Scrappers in Charleston, South Carolina

Ben Kolak here, writing while Brian Ashby cruises down the lush Savannah Highway from Ashepoo to Coosawhatchie, under a clear blue sky. The drive from Asheville, NC to Charleston was impressive too, though all our batteries died before we got to the Halsey Institute:


Scrappers on Southern Circuit #1.5 from scrap movie on Vimeo.


Great turnout for our second screening, including our gracious host Kim Renton, who happens to share my intellectual crush on the Shaman of Hyde Park, JZ Smith. Huge thanks all around to Rebecca, Mark and all the folks at the Halsey and College of Charleston for their hospitality!


The film was followed by a fascinating discussion with some promising student filmmakers:


Scrappers on Southern Circuit #2 from scrap movie on Vimeo.


Comes as no surprise that our fellow Chicagoan Bill Murray pulls antics around Charleston like what I'd heard from my bud Lev about his Manhattan conduct, which Lev worked into his debut. Who is developing the Bill Murray/River Dogs/Divorce biopic and how can we get involved? Or I would love to see something about how Nick the Lounge Singer got banned from Upper Deck (which features PBR in cans, bottles and on draft! In the interest of scrappers, let me recommend the cans) for repeatedly offering to buy everyone at the bar drinks, then sneaking out without paying.

I happened upon this Charlestonite across from The Secret Order of Tents, perhaps utilizing Red Triangle's innovative and trademarked D.R.E.A.M. method? The friendly carpetbaggers next door at Hope and Union (whom I greatly appreciated and from the looks of the shop, so did some legit Charleston coffee fiends) could not contain themselves from reading the entire Red Triangle site aloud to the rest of their sunday morning clientele.


While on an epic bike ride over the Cooper River Bridge, my jaw dropped upon seeing the very first chinese-made battery powered scooters getting tested fresh off the barge on the infamous Sullivan's Island. What a beautiful, complicated place Charleston is, and what a privilege it was to be invited to share our film there!