Kickass and my dead friend Zoe

Kickass, the doorstop dog, does not do movies, which he regrets after listening to the keeper and Phyllis rave about the recently released “My Dead Friend Zoe” which was created, written and produced by the keeper’s grandnephew Kyle Hausman Stokes and is currently in local theaters. It is one helluva movie in so many ways that it restores some of the respect to an industry that has been losing it to too much noisy drivel.

If you would mess with an old great-uncle’s emotional stability, show him a movie that tells a heart rending story that relates to his family members and is set in part in familiar settings, cast it with Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Sonequa Martin Green and Natalie Morales, throw in lots of sharp dialog and give it a moral message of overcoming  war related adversity, and the keeper may not be able to get up out of the deeply reclining theatre seat until he watches it again. He might stay to see his name again as Kyle briefly displayed it as a “bird book” author in a minor setup, or in the credits listing “Bill and Phyllis,” likely due to their critiques of early versions. Thanks, Kyle.

As an aside to brother Orv –Kyle’s grandfather–Ed Harris did a very professional job of portraying a character obviously meant to be you, capturing your remarkable lifelong dedication to your wife Shirley–Kyle’s grandmother who, though she recently left us on the big trip, still had a meaningful part in Kyle’s movie. Nicely done, Kyle!

Just a great creative job all around, Kyle. You do yourself and the family proud. Congratulations!

“My Dead Friend Zoe” IS a great movie.

Go see it!

Now, Kyle, I have this novel–“Margaret’s War” and………