Hundreds of Beavers
Cartuna
Video: 1080p High Definition
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH, Czech
Buy it here from Diabolik

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

The Movie: Excellent

The word 'artisanal' is overused at this point. You can get a package of "artisanal" mass-produced ciabatta bread full of all the same stabilizers and additives as anything else on the shelf. And yet, there are still artisans out there, making things, not just by hand, but with the mastery of their craft, the fine touch and eye for detail that makes these things truly great works of art. Hundreds of Beavers is a great work of art.

Set in the early 1800s, applejack distiller Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) finds himself at odds with not only the harsh winter climate but an increasingly inhospitable army of woodland animals, all played by full-grown adults in mascot costumes. Told in the style of silent films or vintage animation, with a sense of humor and love of absurdity to match, Hundred of Beavers was clearly a labor of love. Director / co-writer Mike Cheslik and co-writer / star Tews had previously worked on a similarly unusual, visually unique, dialogue-light film, 2018's Lake Michigan Monster.

Despite Hundreds of Beavers taking home numerous festival accolades-- Best Narrative Feature (Kansas City Film Festival International, Oxford Film Festival, Capital City Film Festival, and Wyoming International Film Festival), Best Director (Wyoming International Film Festival, and Phoenix Film Festival), Best Comedy Feature (Midwest Weirdfest), the Bronze Skull Award (Mexico City's Morbido Film Festival), and the Bronze Audience Award for Best International Feature (Fantasia International Film Festival)-- there was no major interest from distributors, so the filmmakers decided to release this disc themselves. Going on the road with their "Great Lakes Road Show" in 2024, Cheslik, Tews, and co. built word-of-mouth cult status and began carving out a niche in the annals of independent cinema for their film.

I cannot understate how delightful and joyous an experience watching Hundreds of Beavers is, whether with a crowd, some friends, or by yourself. The film excels at catching you off-guard, repeatedly manipulating the audience's understanding of the world in clever ways reminiscent of classic cartoons, only to subvert those cartoon rhythms just when the audience starts getting comfortable. Jackass, Buster Keaton, professional wrestling, and kaiju films all stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the beautifully wacky world of Hundreds of Beavers and you deserve to see it all for yourself.

The Packaging: Good

The two-disc set from Cartuna features a booklet featuring dozens of famous film posters remade in the image of Hundreds of Beavers, and a cover featuring an illustrated image of Jean Kayak in full fur trapper regalia running for his life from an oncoming mass of ominously smiling beavers, with a version of the trapper's map reproduced on the inside cover. Disc One features the film in its traditional form as well as a trailer while Disc Two features the numerous Special Features including a version of the film with a running VFX Breakdown. Both discs feature the chapter select option (presented as the trapline map), and all audio & subtitle options. There were more elaborate versions available-- one had a slipcase with alternate art and one had a WOODEN slipcase!-- but the standard release is still very satisfying.

The Video: Excellent

With the caveat that the film itself is designed to resemble an old silent film, complete with film grain and artificial projection flicker, Hundreds of Beavers looks tremendous. It's a highly stylized world, with an equally unique visual language, but I've had zero issues and I've watched it three times now.

There is a version of the film that is findable on, I believe, YouTube which is a lower contrast, but I believe the disc version looks how I recalled seeing it originally, as part of the Fantasia International Film Festival. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion on which looks better but, going by the aforementioned VFX Breakdown, this other version seems like a non-final pass.

The Audio: Excellent

With another caveat, that it's not exactly a dialogue-heavy film, the sound mixing and quality is top tier. The Sound Design Breakdowns feature really makes clear how much you actually are hearing even when no one talks, showing the dozens of tracks needed to make the film sound immersive. My personal set-up utilizes a 3-channel soundbar and everything was extremely well-balanced and clear.

The Special Features: Excellent

No matter what interests you about Hundreds of Beavers, the Special Features have you covered. There are three discrete commentary tracks with hours of making-of insights. For effects nerds curious how all of it was accomplished, the VFX Breakdown covers-- and I cannot state this enough-- the ENTIRE film (!) in a 4-screen format (one for storyboards, one for raw visuals, one for the uncorrected film, and the last for the finished product). If you're curious about Hundreds of Beavers as a cultural phenomenon, there are three separate audio interviews and an entire feature devoted to the Great Lakes Road Show.

VFX breakdown
3 Audio Commentaries

Sober commentary
Drunk commentary
Wasted commentary (moderated)

Lyric Video: "Jean Kayak & His Acme Applejack"
Deleted Scenes
Sound Design Breakdown
Interviews

Movies That Made Me podcast with Joe Dante & Josh Olsen: interview with Mike Cheslik & Ryland Brickson Cole Tews - May 7, 2024
Movie Mindset podcast: interview with Mike Cheslik - May 27, 2024
WMSC 90.3 Montclair State University Radio: interview with Ryland Brickson Cole Tews - June 1, 2024

Commercials & Promos
BTS Photos
Great Lakes Road Show recap
Blink - high school short film by Mike Cheslik
& More

In Summary: Must own!

Hundreds of Beavers is one of my favorite films of the last decade or more, and rest assured that it's HIGH on that list. I would like to say that I'm sure there will eventually come a reckoning for Cheslik, Tews, and co. and that Hundreds of Beavers will one day be widely available to own, but honestly, who knows? So even if this were a bare-bones release, I'd probably recommend you get your hands on a copy. But for everything you're getting IN ADDITION TO one of the most creative and genre-busting features in recent memory, it's an absolute full-throated endorsement. Make some space on your shelves.

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