Sparky & Butch
Imagine Starsky and Hutch are now retired but can’t stop fighting crime or chasing ladies. Meet Sparky & Butch.
“Enjoyed the hell out of it. Really delightful.” – David Soul (Hutch from original TV Show)
Sparky & Butch keep seeing crime all around them. In their unrelenting pursuit of justice, things go awry. After a particularly dangerous episode, Butch’s son Dirk shows up to force them into an assisted living facility. Sparky & Butch refuse, especially after they see suspicious activity at the place. Dirk puts his foot down, only to find his Dad and best friend have run off after a charming lady.
Director/Producer/Editor KYLE KLEINECKE was born and raised in Tulsa, OK. He currently lives in Bossier City, LA.
He is a director, editor, and screenwriter. He has worked creating television commercials and TV station promotions since 2006.
Kyle’s directorial debut, “The Pickle,” premiered at the 2015 Louisiana Film Prize and was selected for the Founder’s Circle Award. Since then “The Pickle” has been programmed in many other film festivals, winning several awards, including Best Comedy Short Film at the 2016 Milledgeville Film Festival in Georgia.
His sophomore short, “The Root Cellar,” premiered at the 2016 Louisiana Film Prize and is in the middle of a strong festival run. “The Root Cellar” has been recognized with a number of awards including Best Thriller at Red Dirt Film Festival in Oklahoma, Best American Thriller at The Austin Revolution Film Festival in Texas, and Best Short Film at Bare Bones Film Festival in Oklahoma.
In 2017, Kyle was the editor for Louisiana Film Prize top 20 finalist “The Tunnel Monster.” He also produced his first short film, “Willow,” shot on Super 16 mm, which also was a Louisiana Film Prize contender.
“Sparky & Butch” premiered in the 2018 Louisiana Film Prize as a Top 20 contender.
We wondered what would happen if Starsky & Hutch had retired and are now roommates. When we talked more about our idea of a retired Starsky & Hutch in Louisiana, we realized we wanted our film to harken visually to the TV Show. So as I worked with cinematographer Anthony Gutierrez, we tried to make the film feel like the classic TV show. I think we nailed it.
I wanted to work with Lorraine Portman ever since I met her at the Milledgeville Film Festival, which is now the ME Film Festival. We are both film festival veterans.