Life has a funny way of rewarding good deeds.  One of my most recent good deeds resulted in meeting Sam Eidson.

TRUE STORY:  When I first met Sam, I thought I was being punked.  Sam bears more than a passing resemblance to Ethan Suplee, both in appearance and mannerisms.  Turns out he was not, in fact, Ethan Suplee, but was instead an actor in his own right.  I started looking at some of his projects, both current and past, and really dug his work. 

My personal favorite, so far, is Billy’s Birthday, a short film from 2009.  Sam starred, as well as co-produced along with writer/director Thomas Wohlford. 

The concept of Billy’s Birthday is simple: George, a sad sack loser in the tradition of Milton from Office Space, is having a bad day.  His wife is divorcing him.  His boss, a mid-management douchebag, informs him that instead of the raise he has requested he’s being demoted.  And it’s his son’s birthday.  What follows is a hyperkinetic trip through George’s day that is somewhat reminiscent of Falling Down crossed with a bad acid trip. In other words, it’s psychotically awesome.  While the short may wear it’s influences on it’s sleeve, it definitely has it’s own unique feel.  Much of the credit goes to Eidson, a gifted character actor with seemingly no fear of looking foolish.  Wohlford ups the ante with some clever editing that helps drive the story forward while also adding to the psychotic feel of the piece.

But enough of my raving, you should just watch the film for yourself.  And now, for your viewing pleasure, I present:

Billy’s Birthday