scrambles to get him back to work and save their jobs.

Vancouver filmmaker Bruce Sweeney introduced his latest feature to a Vancouver International Film Festival audience on Sunday night. And acknowledged to the hometown crowd that the dickish Knost character is loosely based on Sportsnet’s Bob McCown, who doesn’t appear to have a problem with that.

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Some of the larger themes like the real-life issue of violence in hockey seemed strained but Tom Scholte proved totally believable in the role of a shock jock with his baritone voice, caustic wit and mop-of-hair wig. So completely did Scholte inhabit the Dick Knost character that I couldn’t be sure the actor was on stage Sunday night until he spoke.

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Co-star Gabrielle Rose more than holds her own as Dick Knost’s increasingly desperate producer, not sure how to deal with a concussed and passive Knost, who spends his days feeding  ducks in scenes filmed at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park. And Paul Skrudland provides welcome comic relief as ex-hockey player and talk show co-host Neill in the slower scenes after Knost’s concussion.

Director Bruce Sweeney, Tom Scholte, Gabrielle Rose and Paul Skrudland.

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Paul Srudland, Tom Butler, Quelsey Zeeper, Jillian Fargey and David Logren as the rival sports talk host who likes soccer.

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And watch for a cameo from Zak Santiago as a Ronaldo-type international football star.

You can catch The Dick Knost Show next at 1 p.m. on October 9th in the SFU Woodwards Theatre or 9:15 p.m. on October 11th at The Cinematheque.

Update: The Dick Knost Show won Best B.C. Film at the BC Spotlight Awards.

 

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