I am suddenly imagining our entire city council and pubic works crew sitting in the front row in horror. That’s probably not a typical reaction to this movie, but I’m clearly a special case.

‘Hundreds of Beavers’ brings back the great American tradition of silent comedy

Milwaukee-area filmmakers Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews have been making videos together since they were 14-years-old at Whitefish Bay High School. Over the decades, they’ve made about 50 videos together, but the film Hundreds of Beavers is the pair’s second feature.

The film follows a drunken applejack salesman named Jean Kayak, who must go from zero to hero and become the land’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. Except in this movie, all of the animals are played by humans in mascot costumes. If that plot doesn’t intrigue you enough, it’s also a silent film shot in black and white, making for a bizarre yet entertaining comedic mix of influences such as Buster Keaton, Looney Tunes, and the Mario video games.

Oh man what I wouldn’t have paid to be a consultant on this film. It might have had a different ending than was planned, but it would have been hilarious!