"When a gigantic goose terrorizes a small northern town, one investigator sets out to ruffle feathers and find the cause."
Presented in black and white with a 1940s film noir flair, “Goose Noir” follows a P.I. named Conrad Doctor as he investigates a blackmail plot in the small town of Baker’s Bay.
As Conrad digs into the city’s underbelly, he discovers not only blackmail but corruption, theft, extortion, cults, and a murderous plot.
...All while a 100 Canada goose terrorizes the city's downtown.
Goose noir blends film noir, kaiju, and comedy – mixing Chinatown, Godzilla, and healthy gander of Monty Python.
Audio and visual approach
Goose Noir will be presented in high definition at a 16:9 aspect ratio.
The film will be shot in colour, but graded and presented in black and white. This is done to evoke the “golden age” of the film noir genre which flourished in the 1940s.
Particular attention will be given to demonstrating the defining visual and auditory features of both film noir and classic monster films.
From film noir, sharp lighting, unusual angles, and the atmospheric auditory ambience common to films like The Big Sleep (1946), Touch of Evil (1958), and Chinatown (1974) will take the forefront.
From giant monster movies, the use of miniatures, emphasis on practical special effects, and “booming” soundtrack found in King Kong (1933), The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953), and
Godzilla (1954) will help in providing a shift from the “calmer” and more grounded style associated with film noir to the “larger than life,” bombastic sounds and visuals of a “creature feature.”
Godzilla (1954) will help in providing a shift from the “calmer” and more grounded style associated with film noir to the “larger than life,” bombastic sounds and visuals of a “creature feature.”
The intent of Goose Noir is to blend and juxtapose these two traditions. Moving from a lonely P.I. walking the steaming, shadowy streets of the city to an 8 storey Canada goose intent on eating a
particularly obstinate fire truck creates comedy, but it also draws parallels between the two styles.
particularly obstinate fire truck creates comedy, but it also draws parallels between the two styles.
Both genres pay close attention to camera angles, off-screen sound, atmospheric effects like smoke and steam, and utilize repeating sound cues and motifs to signal the arrival of a friend, a villain, or a reoccurring action.
The goal is to blend both into something new – to create a genre that moves
beyond both monster movies and noir while also presenting a film that entertains and critiques.
beyond both monster movies and noir while also presenting a film that entertains and critiques.
Influences
The greatest cinematic influences on “Goose Noir” are “Chinatown” (1974) and “Godzilla” (1954), two films dealing with political corruption and environmental devastation. In “Chinatown,” the
government-backed Los Angeles Department of Water knowingly withholds water from Californian farmers in order to buy up their land at a reduced price. In “Godzilla,” the continued detonation of H-Bombs off the coast of Japan by the military both reawaken and empower a prehistoric sea creature which begins to destroy neighbouring cities and ports.
government-backed Los Angeles Department of Water knowingly withholds water from Californian farmers in order to buy up their land at a reduced price. In “Godzilla,” the continued detonation of H-Bombs off the coast of Japan by the military both reawaken and empower a prehistoric sea creature which begins to destroy neighbouring cities and ports.
“Goose Noir” is a story of a small town City Council that ignores its pressing infrastructure and safety needs in order to fund sports arenas and athletic fields. That Baker’s Bay power plant desperately needs repairs is irrelevant – Council believes that the city should focus on attracting tourism through recreation. When the 100 foot Goose arrives, the city is poorly prepared and continues to be split on how to proceed. Should Baker’s Bay face the Goose as Lyla Grand suggests and fund repairs to the downtown? Or will the city ignore the problem and look to expand into the eastern marshlands?
Locally, “Goose Noir” is a reaction to two questionable political choices made by North Bay’s City
Council. In 2012, The City of North Bay spent $12 million in renovating its arena – a project that
ultimately went $4.2 million over its budget and cut into the budgets of several city departments.
Council was largely unapologetic, with one Councillor saying “we don't need to overreact” and that the renovations were a “bargain, even at a price tag of $16.2 million.”
Council. In 2012, The City of North Bay spent $12 million in renovating its arena – a project that
ultimately went $4.2 million over its budget and cut into the budgets of several city departments.
Council was largely unapologetic, with one Councillor saying “we don't need to overreact” and that the renovations were a “bargain, even at a price tag of $16.2 million.”
In 2019, City Council sought, and received, a rollback to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act so that it could move ahead with the construction of a casino on a protected wetland. Despite heavy and well- documented local opposition, City Council voted 8-3 in favour of building the casino - sustaining the City’s focus on funding recreation despite long-term environmental concerns.
Goose Noir blends these local political responses with an adventure story that moves the plot along with action and intrigue – calling back to the fusion of politics and spectacle that define both “Godzilla” (1954) and “Chinatown” (1974).
