By Gill Holland • Photos Provided
Mark your calendars now for a red-carpet premiere on Jan 10th at the Baxter!
Writer-Director Eddie Mensore’s second film HAZARD is set during the opioid crisis, in the mining town of Hazard plagued by widespread drug usage, which ranges from legitimate pain management to recreational highs. Will (played remarkably by Alex Roe, a British actor who could fool any Kentuckian with his local eastern Kentucky accent) is a reluctant drug dealer who wants to reunite with his son and wife Sara (Sosie Bacon who, along with Alex, should see some awards recognition for her role). Will can’t, however, break the cycle of addiction tearing his family apart. As tensions escalate within the community, Will is either going to succumb to his own addiction or succeed in rescuing his family before it’s too late.
While titled HAZARD, the film was actually shot “a coupla
hollers over,” in Harlan County (famous for its eponymous Oscar winning documentary “Harlan County USA”). HAZARD hits Louisville’s Baxter Avenue Theaters and thirty screens all over Appalachia in January.
Mensore is a West Virginia native who is dedicated to sharing stories of Appalachia that capture the essence of its unique culture. HAZARD, which he also produced, is essential viewing and at times heart-breaking, shedding light on a pressing issue that demands attention and understanding. The film was shot in fifteen days (remarkably fast, even for an independent production) out of a production office which was, and still is, in Harlan County’s Tri-city town Cumberland, on the back side of the Novo Theatre. The cast and crew stayed at the historic Benham Inn which the film rented out for a month. Thanks to the Kentucky tax incentive, the film was also able to hire forty-five local folks in front of the camera and eleven locals behind the camera (with some people doing both!)
Eddie also reports that “there was great camaraderie, almost every night when we wrapped, we had a meal at the Benham, hung out and played music... and then every night, Harlan’s famed black bears would appear and mangle the hotel’s trash cans, causing us to run for shelter on numerous occasions!”
HAZARD chronicles the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, the impact of which touches every individual in the area either directly or indirectly. As Eddie says, “I want my fellow Appalachians to see themselves portrayed with love and dignity in such situations. Equally vital is the opportunity for those outside rural areas to see us as relatable individuals, breaking free from harmful stereotypes. The opioid epidemic is a scourge that transcends geographic boundaries, affecting people across our nation and abroad. Through “Hazard,” we aim to foster empathy and understanding, bridging divides and advancing dialogue about this pressing issue.” It is tragic that today in Appalachia, opioid overdose-related mortality rates for people aged 25–54 are 72 percent higher than the rest of the country.
When asked how the film ended up with such a stellar cast despite its low budget, Casting Director Adrienne Stern said, “I knew immediately when I read the script that Eddie would attract the talent needed to tell this poignant story of Hazard. Eddie and I had a long conversation about what the film meant to him. Opioids are America’s problem and Eddie took us into a small mountain town in Kentucky and a family at the heart of its addiction. Once on board I sent the script to Alex Roe’s team. He has starred in Hollywood films like “The 5th Wave” and is presently a lead on the Hulu series “Billy the Kid.” He jumped on board as a producer and got the script to Sosie Bacon who agreed to produce with him. Sosie Bacon who burst onto the scene in the $200M grossing SMILE, along with Mare of Easttown (and is also a “nepo-baby” daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick (who also just filmed “Carolina Caroline” in Louisville.) Sosie’s next project comes out this year starringalongside Liam Neeson in “Cold Storage.” Project was then rounded out with Steven Ogg (“The Walking Dead“ and “Grand Theft Auto”), and Dave Davis. When you have a terrifically well-written script, and a talented director, talent will quickly want to be involved.”
One other note, sonaBLAST! Records provided the soundtrack with many Louisville, Kentucky based artists featured: Ben Sollee, Luke Powers, GRLwood, Jaxon Lee Swain, James Lindsey and Jonathan Glen Wood.
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