Firecracker is a film directed by Steve Balderson. Steve Balderson circa 2003 Steve Balderson was born Stephen Clark Balderson on January 19, 1975, in Manhattan, Kansas. ...

Synopsis

Firecracker is a tale of murder in small town Wamego, Kansas. Set against the stark beauty of Middle America, this story of abuse, suffering and denial reveals dreams of escape. The inevitable confrontation unleashes the truth concealed behind the pleasant façade of small-town U.S.A. Wamego is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States. ...

Meek, reclusive and talented Jimmy is emotionally imprisoned by his abusive, alcoholic older brother David (Mike Patton) – and fanatically religious mother Eleanor (Karen Black). With evil lurking in the shadows, the setting sun gives way to the blue of evening and Jimmy finds escape in the neon glow of a traveling sideshow carnival. Unlike its drab, depressing daytime reality, the carnival becomes a nightly glittering solitaire on the prairie, beckoning all around to its illusions and make-believe. With a guise of red satin and the lure of a heavenly voice, Sandra (also Karen Black), billed as an “oddity of nature,” is the carnival’s premier attraction. Yearning for a way out, Jimmy befriends Sandra, unaware that her imprisonment and degradation, at the hands of Frank (also Mike Patton), the carnival owner, mirror his own. Sandra, taken by his innocence, finds her own inner strength and suppressed dreams. When David disappears, the metaphorical white-picket fences collapse, leaving raw emotions exposed to the spark of truth. Mike Patton (born Michael Allan Patton, January 27, 1968, in Arcata, California) is an American musician. ... Black in Five Easy Pieces, 1970 Karen Black (born July 1, 1939) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. ... Black in Five Easy Pieces, 1970 Karen Black (born July 1, 1939) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. ... Mike Patton (born Michael Allan Patton, January 27, 1968, in Arcata, California) is an American musician. ...

Throughout it all Police Chief Ed (played by Susan Traylor) searches for truth, uncovering bits of evidence suggesting deceit, abuse, murder and cover-up. As her investigation leads her closer to the truth, the lives of those involved become lit fuses – until they explode, one-by-one.

Critical reaction

Finished in 2005 and released in the first-ever "Freak Show Tour" exclusively in Landmark Cinemas, and was released on DVD in 2006. Preeminent film critic Roger Ebert called it “Brilliant” and named Firecracker on his list of the year’s best films [Source] Roger Ebert (right) with Russ Meyer, 1970 Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is an Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, author, and film critic who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, every week since 1967. ...

Hailed as a “masterpiece” (Film Threat [Source]) and “told by a story teller who has a nascent finger on the pulse of contemporary cinema“ (Aftertaste magazine), Firecracker premiered at London’s Raindance Film Festival, to sold out crowds, where it won a Jury Prize nomination for Best Picture. It also won numerous awards on the festival circuit worldwide including: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Actress for Karen Black, and Steve Balderson won the 2005 Domani Vision Award for emerging talent at Tribeca’s Visionfest. The Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United Kingdom. ... Black in Five Easy Pieces, 1970 Karen Black (born July 1, 1939) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, screenwriter, singer and songwriter. ...

External links

• Official website
• MySpace (Dikenga Films)
• Roger Ebert review