Horror flick just not right for Mom

Evan Kail's got a huge problem with the casting call for "Victim 1," a low-budget horror movie he's co-written: How's he going to stop his mom from auditioning?

Kail's mother is Edina Makeup Queen Carroll Britton, a grown woman who dresses the family cat (see the video at tinyurl.com/2f87a2q) and who in 2008 got banned from Hirshfield's (which oddly has kept her on its mailing list) for flirting with a paint store employee.

"She hasn't asked to be in it," said Kail, a U senior who wants to be a professional screenwriter. "Yeah, I know. I was surprised, too."

Ciaran Woods, director and exec producer of the movie, said "His mother is one of a kind. She's a character. I'm waiting for the phone call."

The 23 to 30 age limit should keep Britton away from the noon to 4 p.m., Sept. 25 casting call at Southdale's corporate offices, on the first level next to Marshall's.

"Victim 1" is an homage to horror in three acts. "We're going to shoot the first act in one format; second act in traditional 16 mm horror format; the third act in HD, with more of a paranormal aspect," said Woods, who envisions the movie evolving from standard slasher flick into a ghost movie.

This movie represents a bit of evolution for Woods.

"Ciaran read my spec script for a two-part crime thriller and thought it was good," said Kail, whose dad, Harold, began exposing his son to horror flicks around age 6. "Why don't you jump aboard my small film?" Woods told me he said to Kail. "It's snowballing into something lucrative, exciting. I've got a crew going. All these ducks in a row without having to spend much." The budget is $60,000.

An upcoming cookout is being planned for the assembled crew. "What we are thinking about doing at the barbeque is the molding of the [villain's] mask. Matt, Evan's friend, is like 6-7, so we cast him as the killer," said Woods.

Matt Banks, a U senior film major, is also sharing the writing and producing chores with Kail. The barbeque is at the home of Kail's parents, which means Carroll will be on stage. Help for Harvin?

It would be something if the guys at Mypillow.com have the solution to Percy Harvin's migraines, which have stumped Mayo specialists.

The Mypillow.com guys in Carver were on the case, again, before Harvin collapsed during practice Thursday and was taken the hospital. Friday, Mypillow.com CEO Thom Clapp told me that on Monday he dropped off two more pillows for Harvin. "We were trying to get Percy to use our pillows to get rid of the migraines. We know we can help him," said Clapp, who is working with sleep clinics to get "some actual clinicals done" to back up testimonials that the pillows help migraine sufferers. Mike Lindell, creator and president of My Pillow, asked me to take pillows to Harvin in January, but I declined. Now I will because I feel real sorry for poor Harvin.

It's not a drug or some strange supplement remedy -- it's a PILLOW. Time to try it, Percy! The bolster pillow helps so much with my neck problems that I ordered one for a friend with migraines.

Correction

On Aug. 8, I incorrectly reported that former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson's wife had filed for a divorce.

"No, that was not me," said Magnuson, responding to a message I left for him at the Minneapolis offices of Briggs and Morgan, the law firm to which he has returned.

"Don't know that we need to say any more than that," he added. "I don't want to discuss my private life with you. I'm a private citizen now, but nobody's filed for divorce. OK?"

While Magnuson never sought a correction, an e-mail from a Linda Magnuson of Cottonwood was among those tipping me off that something was amiss: "My nephew Eric Magnuson and his wife Jill Magnuson, who live in Carlos, MN, have filed for divorce. Can [it] be possible that the other Magnusons also live in Carlos?"

No, it's not and I'm an idiot. Again, my apologies.