photo by: Contributed
Actress Kushi Beauchamp is pictured in front of the Ludington-Thacher House in the 1600 block of Tennessee Street in this movie still from “One Eye Open.”
A Lawrence filmmaker’s latest project — a supernatural thriller filmed at an iconic local mansion — has been in the making for the better part of a decade, and in just a few weeks it will open in select theaters.
The film, “One Eye Open,” features RJ Mitte of “Breaking Bad” fame, Chris Bylsma (“El Camino”) and Maximiliano Hernandez (“Avengers: Endgame”), along with newcomer Kushi Beauchamp and retired KU film professor Kevin Willmott in a cast of 13.
Filmmaker Michael Coffey is hoping to see lots of Lawrence residents at the Oct. 16 opening of the film, which he expects to appeal to a wide audience, given that it has “a strong female lead and female sidekick, a fun child protagonist and a wicked villain.”
photo by: Contributed
Lawrence filmmaker Michael Coffey’s new film “One Eye Open” will be showing at select theaters beginning on Oct. 16.
“It would be a real Halloween treat to see ‘One Eye Open’ in a theater and share the unique experience with others in the same room,” Coffey told the Journal-World, especially considering that a “co-star” in the film is the Ludington-Thacher House in the 1600 block of Tennessee Street.
The movie, shot at the mid-19th century brick mansion over 14 days in 2024, is about a recent college graduate who is house-sitting for her ailing grandfather and becomes involved in a “deadly cat-and-mouse game with thieves who become haunted by something supernatural protecting her in the mysterious mansion,” as Coffey describes it. The lead character, Samantha, is cautioned, as the title puts it, to sleep with one eye open.
Coffey said the large Lawrence home — owned by the Riordan family in real life — was perfect for a scary thriller with its antique fixtures and multiple levels. Its maze-like quality was conducive to hiding and chasing, and its layout heightened the sense of vulnerability that’s a hallmark of the horror genre.
“My story circles around the theme of vulnerability,” Coffey said. “I got to thinking about the everyday situations we can mindlessly put ourselves into that could end up being scary because we then become vulnerable to harm.”
Coffey began writing the screenplay for the film in 2017, inspired by the work of legendary directors David Fincher, Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. The project languished for a bit due to funding issues, but Coffey never shelved it and remained committed to “million-dollar” production values.
In the meantime, he saw his screenplay for “Triumph,” also featuring RJ Mitte, get turned into a feature film in 2021. That film, his first, explores the challenges of a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy.
In “One Eye Open,” Coffey added “director” to his screen credits — a job that he likened to coaching a team.
“I really liked being the director and I hope to direct more movies,” he said. “I love helping and motivating talents and film crew members to achieve their potential.”
“One Eye Open” has been making the rounds at film festivals — picking up 11 awards so far — and it is set to open in select AMC Theatres on Oct. 16 for at least six days. The closest AMC to Lawrence is AMC Legends 14 at 1841 Village West Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas.
The awards Coffey is most proud of are “Best Paranormal Film” from the World Film Festival in Cannes’ monthly selections; “Most Technically Excellent” from the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival; and “Best Original Score” from the Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival.
The score was composed by Nathan Towns, of Kansas City, who also did the sound design and effects. The music of Lawrence natives Perry Lockwood and Ashley Davis is also featured in the film.
With his second cinematic venture nearly behind him, Coffey is eager to work on new projects.
“I have three more screenplays written that I would like to bring to life,” he said, adding that he just needs “the funding to get going.”
“Currently I have professional comedian Josh Blue signed to star in my romantic comedy, ‘The Funny Guy.’ I also have a drama-romance titled ‘Somebody Like You,’ and RJ Mitte is interested in the co-starring role. My other screenplay, ‘Into the Fire,’ is an action-drama about two buddy firefighters, modeled after firefighters … at the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department.”
photo by: Contributed
A movie poster for Michael Coffey’s new film
photo by: Shawn Valverde
Actor RJ Mitte, left, and Michael Coffey pose for a photo during a break from shooting Coffey’s film “One Eye Open” at 1613 Tennessee St.