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John Zbikowski (Michael Kelly) is a small town bookie having a hard time collecting on outstanding debts.

After a one night stand with an ex-girlfriend (Pamela Adlon), John strikes up an unlikely friendship with her 12-year old son, Brian (Jesse Ray Sheps), and develops a plan to recoup the money owed to him by taking bets on Brian’s Youth League Baseball games.

All Square was directed by John Hyams, whose prior work has primarily been in television (NYPD Blue, Z Nation). Pamela Adlon will be perhaps the most familiar face of the cast, known for her FX series Better Things and her work with Louis C.K. on his FX series Louie. Adlon was set to star alongside the likes of Rose Byrne, Edie Falco, and John Malkovich in C.K.’s feature directorial debut, I Love You, Daddy. A week before the film’s slated release in November, distributor The Orchard shelved the film in the wake of a surge of sexual assault allegations leveled against C.K.

Michael Kelly is known for playing Doug Stamper on House of Cards, another high profile project caught in the heat blazing off the #MeToo movement, amid an allegation made against lead Kevin Spacey. Kelly racked up a producer credit on All Squared alongside writer Timothy Brady, Jordan Foley, Jonathan Rosenthal, Ben Cornwell, and Yeardley Smith. The film also stars Smith, Josh Lucas, Tom Everett Scott, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Harris Yulin.

In the clip below made exclusive for MovieMaker, Kelly is grabbing drinks with high school friend Isaiah Whitlock Jr. when he spots a familiar face across the bar. Pamela Adlon is shown holding court over a table of small town good old boys. Adlon catches Kelly’s gaze and staggers over to the men in bemused recognition. What ensues is a hilarious distillation of All Squared‘s quick comedy and dark pitch, watch below:

All Square premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, as part of the Narrative Spotlight section. Read our write-up on Austin in this year’s 50 Best Places to Live and Work as a MovieMaker. Featured image of Jesse Ray Sheps and Michael Kelly, and video, courtesy of Mill House Motion Pictures.

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