Past Projects

Where Dafux Waldo? (2017)

One obsessed man is driven to the brink of insanity in his search for hunting down the ever-elusive Waldo in this psychological thriller. 

Starring: Ed Clark, Paul Rambo, Ziggy Horn

Various Projects (2016)

Too numerous to enumerate. Beard Balm, Chutney, Tao, Bazinga. And more. 

Coach Rackenack (2015)

Decimating people’s self-image as “motivational exercise”, hilariously sadistic gym trainer, Coach Rackenack (Bobby Darby), devises the most insane workouts as forms of humiliation while assaulting his human property at Chuckleheads Gym.

Starring:

Bobby Darby 

Locations:

Get Some Fitness Gym (Beverly Hills, Michigan)

Eastern Michigan University Rec/IM Gym (Ypsilanti, Michigan)

Total Run Time: 10 minutes

The Rotarian Conspiracy (2014)

A man obsessed with the constant hidden “evidence” of an inescapable conspiracy, Henry the Preservationist (Bobby Darby), reduces every single thing in the world down to being connected to a sinister “Rotarian Conspiracy” perpetuated by an international web of Rotary Clubs.

Decked out in camo fatigues and patrolling the suburbs, Hank shows his neighbor, Benedict Flaubert (Dave Conte), just how far he is willing to go to secure his neighborhood, his country and his sanity.

Starring:
Hank             Bobby Darby
Benedict       Dave Conte
Redneck 1    Kevin McGorey
Redneck 2    Jon Conte

Locations:
Station 885 Restaurant (Plymouth), Dave’s house, Conte’s house (6mile & Telegraph, Detroit)

Total Run Time: 17 minutes

Boris the Porkchop Thief (2014)

Two Russian diplomats, Boris and his brother Dmitry (The Brothers Conte) are in Detroit investigating a Bigfoot sighting on behalf of a rich Russian oil billionaire and bickering over everything when Boris (Dave) reveals that he stole Porkshop (Dmitry’s call girl).

What ensues are the absurd lengths to which a determined human will go to obtain the unobtainable in this elusive Pynchonian search for the Holy Grail Motherlode of All Infinite Possibilities.

Starring:

Boris              Dave Conte
Dmitry           Jon Conte
Lucky Luke   Captain Jim
Ding-Dong    Edward Goree
Pickles          Paul Jason Rambo

Detroit Locations:
D’Mongo’s Speakeasy, GM RenCen, Book Cadillac Hotel, Graffiti Mural (Russell & Trombley)

Total Run Time: 16 minutes

Detroit Tigers Opening Day (March 2013)

Since 2012, this event has turned into a Margrave Pictures annual Spring tradition.

Join us as we document the annual one-day creation of a spontaneous shanty town for a 2-3 mile radius around Comerica Park (aka: Tiger Stadium) in downtown Detroit!

Triple Agent Vikram (2012)

While delivering a cash-filled envelope across town, Gangster Dave is trying to unify hundreds of warring selves, across the spectrum of his inner Self, within.

In the process, he finds there is no one central ‘I’ and he ends up losing the ability to cohere into One Unified Being. Dave gradually becomes cracked in the noodle. All the loose ends are tired together at Uncle Sydney’s Vegetable Kiosk at the end.

We understand Dave’s sequence of identity changes, his getting lost in the shuffle, becoming mentally unhinged, thru Dave working for three different organizations simultaneously: gangster Francis, Veronica’s shadow CIA government and a secret society of occult Hindu’s called The Ashoka 9 of Kalinga.

Gangster Dave (aka: Triple Agent Vikram) is supposed to deliver an envelope full of cash to his boss Francis but word gets out that he’s to be frisked and sullied in the Great Letdown. We give you Triple Agent Vikram’s sequence of identity changes and the tale of the cash-filled envelope. What will happen?

Written & Directed by:
Ryan M. Place

Total Run Time: 60 minutes

The Noid (2011)

The Noid is back!

Chronicling The Noid’s long descent into poverty and madness, we witness the Noid’s glorious rise and horrible horrible fall from being a late 1980’s pizza icon to his current disheveled cynicism. We see the horror firsthand in a pseduo-A&E biography style special.

Starring:

Paul Jason Rambo as The Noid
Angie Wright as The Lovable Sadie Krenwinkel
Bobby Darby as Passerby & Uptown Jesus
Dave Conte as Donny the Dough-Tosser
Edward Clark III as Niggly Puff
Corey Needham as Rockin Jody Morningstar
Jeff West as Hotel Yorba Vagrant
Nadine Blevins as escort Sheila Squirts
Takara Ray as Adorable Little Girl
Ryan Cavanaugh as Slippery Mick the Scoopmaster
Mandy Gaedtke as Shakazura Lipschitz
Nicki Anderson as Helga Cornblath
Aaron Bachand as Trey Staxmore
Sean St. Peter as Spud Wembley

Written & Directed by:
Ryan M. Place & Paul Jason Rambo

Total Run Time: 23 minutes

Lighthouse TV Series Pilot Episode:
Why Bother (2010)

“Lighthouse” is an existential sitcom about how a variety of wacky personalities working at Lighthouse Car Wash, create interesting human relationships with odd miscellany thrown in like coping with pointlessness, being perpetually broke, endless drama and the futility of all doing. Yes they work at a car wash but no real “work” is ever done.

In our pilot episode ‘Why Bother’:

Paul and Krystal just broke up, pervert Bobby is trying to help Paul win Krystal back while Ryan, full of mad schemes, is hatching his takeover-Nigeria plan and Mad Dog Oury is verging on mental collapse from dealing with the shithead general public on a daily basis. Brad’s a sickly germaphone, Drew’s a loafing rapscallion, Rockin Jody’s a dimwit newbie, the Escort is smoking hot, Jackie’s a badass and Bruce gets his jollies huffing car wash chemicals.

This pilot episode is aptly titled ‘Why Bother’. Yes, if yer not a millionaire, if yer out there grinding 5-6 days a week to avoid perpetual insolvency, if yer running outta energy, if yer underpaid, overworked and sleep deprived, ‘Why Bother’ indeed!?!

This is the closest to free money and hard laughs you’re gonna come this season, so join your co-workers up here at Lighthouse Car Wash and tune in!

Starring:

Paul Jason Rambo
Angie Wright as Krystal
Amanda Conte as The Escort
Bobby Darby
Matt Oury
Drew Watson
Brad Rambo
Ryan M. Place
Corey Needham as Rockin Jody Morningstar
Jackie Rambo
Giovanna Conte
Ralph Rambo
Sean St. Peter as Bruce
Elyssa Rautiola as Cheerleader I
Julie Greco as Cheerleader 2
Jeff West as The Bottle Bum

Written and Directed by:
Paul Jason Rambo and Ryan M. Place

Runtime: 47 minutes

November Belongs to Asmodeus (2009)

Shot in one afternoon on Dios de los Muertos in Detroit, Michigan, this fun experimental short revolves around the annual raising o’ medieval lust daemon Asmodeus, who rises each year to terrorize the city of Detroit.

The extremely plausible antiquarian brainfood enthusiast and wine shop employee Tweet Ripley (Dale Climer) discovers this secret and unwittingly becomes the lust daemon’s next target.

Starring:

Tim Climer as Asmodeus the Lust Daemon
Dale Climer as Tweet Ripley

Written & Directed by:
Ryan M. Place

Runtime:
9 minutes

Filming Locations:
John K. King Books
Hotel Yorba
Roosevelt Warehouse
Springwells Alley
Grandma’s house on SW side
Bella Vino Wine Shop in Wyandotte

Aquapulp (2009)

Shot over the course of two afternoons in Ypsilanti, this fun black and white short features arrogant shitheads Ryan (Paul Rambo) and Paul (Ryan Place) indulging in a day of Ultra-Sophisto Coffee Snobbery.

Ryan and Paul fancy themselves coffee connoisseurs and wander about Ypsilanti sampling every variety o’ coffee until they find the ultimate cup, until they find a cup of coffee that’s beyond fine, until they find Aquapulp.

Starring:

Paul Rambo as Ryan
Ryan Place as Paul
Angie Wright as Esther the Waitress
Jon Stamper as the Creeper
Brad Rambo as the Roastmaster
Dave Conte
Edward Goree
Bobby Darby & Dave Donaldson
Edward Clarke and Nikki

Written & Directed by:
Paul Jason Rambo & Ryan M. Place

Runtime:
10 minutes

Filming Locations:
Déjà Vu Stripclub
Ugly Mug Café
Riverside Park
Depot Town
Hutchinson Mansion
Bear Claw Café in Canton

Clipped (2009)

Whackjob celebrity stalker Hezekiah the Sandpiper (Nick Place) is tormenting the world’s top international fashion model, the luscious Ali Maypop (Amanda Conte), wanting to clip her toenails to add to his collection.

This film highlights the horrors that ultra-celebs face from your garden variety psychopaths and why less well-known people should rejoice in their privacy.

Although Clipped is a dark comedy and meant to be humorous, remember dear viewers, these people, the Hezekiah the Sandpiper’s of this dimension do exist, so beware…

Starring:

Amanda Conte as Ali Maypop
Nick Place as Hezekiah the Sandpiper
Larry Francis as Cosmo Slotnik Polecrab IV
Dave Conte as the Photographer
Edward Goree as Agent Ron
Henry Aldridge as Senior Chief Investigator Claus Abernathe
Ryan Place as the Jogger
Bobby Darby as Ali’s Boyfriend
Jenny Poccia as Kalee van Ness
Elaine Richards as Ali’s Chief Feeder & Handler
Jeff West as Wesley the Survivor
Dr. Zaius Rabelais as Cult Leader

Written & Directed by:
Ryan M. Place

Runtime:
50 minutes

Filming Locations:
Detroit
Ypsilanti
Canton
Dearborn Heights
Wayne
Novi
Romulus