Fifty years ago Jack and Betty were hit by a train and survived. In the unexpectedly comedic memoir documentary, “Deerwoods Deathtrap,” they recount the story to their son, filmmaker James P. Gannon. On a trip to New Jersey from their native Pennsylvania, with two young children and a mother in the car, they experience a harrowing incident that threatens to change their lives forever, or end it. But the film is not a straightforward depiction of a traumatic event, but rather a portrait of a bickering relationship where trivial details are discussed and disputed. Was music playing in the car or not? Were they going 50 MPH or 25 MPH? The eccentric couple ping-pongs back and forth as tension builds anticipating the collision. Gannon has a long history with NoBudge — his 2011 short, “Cochran,” was one of the first films on our site, and still an all-time favorite; more recently in 2020, we featured another short about his mother, “Betty Feeds the Animals,” an oddly endearing documentary on feeding stray animals. -KA. Director, cinematographer: James P. Gannon. Cast: John W. Gannon, Elizabeth C. Gannon. Editor: Jason Tippet. Producers: April Gannon, Joseph K. Gannon, Chris Cipriano, Matt Ferrin, James D Cochran. Music: Domotic.

Betty Feeds the Animals (2020): https://www.nobudge.com/videos/betty-feeds-the-animals
Cochran (2011): https://www.nobudge.com/videos/cochran