As reported earlier, Kaboom, a Belgian Malinois trained by Michael Burkey, Movie Dog Trainer for Michigan Dog Training in Plymouth, Michigan was an invited guest at the premier showing of the movie they appeared in, entitled “Mr. What”. The Shaun Maki film was produced by Panting Deer Productions and Sun and Paw Films. The lead actor was Pastor Alan Maki. The move is about a man, “Mr. What” (shortened name of his long hard to pronounce legal name) who was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Upon release, he seeks redemption in the town of Tecumseh, Michigan through his ailing father, a young boy and a dog.
Kaboom played a misunderstood wandering dog and had four scenes in the film; 1. he appears on Mr. What’s porch unexpectedly, 2. he is seen running up a hill for about 50 yards, 3. he does a take down protection bite to defend Mr. What who was being assaulted, and at the end….well, I can’t spoil the end now can I?. Michael Burkey was the on set Animal Trainer as well as the stuntman taking the bite from Kaboom. Annie Zhao Yang assisted Burkey with the animal scenes. Most of the summer scenes were shot in Tecumseh, Michigan with the winter scene in Canton, Michigan. Kaboom did a fabulous job as at the time the movie was filmed, he was only about 8 months old and had only three months of protection training under his belt. Additionally, he worked in extreme temperatures. In the summer time it was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit and in the winter it was only ten degrees. Kaboom is now 2 years old and was bred by Michael Ellis.
Besides having Kaboom appear in a movie which is a cool thing by itself; what I really found intriguing was the on spot problem solving required to get Kaboom to do the scenes the director wanted. When I showed up on set, I had about ten minutes or less to prepare Kaboom for each scene before the camera started rolling. It was like being given a puzzle to solve in ten minutes or less. And, Kaboom nailed the scenes with each take. As one who loves to problem solve, this was one of the most intriguing aspects of dog training I’ve experienced thus far.
After the filming was completed, it was time for the director to do his magic and thread all the scenes together to tell the story. And, I had to wait for about 16 months before seeing it at the premier. As I sat down to watch the film with Kaboom at my feet, I imagined this must be what movie actors feel like when they finally see the cast and crew’s work come together. You see famous actors on talk shows such as the Tonight Show and they say they haven’t yet seen the film. And of course no one believes them. But I do now. It was a long wait to see the finished product but it was well worth it.
The 90 minute movie is heart touching, comical and full of wonderful local talent (musicians, actors and real people such as local police, a waitress, etc.) The lead actor, Alan Maki gives a wonderful performance and he is the story writer, a song writer and the singer in the film. He is also the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Tecumseh. And, the boy named “Bo” in the film will steal your heart with his genuine spirit and acting talents. I expect him to go far in the acting business. As with their previous movie, the “Sidewalk Singer“, “Mr. What” earned five out of five Dove Awards.
Edwin L. Carpenter of the Dove Foundation gave the following film review: “Mr. What” is a terrific movie named for the question Mattiesko Wupio gets every time he says his name: “What!?” He always replies, “Exactly!?” Mr. What spent the last 22 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, yet lives with the stigma of jail time as he re-enters society in tiny Tecumseh, Michigan….The movie reveals that miracles are never far away, especially when one is needed. Because of a blessing received by Mr. What, those around him with needs have them taken care of in miraculous ways. Alan Maki gives an inspiring performance as Mr. What. We are pleased to award the movie our Faith Friendly 12+ Seal. This movie has earned five Doves, our best rating. “Mr. What” is a film that will make you feel great and make you glad you watched it.”
It was a true pleasure working with the father / son team of Alan and Shaun Maki. They are true film professionals and much more than that. They really care about people and it readily comes across in their interactions with others as well as through their movies. Their stories are about human experiences, including the difficulties we face. However, with “faith, hope, and love with love being the greatest of these,” we can overcome our struggles and be miracle workers for others.
Look for the film to come out on DVD in mid January, 2015. Its a great film for you and your family to experience together.
