Bowlers at the AMF Tempe Village Lanes certainly got an eyeful on Friday night, and not just because projected colorful lights and music videos danced on the walls.
Local artist Corey Busboom and two of his cohorts donned furry animal outfits while hanging out at the local bowling alley. Their mission: unleash some hare-brained hijinks while filming some scenes for an upcoming indie flick about the furry lifestyle.
They accomplished both feats while also getting plenty of attention, particularly from the bowling alley's management.
Amused and confused patrons gawked at the trio when they put on their outrageous outfits and filmmaker Eli Kluger prepped his camera. (They chose not to enter the premises in costume, lest they be mistaken as robbers.) Busboom wore the same wolf outfit he's sported at local concerts and events.
Meanwhile, jewelry artist Jacob Dynomite dressed as a bull wearing a chef's smock and poet/songwriter Nickolas Marple was clad as a tattooed rabbit.
The plot of the flick is as kooky as the trio's outfits. Tentatively entitled Fursuit: The Movie, Kluger says its something of a whodunit surrounding the death of a practitioner of the "furry" lifestyle.
For those unfamiliar with the silly subculture, it's practiced by fans and lovers of anthropomorphized animal characters (think Mickey Mouse or the cat-like Na'vi from Avatar) who then wear fur-suits or costumes.
"It's gonna be kind of a weird neo-noir movie where a detective investigates a killing of a furry," Kluger says. "He then discovers this whole lifestyle while tracking down the murderer."
Intertwined with the murder mystery plot will be humorous vignettes of Busboom and friends dressed in costume, including footage shot at Tempe Village Lanes. Unfortunately, that won't include any actual bowling.
Shortly after they selected their bowling balls and shoes, a manager informed the group that patrons aren't allowed to use the alleys with their heads or eyes obscured.
Shortly after they selected their bowling balls and shoes, a manager informed the group that patrons aren't allowed to use the alleys with their heads or eyes obscured.
"It sucks because we really wanted to get scenes of us bowling in costume," Busboom says. "We originally wanted to do it at the ASU bowling alley but it closed early tonight because of the summer schedule."
Undaunted by this setback, the costumed trio instead spent the evening filming scenes of them shooting pool, competing at air hockey, and using the claw machines.
Busboom says future filming locations will include the galleries and businesses of the downtown arts district, including Lost Leaf and Carly's Bistro.
"We're hoping too include local businesses in the movie and there are some scenes coming up where the furries run wild inside Lost Leaf," he says. "Should be fun."
