Thane Furrows is an extremely cynical but unintentionally hilarious children’s book writer who has nurtured a decidedly strange perspective of the world (he has a problem with just about everything–with the possible exception of ferrets, that is: “they have a cool attitude”). Thane wakes up one morning and, since pretty much everyone and everything annoys him, begins another day of turbo-complaining. However, the day proves to be much different when Thane begins to receive strange phone calls, letters, and voices, all indicating something will happen at 8 o’clock.
High Strung
Roger Nygard’s films are available for streaming here:
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Is it real? Is it a practical joke? Or is Thane going crazy? As the day goes on, Thane rants and raves and battles with a maniacally-suicidal fly as the clock slowly ticks closer to his destiny. Directed and edited by Roger Nygard. Written by and starring Steve Oedekerk, also starring Thomas F. Wilson, Denise Crosby, Fred Willard, Jani Lane and Kirsten Dunst.
High Strung – Clip
“…laugh-out-loud hilarious.” Jay Boyar, Orlando, Florida SENTINEL
“…dark and original…Steve Oedekerk is hilarious….” Glenn Lovell, San Jose MERCURY NEWS
“…inventive camerawork and extremely funny monologues…cruelly funny….” Richard von Busack, Santa Clara Valley METRO
“…Oedekerk’s obsessive-compulsive diatribes are the comic equivalent of the Jimi Hendrix National Anthem: blazing riffs on the ordinary that shoot off into the outrageous. It’s stratospheric comedy.” Joanna Connors, THE PLAIN DEALER, Cleveland
“…[It] will take you for a ride not unlike a 90-minute aerobics workout. The script is full of smirks, chuckles and out-right belly laughs.” THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
“…a frenetic comedy about an embittered paranoid…. The film starts out in fourth gear and remains there…wonderful production design, lighting, and clever, mobile camerawork….” Bob Zeidman, CUE MAGAZINE, San Francisco
“…screamingly funny….A hilariously logical feature-length rant….” The 16th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
“…amazingly inventive….” PACIFIC NEWS & REVIEW, Palm Springs
“…a fresh, often hilarious new film. With Oedekerk’s deft performance at center stage, director Roger Nygard maintains an appropriately furious pace of quirky humor and growing suspense.” The 22nd USA FILM FESTIVAL, Dallas, Texas
San Jose’ Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, USA Festival, Houston International Film Festival, the Rivertown Film Festival/Minneapolis, New Hampshire Film Festival, the Florida Film Festival/Orlando, and Philafilm/The Philadelphia Film Festival, and the Berkshire Film Festival
Production Stills .
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe, at the breakfast table.
The game show contestant (Ivy Austin) who can’t answer the question, because, “The only boxer I know is Muhammad Ali.”
Jani Lane, of the rock band Warrant, back stage on the set.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) in his idyllic fantasy with the perfect wife (Denise Crosby) and the perfect daughter (Kirsten Dunst).
Steve Oedekerk during the coffee waitress scene; if Thane had his way, all over-bearing waitresses would be strangled.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe, in the kitchen this time.
Overhead angle of Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) complaining about the milk level in his cereal.
The game show host (Paul Ryan) who asks the very difficult question, “Which boxer made the phrase famous, ‘I am the greatest.’?”
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) demonstrates his pop up book, Bye Bye Grandma, aka, What Happened to Grandma.
Children’s books by Thane Furrows.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe, this time on a chair at the dining table.
Insurance salesman Fred Willard.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) meets with his boss (Ed Williams) during the good times, before “that woman” came.
A still of a scene in Al’s office that never happened in the film.
Thane’s best friend Al (Thomas F. Wilson) tries to convince Thane to leave his apartment for once.
The boss’s wife (Denise Crosby), who becomes one of Thane’s tormentors.
Thane’s best friend Al (Thomas F. Wilson) discusses life with Thane.
Death, played by Jim Carrey.
Thane’s best friend Al (Thomas F. Wilson) is shocked at Thane Furrows’ (Steve Oedekerk) quick recovery.
Thane’s mother (Toni Sawyer) rants on about the benefits of eating cabbage (I wonder where Thane got his rant-i-tude from).
On the set, director Roger Nygard and star/writer Steve Oedekerk discussing eyedropper comedy for the coffee waitress scene.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) in his idyllic fantasy with the perfect wife (Denise Crosby).
A still from a deleted ending epilog scene where Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) is hundreds of years old, because Death refuses to come back and take him.
At the High Strung premiere, Roger Nygard, Jim Carey, and Steve Oedekerk.
. Poster for High Strung.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe, at the breakfast table.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) rages against the Universe some more, on a chair at the dining table.
Overhead shot of Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) in bed as he rants about automated phone surveys while shooting darts into a poster of his boss’s wife.
The boss’s wife (Denise Crosby), who becomes one of Thane’s tormentors.
Thane’s upstairs neighbor (Jani Lane) is an obnoxious rocker who torments Thane with his heavy-metal music.
Death’s limo driver, played by Mark Eugene Roberts.
High Strung alumni Jim Carrey, Roger Nygard, Steve Oedekerk, Ruben Mendoza, and Thomas F. Wilson.
Executive Producers Vladimir Horunzhy (far left) and Sergei Zholobetsky (far right) discuss their upcoming film, with Steve Oedekerk (middle right) and Thomas F. Wilson (middle left).
Insurance salesman Fred Willard sells Thane his entire collection of policies.
Thane’s best friend Al (Thomas F. Wilson) morphs into Death (Jim Carrey) as he discusses life with Thane as they eat oatmeal for lunch.
Thane’s best friend Al (Thomas F. Wilson) morphs into Death (Jim Carrey) as he discusses life with Thane as they eat oatmeal for lunch.
Thane Furrows (Steve Oedekerk) challenges his neighbor (Jani Lane) to an arm wrestling match to settle the dispute.
. High Strung VHS Box cover.