Toss of the Coin

I think it was four years ago or so. Definitely pre-Katrina. I couldn’t sleep one night, so I was sitting up at the computer and I googled my name. I came across my entry on the IMDb which I hadn’t looked at for a while.

It puzzled me to notice I had a 2002 story credit for a flick called Toss of the Coin. What could that be? Some more clicking around and I discovered that an old buddy of mine, Patrick Steele, had made a short film based on a story I wrote in high school.

He sent me a copy on DVD, and I was knocked out. The quality of the production was high, but more than that, it was like I’d had a dream many years ago and suddenly that dream was made real. So strange, and definitely one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me.

I just discovered yesterday that Toss of the Coin is now online. If you’ve got twelve minutes to spare, check it out:

Or see it in full resolution on openfilm.com.

I like watching films without any notion of what the story might be. So watch it first before you read this short review from Film Freak Central:

Toss of the Coin (Patrick Steele, USA, 12min. ***/****) – Surprisingly funny, undeniably intelligent, Toss the Coin bogs down with its over-reliance on bad CGI. Less seen would have been more as the piece is Terry Pratchett-wry–a dialogue-driven piece revolving around the idea that a wacky afterworld mix-up has resulted in an equal claim by both celestial sides on the soul of a man recently deceased. A crack about The Promise Keepers is hilarious as are several other well-timed ripostes (a busy network server slew me); it’s lightweight, no question, but a message about ultimate morality runs a little deeper than first impressions might suggest and Toss of the Coin suggests a comedic talent on the rise.